Whither Idaho?

Will Idaho take this coming opportunity to get rid of the dinosaurs and fools that have represented us for so long and perhaps enter the 21st century? Larry Craig, our Senator for seemingly forever, the rubber stamp for the Republican Party, enemy of the salmon and the environment, champion of big logging, big agriculture, and the Iraq "war," will be disappearing no matter what happens in the near future. If he does manage to stay in the Senate until his term is up he has already said he would retire (I think this is one claim of his that is probably true and irreversible). If he is forced out somehow before his term is up no doubt Otter will replace him with another Republican of pretty much the same ilk. Whoever it is will have to run against a truly fine candidate for that office in Larry LaRocco. For the first time in a very long time this means a genuine chance for a Democrat to be elected to the Senate to represent Idaho. That is, if the citizens of the state can bring themselves to not simply vote automatically for a Republican no matter who it is, or how lost in the past their values might be. LaRocco's only shortcoming that bothers me is his support for nuclear energy. In general he is a fine candidate and would act in the best interests of Idaho rather than the best interests of our corporate masters, a refreshing change.

An even better opportunity lies in the case of our Congressman Bill Sali. A truly hopeless case whose values must come from some truly strange source (the Club for Growth). Sali apparently follows one simple strategy - just vote "no" whatever it is, but especially if it holds any promise for positive change. Sali almost uniquely believes that abortions cause breast cancer and no amount of facts seems to make any difference to him. While I don't know for certain, I suspect that he also regards the manufacture of pitchforks, harnesses, horseshoes and cannonballs to be on the cutting edge of technology and plenty good enough for our children's future. Sali, with the assistance of a lot of out-of-state money (Club for Growth), and an electorate that votes mindlessly year after year for Republicans no matter how badly their own well-being will be affected, managed to defeat a truly outstanding Democratic candidate, Larry Grant, by a relatively slim margin (5%, as I recall). For the life of me I cannot imagine a better candidate for Congress than Larry Grant. An Idaho native, a retired lawyer and vice-president of Micron, personable, intelligent, well-informed, and honest, he strikes me as a potentially first-rate Congressman, as opposed to the current useless nonentity that fails in every way to represent the citizens of Idaho. It seems to me that in LaRocco and Grant Idaho can demonstrate to the rest of the nation that we are at last willing to change and join the modern world.

LKBIQ:
"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."
Bertrand Russell