All Our Eggs in One Basket

Even if Craig doesn't resign, he's lost his committee assignments and the clout attendant thereto. So, since Idaho elects only Republicans, and Sali is marginalized due to his wackiness and extremism, and Craig is completely without influence, Idaho has got to be at its absolute nadir in power in Congress. Obviously, both Crapo and Simpson are in the minority party.

The downside of a one-party state, visible now. Given the way things look at the moment, the Rs are going to be out in the cold for some time, and Idaho will be shivering right alongside them.

On the good news front, the Idaho R party is fixing to fracture, due to the closed primary impetus. Rs are in disarray nationally and are linked to corruption and hypocricy. Craig's Wide Stance shenanigans tie Idaho politics right into the same culture of unacceptable behavior.

Kind of like in Alaska, another one-party state, when a politician feels so safe for so long, incentive to behave is minimal. It's healthy for our system to have the parties compete. Even candidates like Bruce Newcomb, who first ran as a Dem, haven't been able to get elected as a Dem in Idaho, for whatever reason, so they run as Rs.

Given that Dems are ascendent nationally, perhaps some folks who line up as moderate Rs in Idaho might make the switch to the D party, as has happened in Kansas and elsewhere. The Idaho R party will veer even more right and it will be tarnished with the Craig and national R odiousness. Idaho voters might - possibly - start to realize that just voting all R all the time isn't so healthy for the state.

I know, I'm dreaming. I do firmly believe that the Idaho political pendulum has reached the end of its swing, and soon, maybe not the 2008 election but probably by the next, it will swing back. We're not going to be a blue state, but we may at least go purple.