Throwing the Kitchen Sink at Bill Sali

Have any doubt that the Idaho Statesman and liberals in general are deperate to throw everything they can at Bill Sali? Look no further than Kevin Richert of the Idaho Statesman is upset about a campaign headband:

On the heels of Sali’s controversial remarks about U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., a Muslim, and a Hindu prayer on the floor of the Senate, the Sali campaign handed out American Indian-style headbands at the Western Idaho Fair.

The headbands feature a bright yellow feather, the first-term 1st District congressman’s name and, the campaign insists, a nonoffensive design. Here’s what Sali campaign manager Michelle Glasgow said in a statement (published here in full):

“Congressman Sali has been using the headbands in his campaigns since about 1998. The company he originally ordered them from assured him that the design would not infringe on symbols of any Native American tribes. After he had been using them for a couple of election cycles, one tribal member raised a question whether the design was similar to one of their tribal symbols. In response, the Sali campaign created its own design for the headbands and there have been no concerns expressed by any of the tribes since.

“Your newspaper even ran a picture a couple of years ago featuring a child wearing one of Bill’s headbands. The kids really enjoy them. Parents enjoy them. Some companies (also at the Western Idaho Fair) are handing out their own headbands for marketing purposes. Their overwhelming popularity is a sign that the public finds them not only acceptable, but desirable. You’re the only one who has posed a question about them.

“On a side note, little kids in school still make Indian headbands as a way to introduce youngsters to tribal cultures and customs. I’d say that’s a good thing.”

So let’s summarize:

1) Bill Sali has been handing out these headbands for 9 years.

2) Kevin Richert’s paper featured pictures of them in the past.

3) Public Schools make similar headbands, and Kevin, I think some of the teachers are members of the Idaho Education Association, so you know they have to be right.

Kevin Richert asks:

Let me ask my question bluntly: Why does Sali do this?

See above. Perhaps, it’s the fact that in 9 years, only an overly PC newsman has been offended.

I am not of American Indian descent, so it’s not my place to be offended. But it’s no secret that some American Indians have protested the use of American Indian sports nicknames and mascots — long before Sali started handing out his headbands.

I’m 1/32 Cherokee and my wife is 1/8 Cherokee. Together we say, “No big deal.” My wife even wore one during the fair parade.

It’s no stretch to say the headbands run the risk of being offensive.

Actually, it’s a stretch and the thing about those headbands-they don’t stretch. Hundreds of businesses use them as Sali pointed out. The first time I saw them was at the Northwest Montana Fair by Culligan Water. Richert writes:

To me, using an American Indian headband in the name of building voter ID is needlessly controversial. It’s one more reason to question Sali’s judgment.

Yeah, and taking up 10 paragraphs of newsprint to talk about this is one more reason to question the Statesman’s judgment.  There’s an old say, “The law cares not for triffles.” Apparently, that’s the Newspaper’s department.

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