Idaho
updated
11:45 p.m.
How could someone say no to health care reform? "I think they never had to make the choice between seeing a doctor and putting food on the table," replies Margaret......
The MountainGoat Report - 8:42 p.m.
Speaking of alternative realities, my weekly fix of Frank Rich got off to a chuckle with his mention of "the new right-wing noise machine" (and "crackpot hit squad") Keep America Safe, "invented by Dick Cheneys daughter Liz and the inevitable William Kristol." If Kristol were on The Simpsons he'd be Troy McClure, the man you may remember from such brands as Ahmed Chalabi and Sarah Palin. (...
Fort Boise - 5:47 p.m.
Nice little Q&A by Tim Woodward in the DAILY PAPER Sunday. Seems the Boise Airport didn’t really need the $29 million five story parking garage stopped by the GUARDIAN editor five years ago. In fact, there isn’t even demand for a surface lot that cost just $2 million or so to build. [...] Related posts: Does Boise Parks Violate Parking Lot Law? State Workers Targeted B...
Boise Guardian - 3:43 p.m. - 2 clicks 
The man elected as General Secretary of the Soviet Union's Communist Party 25 years ago looks back at perstroika lost , and forward. He casts blame across the political spectrum, and accepts his own share, for "acting too late to reform the Communist Party," and "too late in reforming the union of the republics," and the ultimate sin, losing sight of the economy "in the heat of political batt...
Fort Boise - Sat 9:28 p.m.
Jeanette's looking through Chinese Writing: an introduction by Diane Wolff, and came upon this statement, "built in" to their language, but sounding profound in ours, because we keep the atoms so distinct: the character for "brain," combined with that for "heart" form the character for "think." ...
Fort Boise - Sat 9:28 p.m.
The advent of the Fox News slogan of "Fair and Balanced" was perfectly tuned to the Bush / Cheney era, with its Orwellian initiatives of "Healthy Forests," "Clear Skies" and the "war is security" depredation of our military strength. (Just one short century between "speak softly and carry a big stick" and "fire, ready, aim!") Howell Raines is wondering why the mainstream media haven't "...
Fort Boise - Sat 9:28 p.m.
Jeanette interrupted me just now, saying "I've got a present for you..." It was a postcard, from the New York City Transit series Poetry in Motion © , in cooperation with the Poetry Society of America, 1996, excerpting Edna St. Vincent Millay's 1922 poem, " Recuerdo ." In 1996, the tease of EXCERPT might have sent you to the New York City Library or something (on the subway, hopefully...
Fort Boise - Sat 12:40 p.m.
March came in gently, but it's roaring through the midsection. Winds forecast to gust over 40mph this afternoon, after snow down to Boise's elevation (at least) overnight. Sunshine now, and the temps forecast to be over 60 in a couple days! What's not to like about springtime in the Rockies? I've got a tennis match scheduled in... 45 minutes. Should be interesting. [It was, wild and windy....
Fort Boise - Sat 12:40 p.m.
Idaho Steelheading Adventures, Part I: We're All Bozos on This Bus is here. Part II Steelhead mornings are for fishing, and vocal communication is generally frowned upon. This lack of conversation is due to ruffled feathers from the drive up and the fact it's 6:00 a.m. Our heads feel like Tony Dogs in Martin Scorsese's film "Casino," right before Nicky Santoro gives the final turn of ...
New West Boise - Fri 5:29 p.m. - 5 clicks
The Avimor planned community along Highway 55 north of Eagle has been full of hype, but little else and today things took a turn for the worse. A GUARDIAN contributor with good sources offers this: “It is true that Avimor’s parent company SunCor Development is up for sale but has not yet changed hands. In fact, the [...] Related posts: Avimor Future Looks Bleak “Non-Partisan...
Boise Guardian - Fri 3:29 p.m. - 2 clicks
Ada County has a couple of openings in the Development Services Division, thanks to the “at will” employment policy. Word on the street is a building inspector and Planning and Zoning administrator were AWOL from the office at mid afternoon Thursday. Seems they visited a nearby watering hole during duty hours and are no [...] No related posts....
