Lightning kills 5 Mexican children in prayer

Talk about irony, this story has plenty of it.

Steven Ricks & the Marriage Amendment

Steven Ricks is running for Senator in Dist 21, Kuna, and has mailed out the flyer, part of which is shown on the right [update; used to say left; jeezus]. This flyer is seven pages long, all dense text except for the single picture, and is entirely focused on the Marriage Amendment.

Ricks explains that he wants to show he is thoughtful, and wants to do more than speak in what he calls "sound bites". Credit the guy for explaining his thinking. It's interesting he chose this issue to stake his campaign on. He says in the flyer that his campaign will be able to afford only the one mass mailing.

Ricks argues that marriage is a tradition based on customs and culture, and that it is not and was not created by government. It was created by people primarily to promote raising children. Since same sex marriages can't bear children, they don't need marriage. He says that preventing same sex marriages is not sex discrimination because homosexuality is conduct, not a status such as race or gender, and therefore non-discrimination is not constitutionally protected.


Ricks manages to stay on point for most of the flyer, but he drifts toward wingnuttery near the end when he talks about the ills of divorce. He writes "Women raising children alone need help." Ricks then explains that this help comes in the form of "government services" which leads to "-taxation. There is no other way." He says " 'social progressives' who brought us unrestricted divorce now want us to adopt unrestricted marriage." I'm not sure how problems caused by divorce lead to opposing same sex marriage. Maybe fewer marriages will lead to fewer divorces.

Ricks does not mention civil unions or other laws short of marriage that would secure marriage-type benefits, nor does he really explain how allowing same sex marriage harms traditional marriage. Much of his argument boils down to "it's always been that way," the classic argument from tradition.

Again, I'll credit him with being thoughtful, but it bothers me that he focused his campaign on this single issue. No mention of aquifer recharge, coal fired power plants, funding education, or anything else. I suppose his point is that he will be as thoughful about all issues as he is about this one, but he is obviously aligning himself with the extreme social conservatives.

Katherine Harris colorized photos

Poor Katherine Harris. Her campaign is a train wreck, and her problems keep piling up. Looks likes she's going to hand the Florida Senate seat to the Dems, bless her little heart. I don't have a ton of sympathy for her, given her fortune and her role in certifying the infamous Forida election. Still, when a person gets his or her looks made fun of, that's gotta hurt.

The Tattered Coat has a page of colorized photos of Harris, and you can vote for your favority. Apparently,

voter-disenfranchisement expert Katherine Harris accused the press of “colorizing” her photos. Many readers of The Tattered Coat found these charges baseless. Not wanting Ms. Harris to sound like a crackpot conspiracy theorist, they set to work on some colorized photos in an effort to prove that her statements had some merit.

Worth a minute's look.

View from Kuna

A view east from the top of the butte south of Kuna, not long before sunset.


The fields are starting to green up.

Doublespeak

Diana offers at 43rd State Blues the phrase used to justify our favorite war "let's fight them there so we don't have to fight them here". Or, rephrased, war over there so we have peace here.

While I was in Kirkuk I re-read Orwell's 1984. One of the famous doublespeak slogans was "War is Peace". Almost exactly what the administration is saying. War there, peace here. War is peace. Incredible.

Dems, vote Vasquez for Congress

Writing about the Idaho GOP, Dan Popkey said in The Idaho Statesman:

"They aren't saying it on the record, but the unspoken fear is the party could fail to nominate its best candidate for an open seat in Congress. That would give Democrat Larry Grant a real shot at winning in the 1st District "

Democrats can help this happy outcome by crossing over and voting for the weakest candidate in the primary election, and then helping Larry Grant in the general.

According to Popkey, the GOP establishment likes Sali and Vasquez the least. I think IdaDems ought to develop a consensus and then vote for that candidate if they can.

Personally, I think Dems ought to vote for Vasquez. Although he has done well raising money so far, immigration has been a hot issue. There is no guarantee that it will stay hot, and his money could trickle off for the general. Being outside the establishment he won't be able to raise funds as well as an insider. Also, the racist right probably won't vote for him. And last, in the event that the R beats Larry Grant, I'd rather be stuck with Vasquez than Sali.

