Who Cares About Good Government?

VP Cheney is coming to raise funds for Bill Sali. It will be interesting to see who shows up to donate, because an Idahoan who donates to Sali’s campaign isn’t really interested in good government. Republican House Speaker Bruce Newcomb called Sali an “absolute idiot”, and Sheila Sorenson (I believe) said Sali would be an embarrassment to Idaho.

Simpson supports Sali, of course, because Simpson doesn’t want the R’s to lose control of the House. For Simpson, it’s more important for him to personally retain power than to foist upon Idahoans a guy that Simpson threatened to throw out of a window.

Sali has said that critical thinking skills aren’t needed to be a legislator. He wants to be involved in decisions such as determining whether to keep our troops in Iraq, literally life and death decisions, and says this doesn’t take critical thinking. Maybe being an Idaho state legislator doesn’t require critical thinking, but being a US Representative probably does, or should.

Salis has admitted to “brain fade”, but asserted that it did not harm his performance as a legislator. Again, maybe this is true, but will Idahoans really elect a guy to the US House of Representatives who either can’t think well (his admission) or doesn’t think he needs to?

Cheney is probably more concerned about a Democratic House holding hearings than about Idaho having an effective Representative in Congress.