Boise Guardian - Fri 1:42 p.m. - 3 clicks
Editor's Note: Two weeks ago I posted a hard-hitting column about recreation fees leading to privatization of our public lands and how the Forest Service facilitates the process by turning over management of so many campgrounds and other recreation areas to private concessionaires. After this commentary went online, I was contacted by Warren Meyer, who runs one of the major companies involved in p...
New West Boise - Fri 1:00 p.m. - 7 clicks
"I suspect that I will be as the vote gets closer. But I’m reasonably set in my ways ." -- Congressman Walt Minnick (D-Idaho) speaking to Erika Bolstad of the Idaho Statesman on whether or not he has been spoken to by Democratic leadership regarding his upcoming vote on health care reform. Reasonably set in his ways? And "hell is just a sauna"... ...
Political Game - Fri 12:26 p.m. - 5 clicks
Continuing a process begun with Representative Margaret Henbest, D-Boise, in 2008 of inviting retiring members of the Idaho House to serve as Speaker for part of the day's session, Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, handed the gavel to Representative Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, who is leaving the House to run for Congress. And in keeping with other "firsts," such as Henbest's first woman...
New West Boise - Fri 12:26 p.m. - 4 clicks
It’s gotten a good deal of attention in Idaho, some in Washington and a little in Oregon. But from any of those angles, Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s “Love Letter to Our Neighbors” merits a little thought. The core of it is business solicitation, specifically going after businesses in Oregon and Washington which are seeing their [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Fri 10:48 a.m. - 5 clicks
It's dated as news (posted Feb. 24, before Coulter had been released from jail in Haiti), but Timothy Egan's take on the missionary impulse , that "lingering personality disorder of Western culture" makes interesting reading. "[T]he curious case of Laura Silsby raises questions about cultural imperialism: what makes a scofflaw from nearly all-white Idaho with no experience in adoption o...
Fort Boise - Fri 9:28 a.m.
Before fleeing Idaho for more fertile ground in the national spotlight, Bryan Fischer, formerly of Idaho Values Alliance infamy, was more than than happy to hijack the tea party movement.......
The MountainGoat Report - Fri 7:29 a.m. - 4 clicks
UPDATE He has: Otter filed for re-election this (Friday) morning. What follows may still be food for thought, though. This post may be rendered useless speculation tomorrow or next week, and odds are it will be. Can’t help posting it, though, just because it seems to shine some light on a political dog that didn’t bark [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Thu 5:44 p.m. - 4 clicks
Monday was a deluge, the rest of the week a trickle, in Idaho candidate filings. That’s not unusual; the pace doesn’t ordinarily pick up again until near the end, which is a week from tomorrow. No posts on this the last couple of days because there wasn’t a lot to say – the fitful filings have [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Thu 5:24 p.m. - 4 clicks
Cross-posted to Project Vote’s blog, Voting Matters Although the 2008 presidential election showed unprecedented increases in turnout from underrepresented citizens, their rates of voter registration and participation were still well behind the electorate in general. As we approach election season, this pattern may only continue. Instead of taking steps to improve the administration ...
DailyKos (Idaho) - Thu 4:45 p.m. - 4 clicks
After two days of testimony, mostly in opposition, Idaho's House State Affairs Committee voted to pass this year's version of the "conscience" bill, which lets medical professionals such as nurses and pharmacists refuse to perform medical actions or fill prescriptions that could cause an abortion--as well as emergency contraception--or hasten the end of life. The bill has already passed ...
New West Boise - Thu 1:22 p.m. - 3 clicks
Land birds found throughout the Rocky Mountain West need human help. Dr. David Pashley, Vice President of American Bird Conservancy -- the nation's leading bird conservation organization -- cautioned today that as climate change impacts are increasingly felt throughout the United States and beyond, conservation efforts affecting birds will take on a doubly important role in protecting not only b...
New West Boise - Thu 12:03 p.m. - 2 clicks
The Idaho House of Representatives is about to consider a “no texting bill” that passed the Senate Wednesday. Interestingly, we don’t see any exemptions for coppers and firefighters. The Fed transportation people, AAA, and just about everyone who has watched a car weaving slowly down the road agree that reading and writing on computers while [...] Related posts: BFD Ambulance Issue Probably N...