Talk to your Dem friends and try to spread this idea.

Wingnut Award

Chris at Liberal Idaho found Popkey’s column analyzing possible changes to the legislature, depending on the results of the primary election. I had looked for the article but couldn’t find it on the Statesman’s execrable web site. Anyway, as part of his analysis, Popkey wrote [emphasis mine]

Steven Thayn vs. Rep. Kathy Skippen in Emmett. Thayn wants to shrink government and criticizes Skippen, another moderate, for opposing the ban on gay marriage and civil unions. Thayn, who lost to Sen. Brad Little in 2004, wants the state to counsel absent fathers to marry unwed moms. A former teacher, he opposes tougher state mandates for high school math and science. "I trust the local school boards more than I do the state," he said.

Let that sink in for a minute…., wants the state to counsel absent fathers to marry unwed moms. As my sweetheart said when she pointed this out to me, “What’s that all about?” I’ll credit him for thinking outside the box, but this still deserves the Wingnut of the Week Award.

I assume he wants the father of the child to marry its mother, and is not just proposing some dating service to hook up any old absentee father with some unknown single mom. Granted, in some cases the child is better off in an intact nuclear family. However, there are reasons the parents aren’t together and getting them together will in some cases just cause problems. A better emphasis would be to get the parents to stay involved in the children’s lives, to treat the other parent with dignity, and to pay appropriate child support.

What bugs me about this is the hypocrisy. I really don’t know Thayne’s views on these issues, but the typical conservative who wants to shrink government and outlaw gay marriage would also hold these views: government is intrusive, inefficient, wasteful of tax dollars, burdensome on business and tends to promote liberal social agendas like welfare.

Government is just fine, however, when it promotes his views. It’s okay for the government to get in the middle of the relationship between a woman and her doctor and tell them what to do, say, and read. Given that anti-abortionists believe they are protecting the unborn child, at least they have a decent reason for intruding. But this Wingnut Idea has no such justification. It’s just blatant use of government to promote his personal religious views.

Dan Adamson

This sign has appeared all around the valley in the last couple of weeks. The first signs of the season promoted Sheila Sorenson. Her signs are about six feet long and a couple of feet tall. Interestingly, every one of her signs immediately flipped upside down. The top unattached but the bottom didn't, so the signs have been hanging upside down. No one has fixed any of the signs I've seen.

Dan Adamson was next, and I'm happy to see him run against Otter. That'll require Botch to spend more $$ than he might otherwise, and he'll have less left for the general election. Adamson's got an iconoclastic approach to election. The website name, "myidahorocks" isn't exactly aimed at grandma.

My advice to him is, "Dan, I know you're trying to be hip, but get a suit that fits, for crying out loud. The sleeves are too long and it's riding up on your neck. And stand up straight."

Moscow Drinking Liberally

The Moscow Drinking Liberally chapter was reported in the The Idaho Statesman

"At a weekly gathering of the Moscow chapter of Drinking Liberally, Andy Schou gestures as he and Sara Anderson discuss politics while having a few beers with fellow Liberal Drinker Matt van Zeipel, in the foreground, at the Coeur d'Alene Brewery Alehouse in Moscow recently."

The blurb is a photo caption, and the rest of the article follows. In typical Statesman fashion, however, the story is dificult to find, and the photo is not posted. But still, it does report on the chapter, and quotes Sara from f-words.

Finally, A Sunny Day

Brandi Swindell's Alternative Sex Embarassment

Brandi Swindell, anti-abortion babe and moral beacon to the Ten Commandments crowd, maintains a fullsome set of links to porn, alternative sex sites, and internet drugs on her web site. I love the delicious irony of a site that is "committed to ending abortion and spreading the message of sexual integrity" but which maintains tons of links such as Amateur Sex, Lesbian Porn, Gay Inter-racial, Anal **** (pretty much everything), My Friend's Hot Mom, Pregnant Porn, Gay Orgy, and on and on. I haven't counted the links but there have to be over a thousand (most of them are for drugs).

