Idaho Dems Update #2: Hate to Burst Your Bubblehead

Bubblehead gives his updates on the Idaho elections and begins with this somewhat incredible observation on the Governor’s race:

In the Governor’s race, we’ve got a respected newspaperman, Jerry Brady, representing the Democrats; he ran for the same office in 2002, losing to the incumbent Governor 56-42%. This time, he’s coming into the race with better name recognition, and his opponent doesn’t seem nearly as formidable.

I respect Bubblehead’s service to our country, but he missed a few things while he was underwater. Including the four elections of Butch Otter as Lieutenant Governor of Idaho. He’s the longest servest Lieutenant Governor in the State’s history, in addition to that he’s won three terms in Congress. Otter is probably, one of the top political figures in Idaho in the last twenty years. You don’t get much stronger stature-wise than Butch Otter. Otter has some issues from his past, but these are all back in the ’90s and voters elected him by overwhelming margins after that, which might explain why the only polling we have in this race has Otter by a 47-25 margin. Now, I don’t think it’s the best poll in the world, but it certainly has advantage over the online polls cited as authoritative on the lefty site.

He then goes into Sali and how it’s good news for the Dems that Cheney and Hastert are out here, then he makes this observation regarding Sali’s vote on the Property Tax Cut/Sales Tax Increase:

The big event in Idaho this month will be a special legislative session to consider a property tax reform bill that a lot of people don’t like. There’s more on why it’s a bad bill here, but I’m going to be interested to see how Mr. Sali, who’s still a State Representative, is going to vote on it. See, the plan includes a 1% increase in the sales tax. Up to now, no matter how many Republicans call Sali an “absolute idiot” or other bad things, no one has questioned his integrity — he generally stands for what he believes, and doesn’t allow politicial expediency to get in his way. That’s why I was surprised to see him listed as “undecided” about the bill in an article from today’s Idaho Statesman.

I think this is going to be a tough vote for Sali. First of all, if he votes “yes” on the bill, he’s not broken his pledge to not raise taxes. As Americans for Tax Reform explains any revenue-neutral or tax cutting measure will not qualify as breaking the pledge.

Politically, I don’t seem him winning points either way. In fact, to save time, all you Idaho Democrats can go ahead and in advance write two posts to critique Sali for voting “yes” or voting “no” on the Risch tax plan.

If he votes yes, Democrats will accuse him of being a flip-flopper. If he votes no, then they’ll add it to their pile of charges under “plays poorly with others.” So, just go ahead and write the posts in advance.

Before I leave this, I’m going to throw in a couple other jabs. First of all from Idablue, Alan writes of Butch Otter’s military service:

Did ya now? I wrote a while back that his Guard service looks like an effort to avoid the draft. He joined the year after he completed college. Otter certainly didn’t stick with the Guard very long. How many of the 6 years did he actively drill? Was he like Bush who was carried on the rolls [gic] but didn’t attend? I have not [sic] idea, but again, I’d like to see his service records.

And do you know that you harm your own credability when you just continue to draw inferences without any evidence, just hoping something will stick? By the way, please tell all the families of soldiers who have died in the National Guard that their fallen loved ones were only draft dodgers who didn’t show up for duty.

Also, as Alan and the Idaho Dems clearly believe that the most important characteristic of a Republican nominee is being able to kiss up to the GOP leadership, he once again reminds us that Bill Sali wasn’t good at that.

Yes, this is our folly. In a time of runaway deficits and out of control immigration, we Republicans failed to nominate a yes-man who would kiss up to advance himself and his career at the price of what was right for Idaho and America. We just trust voters will be understanding. /sarcasm off.