Boise Guardian - Thu 11:45 a.m. - 3 clicks
I saw "Hobson's choice" in print for the second time in a couple days and I was wondering where that expression came from when I saw that today's was Rick Hobson, joking with his own name in a letter to the Statesman . In his case, the choice was posting the names of successful Idaho wolf hunters on his blog . (Sadly, the pun doesn't really work; the original Hobson's choice, "a free ch...
Fort Boise - Thu 10:55 a.m.
Today marks the end of Week 1 of MontCAS testing at Missoula public schools. Montana Comprehensive Assessment System is a series of standardized tests administered each spring under the heinous, deceptively-named No Child Left Behind program implemented by Congress in 2002. You would think from the very title of the program that the federal government will be providing assistance to lagging or und...
New West Boise - Thu 10:34 a.m. - 2 clicks
On the heels of Ruchti's announcement that he would not be seeking re-election, Rep. Donna Boe has announced she will not be running again for the District 29 seat she has held for fourteen years. In a statement released to the local press , Boe said it is time for new blood representing Bannock County. She continued, "[w]ill I miss the Legislature? At times. However, it is time to m...
Political Game - Thu 9:08 a.m. - 3 clicks
I torture myself daily by reading "Mallard Fillmore" in the Statesman. It's put on the opinion page along with "Doonesbury," the idea being to counter the supposedly liberal Doonesbury. Well, there's certainly no question that MF is conservative. A big difference, other than the political viewpoint, is that DB has story lines and jokes that are often funny. MF is just pretty much an unrelenting s...
IdaBlue - Thu 8:03 a.m. - 3 clicks
The Bush-Cheney Alumni Association (you think I'm making that up? No, really .), for its second act of communication to me is touting Karl Rove's book just out. The first act was a message to offer me a chance to opt out; as ever, the team is happy to assume that silence equals assent. In my case, I did make the decision to act by not acting, and see what they had to say. So stand back for ...
Fort Boise - Thu 8:03 a.m.
UPDATED Friday, March 12, 1 pm: I used this headline once before when writing about Mark Rey, former Bush Administration Undersecretary of Agriculture and boss of the Forest Service. Prior to Rey's Reign of Terror, California Republican Congressmen Richard Pombo held the honor of being the biggest enemy of public lands. Voters booted him in 2006, but he's back, running for Congress again this ye...
New West Boise - Thu 2:08 a.m. - 2 clicks
Will this man stop at NOTHING?! This CNNBC news report has the details from the broadcast of Le Bebe-Homme Pleurant. (Sorry about the volume too loud and the lame controls on the Flash... this is the best I could do. Thank me for not embedding. And if you're on Facebook, go ahead and accept the login thing. What's the worst that could happen? Ok, well, he could come after you, too.....
Fort Boise - Wed 5:49 p.m.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says talk of his department creating new national monuments in Montana and other Western states was just "brainstorming." The issue became big news after after an internal memo about the subject was leaked last month, setting off alarms in many, if not all, Western congressional offices and certainly across the Rockies. Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg is even ...
New West Boise - Wed 11:28 a.m.
"Despite Rex's fringe status, Idaho Democrats (actually in sheer numbers a fringe party themselves) and the media never tire of attempting to tie him to mainstream Idaho Republicans, and those Republicans continue to dismiss him as a crank." -- Bill Croke in "Tyrannosaurus Rex," an article for The American Spectator about Idaho gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell and his fring...
Political Game - Wed 9:05 a.m. - 3 clicks
Apparently, in the nether regions of Glennbeckistan there's a commie or Nazi hiding under every bushel and churches who do good works, you know helping the poor, the afflicted, the......
The MountainGoat Report - Wed 8:45 a.m. - 3 clicks
It might not be spring yet, but it sure feels like it here in Colorado, where our piles of November snow have finally started to melt and some crocuses are peeking out of the ground. With the change in season comes a bunch of regional book awards and event announcements: • Stories on Stage, a Denver theater company that presents literature through performances by professional actors, will ...
New West Boise - Wed 7:24 a.m. - 2 clicks
In a brilliant act to cut development in the Foothills, Team Dave has apparently seen the light and joined the GUARDIAN GROWTHOPHOBE movement. Boise City Council Tuesday made public the purchase of Hammer Flat – a 701-acre wintering range for mule deer, elk and antelope in east Boise – using funds generated by the [...] Related posts: GUARDIAN Offers Yet Another Transit Plan ...