One of Gen Life's principles is "we work hand in hand with our lawmakers to uphold the dignity of women", yet they have a link to "Ebony Sluts."

This is rich. If I knew how to cache the page I'd do it, because if she finds out about this I expect her page to change quickly. I hope someone will cache it.

Brandi's Generation Life page has a blog, which has a single entry, in which she writes "We will be adding content to this Blog as time goes on and we will be adding content to the main website." She didn't add any content to the Blog, but the spammers sure did.

Her friend Adam Graham wrote "Nice Blog. Good job on the new site." Being a conservative Christian himself, I suppose Adam might be a bit chagrined about praising the parade of, to him, horribles.

And another thing. Swindell lists the address and phone of Generation Life as 4950 N. Bradley St, Boise, 377-1477. This is the same address and phone number of Vineyard Christian Fellowship. Although there is nothing wrong with this, it seems a bit cheesy that she doesn't disclose the link between the two organizations.

Brandi Swindell will speak for you

I'm a bit amazed by this offer on Brandi Swindell's website.

Brandi Swindell - Engage the Culture: "Have Brandi speak for you!! Looking for a great speaker for your event or organization. Brandi's unique, dynamic perspective will impact your audience for eternity."

Wow. Impact an audience for eternity. Eternity. That's some speech. I occasionally speak to groups and the best I hope for is a bit of hightened awareness. "Impacting" them for eternity is way beyond my expectations.

I wonder if she writes this stuff. Two exclamation points, no question mark after the second sentence, and uses "impact" as a verb.

I note that Brandi doesn't offer to speak to you, but rather to speak for you.

[Update; I took out a couple of comments I inserted into the text, put it into a block quote, bolded the phrase, and added the comment about writing the stuff.]

Sali, again

BSU radio played a clip of Rep. Sali "apologizing" on Tuesday regarding his speech about linking breast cancer to abortion. I put the quotation marks around the word because it was a non-apology apology. He said something like "If there is something to apologize for then I apologize." I can't recall the quote exactly, but that captures the gist of it.

Had he been completely honest, he would have said something like "Many folks are upset with me and think I should apologize. I don't think I did anything to apologize for, but to appease my critics I'll go through the motions of an apology, even though my heart's not in it."

After his non-apology he went on to reassert that he believes what he was saying about the link and he has information to share if anyone wants to see it.

And on a related point, I do not understand how talking about a link between abortion and breast cancer could drive a person to tears. Even though Ms. Jaquet is a breast cancer suvivor and sensitive to the issue, she has been around and must have heard plenty that she disagrees with. I think there must be more to the story than I been able to learn.

Technical Difficulties

I have been experiencing technical difficulties the last few days, and haven't been able to do much posting. I hope to resume normal service soon. Please stay tuned.

The Village Idiot's House

Here is where candidate Bill Sali lives and works. His address is not listed in the phone book, but it's not tough to find. Now, I'm not calling him an idiot. The Speaker of the House called him an idiot.

Aquifer recharge

The aquifer recharge issue is still bubbling along.

Dick Dahlgren of Ketchum says

Aquifer recharge, also known as water spreading, is a pending disaster for sportsmen and wildlife, and the multi-million dollar recreation and tourism industry.

Recharge will reduce stream flows and at a time when they are already minimal due to filling resivoirs, killing of habitat for wildlife, says Dahlgren.

Don Hale of Blackfoot wants to be sure we get the promised power rate reduction.

PowerNow that Idaho Power has flexed its muscles and has sole control of the water in the Snake River, we have an obligation to hold its feet to the fire. We need to make sure that we receive that 8-13 percent rate reduction that was promised by Idaho Power if HB 800 failed.

Sorry, IP doesn't have sole control, it just has the water rights it has purchased. If upstream users want greater rights, they need to buy them like everyone else. I do agree that IP bears watching. Such promises have a way of being forgotten.

Don Dustin of Boise is annoyed by Boise legislators voting against the recharge.

Well, I see our legislators have done it again. Twenty-one people have bowed to the perks and pressure of the Idaho Power lobbies. They would rather see valuable storage water go to waste than to be used constructively to replenish the aquifer which flows back into Idaho's rivers and streams.