Boise Guardian - Tue 11:26 p.m. - 5 clicks
We’re going to take a big step and post the following information which comes from Andy Hedden-Nicely, a one time Democrat politico for the U.S. senate, and one time founder of the Boise WEEKLY. As with any one-sided post from outside the GUARDIAN fold, we will gladly accept opposing views of approximately the same [...] Related posts: We Are In Midst Of Economic Civil War Luna Seek...
Boise Guardian - Tue 10:40 p.m. - 6 clicks
Both KPVI and the Idaho State Journal reported today that Representative James Ruchti will not be seeking re-election to the Idaho House. Ruchti was first elected to the House from District 29 in 2006 when former Rep. Elmer Martinez, a fellow Democrat, decided not to run again. Prior to his run for the House, Ruchti served as the chairman of the Bannock County Democratic Party. Since Ruc...
Political Game - Tue 8:28 p.m. - 7 clicks
Mayor David Bieter and the City Council today announced the purchase of Hammer Flat -- a 701-acre wintering range for mule deer, elk and antelope in east Boise -- using funds generated by the 2001 foothills serial levy. The Mayor and Council approved the $4.1 million expenditure at a special council meeting today at City Hall. "Of all the incredible land acquisitions made through the Foot...
New West Boise - Tue 1:40 p.m. - 4 clicks
During the Vietnam War an Army officer explained a village had to be burned “in order to save it.” Idaho Parks Director Nancy Merrill finds herself in that same situation today as she considers allowing dune buggies to chew up the tallest free standing sand dune on the continent to possibly make a few bucks to [...] Related posts: Who Can Drive Safely AND Text? What To Do With The Big Hou...
Boise Guardian - Tue 10:43 a.m. - 5 clicks
Some of them, anyway. This is the first official day of campaign ‘10 in Idaho, because it’s the first day candidates were allowed formally to file for office. (In Oregon, they’ve been doing it since last fall.) A good many of them did that on Day 1, but the deadline for filing isn’t until a [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Mon 5:45 p.m. - 4 clicks
... "I would like to thank what [ The Blindside ] is about for me which are the moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they come from. Those moms and parents never get thanked. I, in particular, failed to thank one. So… if I can take this moment to thank Helga B. for not letting me ride in cars with boys until I was 18 because she was right. I would’ ve done what she ...
Political Game - Mon 3:01 p.m. - 3 clicks
Freedom of Information in Idaho is being attacked by some of the people who have taken an oath to uphold the constitution and the laws of Idaho–coppers. The police bill approved last week by the senate state affairs committee would allow police, prosecutors, and prison guards to conceal their private phone and home address numbers [...] Related posts: Court Rules Against Boise City In R...
Boise Guardian - Mar 7 - 3 clicks
As energy providers look around for new sources of electric power – wind gaining special popularity in the Northwest – here’s one that could be highly useful and available all over the region: Tapping into methane gas found at landfills, and converting it into energy. The Kootenai Electric Cooperative, based at Hayden, is planning to use methane [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Mar 6 - 3 clicks
Who could vote against condemning a terrorist attack on U.S. soil? Two U.S. Congressmen did. One is coming to Idaho in three weeks. Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted......
The MountainGoat Report - Mar 5 - 3 clicks
DOGFIGHT WITH F-35, TRASH TALK, PHOTO OP AT REDLIGHTS, SNEAKY SMOKERS Dan Buerstetta 5473 S. Broad Wing Way Boise, ID 83716 336-4464 F-35: I attended the meeting that the government put on regarding the F-35, I’ve read articles, and I’m very much against it. I think it would be devastating for the tax base, homes will devalue dramatically with this extremely loud [...] Related posts: Mayor Hot...
Boise Guardian - Mar 5 - 7 clicks
Silly season has arrived at the Idaho Legislature with the Antichrist Dems voting in lockstep against God of all things. This comes after a resolution to encourage God and English passed the House Thursday on a 50-17 vote, according to a story by AP. We actually don’t have a problem with having government business transacted [...] Related posts: Election Results Send Strong Message ...
Boise Guardian - Mar 4 - 5 clicks
Money decisions are where your priorities hit the road. Talk is cheap; when you decide how money is allocated, you’re putting something closer to your true self out there. That seems to be hitting home with Idaho state Senator Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, who is a member of the legislative budget committee but not part of [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Mar 4 - 4 clicks
This is how our Idaho Republican party rolls. They take care of their own personal issues to the detriment of the people of the State of Idaho. Two examples. As Governor, Jim Risch jammed through a shift of taxes from property to sales. This was his signature achievement of his short term as Governor (or, as Geoff would say, his term as short Governor), and he crowed about it at every opportunity...
IdaBlue - Mar 4 - 4 clicks
Today the Idaho Statesman reports that Congressman Walt Minnick "would have no trouble being the vote that kills President Barack Obama's health care plan — if it still doesn't include......
The MountainGoat Report - Mar 3 - 4 clicks
What Minnick said yesterday . What Minnick says today . And the IDP continues to sit quietly by while this man makes a mockery of the Party. We desperately need health care reform in this country. We aren't all covered by a public health insurance plan like members of congress and their employees and we sure as hell aren't all millionaires like Mr. Minnick. While he's holding to his "core valu...
Political Game - Mar 3 - 2 clicks
The Council on Developmental Disabilities was signed into law by then-governor John Evans in 1978. Perhaps it comes as no surprise that the loudest advocate for its continued funding is Governor Evans himself. In an opinion piece penned by Evans running today in the Idaho State Journal , it ran much earlier in other papers across the state , former Governor Evans reminds readers why the Co...
Political Game - Mar 3 - 2 clicks
As others have pointed out, in a week full of hilarity at the Idaho Statehouse, this has to be one of the most hilarious statements made by an Idaho Legislator.......
The MountainGoat Report - Mar 3 - 3 clicks
Mike Gwartney (left) and Butch Otter at a check presentation/Office of the Governor The hottest person of controversy in Idaho right now may be not the governor, C.L. “Butch” Otter, but the director of the Department of Administration, Mike Gwartney. Though many of Gwartney’s critics evidently are missing the point: If Gwartney is rightfully controversial, then [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Mar 2 - 7 clicks
(Editor's Note: I can't seem to bring myself to work on a certain writing project and I am completely disappointed in the Idaho Legislature today as I've watched their votes grow increasingly more dumb by the hour (the voter ID bill yesterday and today's trifecta of stupidity--an unconstitutional gun law , immunizations , and Barrett's gold & silver as currency bill). When did ...
Political Game - Mar 2 - 11 clicks
News came yesterday that Idaho Blue Dog Congressman Walt Minnick has not changed his mind on health care reform and will vote against it regardless what iteration of the legislation......
The MountainGoat Report - Mar 2 - 8 clicks
Of course, that's nothing new. Mike Moyle's bill to require voter ID has passed the House and is headed for the Senate. I suspect it will probably become law. This statement in Betsy Russell's report is telling: Moyle said there’s no way to know if fraudulent voting is going on Or, put another way, he doesn't know that fraudulent voting is occurring. We have a bill being passed despite there b...
IdaBlue - Mar 2
For members of a religious institution whose history includes persecution by tar and feather-wielding angry mobs to now be part of an angry mob calling for the persecution of others......
The MountainGoat Report - Mar 1
For some time, the discourse emanating out of the local tea party crowd has teetered on the edge of rationality. The more vocal members of the Pocatello Tea Party have written screeds in the local paper, the Idaho State Journal , and many of those columns have subsequently been posted on the ISJ "blogs" that serve as the online home to op-eds previously submitted and printed. Over the last y...
Political Game - Mar 1 - 8 clicks
Broke the ring around it I can't think about it I can barely start to even wrap my head around it Waters rise around us Sinking ships around us I can't believe she even found a way inside to drown us I'm not so sure anymore what's next Or if there's anything left for us What will we find inside of the wreck Yeah we both know it's all just washed away Where do you go and what do you do All you ...