I don't agree with him that once water in the aquifer flows back into Idaho's rivers and streams. Maybe some at Thousand Springs, but I don't think even that comes out of the aquifer that is being talked about.

"Bill Sali is an idiot" says Bruce Newcomb

The Statesman has a nice article about how Bill Sali has irritated everyone.

But Newcomb was livid. "That idiot is just an absolute idiot," he said in the hallway behind the chamber. "He doesn't have one ounce of empathy in his whole fricking body. And you can put that in the paper." (emphasis Alan's)

Finally, something I can agree with.

Apparently Speaker Newcomb will try again to craft a deal that will allow recharge of the aquifer. Now that the legislature is adjourned over the weekend, thanks to Bill Sali pissing everybody off, the lawmakers have time to cut some deals. (See Aquifer Recharge post for more discussion).

Pariahs and petty dictators

Bill Sali is a pariah in a party led by petty tyrants making childish decisions. Or so it appears from the recent dust up between Sali and House Speaker Newcomb.

Eye on Boise reports that after Sali refused to go along with the GOP tax plan, asking that it be split into three bills instead of one, Speaker Newcomb took away Sali's committee assignments. Newcomb later relented and reinstated the committee assignments.

Dan Popkey views this as a signal by Newcomb to voters that Sali is disliked by his own party, and his article has several juicy zingers of Sali by GOPers, including one about brain damage Sali said he sustained in an accident. Popkey concludes that the IdGOP views Sali as ineffective and a weak candidate against Larry Grant, and the IdGOP is going to try to undermine Sali.

This raises a few questions. Should IdDems cross over in the primary and vote for Sali, hoping that he will be weak against Grant and thereby helping Grant, even though risking that Sali will win in the general and they'll be stuck with Ani-Abortion-Bill Sali?

What do you make of a House Speaker who is so intolerant of a different view that he punishes a person who expresses one? Isn't the legislature a place where freedom of speech should be very highly valued? What do you think about a Speaker who reacts in a snit, lashes out and then changes his mind within a few hours and says "Never mind"?

(Sorry; lost the links due to technical difficulties. I'll try to re-link later.)

(Update: links added back.)

Stop using our troops for cheap political gain

I was reading an article about the towns in Wisconsin that voted to bring home the troops. The AP article written by Emily Fredrix contained the following:
"The morale of soldiers - and their safety - could dip when they hear about such referendums passing, said Bill Richardson, treasurer of Vote No To Cut And Run, a group that opposed the measures.
"It's a political statement and it's hurting people and it could cost lives," said Richardson, 63, a one-time bandmaster in the Wisconsin Army National Guard."

I'll tell you, I am so sick of people speaking for "the soldiers" in Iraq. It's just stupid on its face. "The soldiers" are just like Americans everywhere. They differ and have different experiences and opinions.

Sure, some soldiers may get bummed out that the folks back home don't support the war. Others will probably get excited that there is a chance they'll get out of there early, or not have to go back. I just returned from an 18 month deployment, 11 of which were in Iraq, and I'm still a member of the National Guard. I think most soldiers, being educated and on the whole pretty intelligent, will realize the votes are just politics and not likely to translate to anything meaningful in their lives.

Anytime a person speaks for "the soldiers" as a group the person is just trying to use the soldiers as an excuse to promote his or her own viewpoint. I think it is exploiting our troops, and I'm sick of hypocrites who say they support the troops using them for cheap political purposes.

Botch Otter

According to Congressman C. L. "Butch" Otter's Website: he "served honorably in the Idaho Army National Guard's 116th Armored Cavalry from 1968 to 1973". Boy, would I like to see his service records. 1968 to 1973 is, of course, a prime period to be in the Guard to avoid Vietnam.

Botch was born May 1942, and graduated from college in 1967, at the age of 25. If he took the usual 4 years, he turned 18 in 1960 but didn't start college until 3 years later, in 1963.

I'm not really sure about his stand on the war, but if he's a big supporter then he's ripe for the Chicken Hawk or Yellow Elephant label.