Political Game - Feb 28 - 4 clicks
First up – Frank Rich’s op-ed at the New York Times. The title says it all: ‘The Axis of the Obsessed & Deranged.’ Oh, come on – you know Idaho is represented. From 1996 by Timothy Egan, NYT. BOISE, Idaho, Jan. 10— She says Westerners are at war with the Federal Government, believes that white [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 28 - 5 clicks
This has to be the most boring ‘The Amazing Race’ I’ve yet to watch. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of human connection between the teams. And brains – are we short of thinking power this time around? The moms are out. Those cowboys are just too shrewd. And there’s still a couple of assholes [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 28 - 3 clicks
Not to harp too much on the Pocatello Tea Party, but this one was not to be missed. The headline was “Ten Reasons Why We Need a State Militia Now.” Here are the ten: Attacks by international “terrorists” Invasion by illegal immigrants Infusions of illicit drugs Depredations of criminal enterprises organized and operated [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Feb 27
Did you know that there is a Peeps Diorama Contest ? Not only is there such a thing, this year will be the fourth annual contest! Seriously. I couldn't make this up if I tried. As a follow up to Thursday's post regarding an ISU campus protest, I wanted to point out two articles running at KPVI (the local NBC affiliate) regarding the protest (" Students Upset Over Proposed Tuition Increase " and ...
Political Game - Feb 27 - 4 clicks
There are plenty of people in this country who are here illegally, and one effective way to get a handle on that would be to block their employment. So how far should legislators go in that direction? In Idaho, there’s House Bill 497, backed by Representatives Phil Hart and Raul Labrador, and its statement of purpose [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Feb 27 - 5 clicks
Miffed that they don't have supreme authority over every state government employee salary or retiree pension, Idaho Republican legislators are proving once again that local control is best, 'cept when......
The MountainGoat Report - Feb 26 - 4 clicks
PRESS ADVISORY Contact: Diana Painter E-mail: paindian@isu.edu For Immediate Release ISU Students Protest Proposed 9.9 Percent Tuition Hike POCATELLO-- Over 200 of students protested in front of the Idaho State University’s Administration Building holding signs and chanting to demonstrate their anger over the proposed 9.9 percent tuition increase ISU recently submitted to the State Boa...
Political Game - Feb 25 - 4 clicks
Time to prepare for breaking out the D-word? The northwest’s snowpack seemed to be in pretty good shape two to three months ago. Less so now, and in places it could get pretty parched. Only one spot in the Northwest has higher than normal accumulated precipitation: The Olympic peninsula (at about 151%). Other than that, it’s [...]...
Ridenbaugh Press (Idaho) - Feb 25 - 2 clicks
Outdoor Idaho will be re-airing their program "Let Me Be Brave," chronicling the story of four Special Olympics Idaho athletes who competed in the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Idaho. The documentary follows four athletes, Reuben, a snowshoer from Boise; Alicia, a snowboarder from Caldwell; Juli, a skier from Rupert; and Robyn, a floor hockey player from Ontario, Oregon. ...
Political Game - Feb 24
Idaho Governor Butch Otter says his job isn't any fun. He says it's tough making cuts to state government and he deserves some compassion for doing it. Really. He said......
The MountainGoat Report - Feb 24 - 6 clicks
It’s been over six months since Mary & Tom Woychick were driven down on Parkcenter Blvd. Six months and absolutely nothing forthcoming. It’s not much; it is something. From KBOI, Channel 2 Police: Charges expected in elderly couple’s death But authorities did give a small update to the incident Tuesday afternoon. “Investigators are working with prosecutors to [.....
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 24 - 2 clicks
First the Cassia County Clerk was accused of grabbing a female county employee by the wrists and was asked by the county commissioners to work from home . Then that clerk, Larry Mickelsen, announced he would not be seeking re-election and would retire June 1, 2010, giving him time to get the 2011 budget process underway. Under pressure from the county Republican party, Mickelsen moved up his reti...
Political Game - Feb 23
Years from now Citizens United v Federal Election Commission will stand as one of the most stunning decisions in American jurisprudence. Rescinding a century of case law, the Supreme Court has offered corporations freedom to participate in our election process as if they were individuals with votes and voices. Writing in today's Idaho State Journal on the Citizens United decision and how the...
Political Game - Feb 21
Earlier this week in honor of President's Day, The Daily Beast released a slide show they created entitled "The Best-Read Presidents." The list is compiled of nineteen American presidents who were known for being avid readers and for having a large collection or library of books of their own. Being a reader of multiple genres and a historian interested specifically in American history, I thoug...
Political Game - Feb 20
Yesterday Idaho Governor Butch Otter released a scathing opinion accusing the press of a lack of civility and glossing over the facts when reporting on his proposed budget cuts this......
The MountainGoat Report - Feb 20 - 5 clicks
Idaho is no California, but there have to be Idahoans out there who scratch their heads at the thought of a state so embedded in an economic crisis not looking for revenue wherever they can find it. Though we think of revenue hunting in California as a potential marijuana-legalizing endeavor, the California Senate has passed legislation targeting sales on internet sites like Amazon and Oversto...
Political Game - Feb 19 - 4 clicks
The Idaho potentates involved in such matters have kicked into high gear in an effort to get the Air Force to site 1 - 3 squadrons of the new F-3 aircraft here. As I understand it (and admittedly my understanding is not deep or fully informed), an operational squadron could go to Mountain Home, and a training squadron could be put on Gowen field. One, or the other, or both. And somewhere along t...
IdaBlue - Feb 19 - 2 clicks
Lady Antebellum performing an acoustic version of their single "I Run To You" last year at the Loveless Cafe in Nashville. ...
Political Game - Feb 19 - 2 clicks
You had to know this was coming. The man that Idaho State Senator Mike Jorgenson (R-Hayden Lake) relied on for legal help in drafting his controversial anti-immigration bill has been......
The MountainGoat Report - Feb 18 - 5 clicks
I see that 8 of the 10 Baptists in Haiti have been released, which is certainly good news for them and their families. That does seem to be a case of good intentions gone awry. Upon being released, they thanked God for staying with them, and for helping them get released. The basis of such a sentiment is (apparently) that they believe God is involved in and in control of their daily lives. Prais...
IdaBlue - Feb 18
As if a more compelling reason were needed, today it becomes increasingly clear that doing nothing about health care reform is not an option, reports Talking Points Memo in, "Anthem......
The MountainGoat Report - Feb 18 - 3 clicks
The definition of 'public' has long suggested that any event, service or facility is open to a diverse cross-section of the larger communities in which we live. Open challenges to the very definition of 'public' divided this country during the civil rights movement of the twentieth century. Jim Crow laws in the South restricted the very definition of 'public' by prohibiting blacks from using drink...
Political Game - Feb 18
This report came out a couple of weeks ago but it's worth noting here, especially given the legacy of assertion, distortion and misinformation foisted upon Idahoans with fetish-like frequency. From......
The MountainGoat Report - Feb 17 - 5 clicks
From Think Progress , Sen. Crapo is exposed for voting against the stimulous bill, yet bragging about the positive effect it is having in Idaho. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) Bragged About Job Creation, Environmental Clean Up Benefits Of Recovery Package. According to KIDK News, Senator Crapo gushed: “Approximately $400 million plus, maybe as much as $465 million will come to INL right here in Id...
IdaBlue - Feb 17 - 2 clicks
For some time now, the History Channel has sensationalized the Kennedy family for the purpose of ratings, but as Brave New Films points out in this video, the History Channel will be airing a new Kennedy documentary that is ultimately destructive. Just as has been said in our recent political discourse, the far-right is not entitled to their own facts. This film surely makes the far-rig...
Political Game - Feb 17 - 2 clicks
From a great read today at The Treatment: Health care reform is not solely, or even primarily, about improving health. It's also about making sure that medical expenses don't ruin......
The MountainGoat Report - Feb 16
There's a great scene in one of my favorite episodes of The West Wing , "The Stackhouse Filibuster," where Sam is asked who his favorite writer is. Sam's response is Toby, his colleague and fellow speech writer. When pushed for an answer as to who his favorite fiction writer is, he says "you're listening to him," as Senator Stackhouse reads David Copperfield on the television near by. It's ...
Political Game - Feb 15
The obvious dishonesty surrounding Laura Silsby and her confederacy of dunces’ as someone labeled them, is absolutely despicable. Nothing disgusts me more than the obvious bullshit flowing out from Central Valley Baptist. . And now this↔↔fasting. Someone should clue these idiots in – fasting is more than just skipping breakfast or dinner. . . . . . oh [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 14
Update: The first couple has already been eliminated, Dana & Adrian. The task at hand was crossing some gorge on these teeny thin guide wires somewhere in Valparaíso, Chile. Would’ve been my downfall that’s for sure. Too terrified of heights. Adrian ‘fell’ off the line and, incredibly, eventually opted for another go at it with [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 14
My nephew, Matt – who just turned 22 – is home after being in Wisconsin for almost two years. He’s a little more quiet, a tad more mature, and quite a bit more focused. It’s hard to say if I’m a bit disheartened in finding this ‘new’ Matt. This was the kid who made every attempt [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 14 - 3 clicks
Back when Republicans were threatening "The Nuclear Option" to abolish the filibuster, I was really hoping they would. You recall that Republicans were hoping to get Justices Roberts and Alito confirmed, and, anticipating Democratic objections, threatened to do away with the filibuster rule. I hoped they'd kill it because I knew one day Democrats would be back in power and Republicans would ...
IdaBlue - Feb 13
I've written before that I suspected that Sarah Palin's glasses are just glass, and have no real correction. I think she wears them to give herself a bit of gravitas. Our society tends to view attractive women only in the context of their looks. Most folks do not look at an attractive woman and think "I bet she's really smart." So, I can understand her wanting to be taken seriously. Anyway, look ...
IdaBlue - Feb 11
( Editor's Note : Make no mistake, there's a political message in the words of Noah Webster, hardly a man that invokes partisan bickering among Americans today. Continuing where I left off yesterday...) "However independent each state may be and ought to be in things that relate to itself merely, yet as part of a greater body it must be a subject of that body in matters that relate to the whole...
Political Game - Feb 10
New Mexico might be moving its bank accounts, and the money in them, to local banks and credit unions. Putting that money in local financial institutions will allow them to lend locally, and will also help them survive these tough times. How about if the super-majority in the Idaho legislature considers something similar? That would be a more fruitful use of time then trying to keep minorities ...
IdaBlue - Feb 10
"What, it will be asked, must the states relinquish their sovereignty and independence, and give Congress their rights of legislation? I beg to know what we mean by United States ? If, after Congress have passed a resolution of a general tenor, the states are still at liberty to comply or refuse, I must insist that they are not united ; they are as separate as they ever were, and Congress is me...
Political Game - Feb 9
House Majority Leader Mike Moyle has introduced a bill to require photo ID in order to vote in Idaho. Such a move is typically associated with racist efforts to keep minorities from voting, and is a favorite cause of the most far-right wingnuts around the country. I'm especially dismayed that the House State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to introduce this bill. Unanimously. So, in additio...
IdaBlue - Feb 9
“Most of these children’s parents died in the earthquake just a few days ago” CBS had video of a bit the interrogation ‘after having attempted to cross the border’ in Port-au-Prince of those 10 Americans Baptists from Idaho. ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ “We simply wanted to help these children. We did not understand all your rules.” Mmhmmm . . . . Filed under: [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 8 - 3 clicks
John Murtha has died at the age of 77. For all his foibles and faults, he was a stalwart opponent of the Iraq war, and champion for the people of his district in Pennsylvania. Update: Only Dave will know! Filed under: Congress, Politics Tagged: John Murtha ...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 8
Update: When this first broke there was misspelling of the pastor’s name, Jean Sanvil, who helped the Americans pick out ‘orphans’ now in Haitian custody. Pastor Jean Sainvil (aka Keyser Söze)….. found this video of the good pastor on blackamerica.com this morning, Monday, Feb. 8th – Tom Joyner’s show. [Originally this was thrown together when the story [...]...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 8 - 3 clicks
. . . . . . . Sarah, whatcha looking at there? . . . . Like others have speculated, it seems Ms Palin most likely knew the questions which were to be asked. And this is the woman John McCain unleashed on America without any apology. The only thing that has carried this woman anywhere is her looks. Straight up. Looks and white [...] ...
Left Side of the Moon - Feb 7
