There's something happening here....

I think I haven't been doing enough Sudoku or crossword puzzles lately because I'm feeling mentally challenged and I'm having trouble understanding things. Like I don't understand Walt Minnick's problem with Larry Grant. Now, I only met Minnick twice, briefly, and I've heard from very good friends that he is a great guy. But I'm still not sure why he's running against Grant.

Minnick announced last week that he would be running against Grant and Lewis for the District 1 Congressional seat. Actually, his announcement came to me first through the Idaho Democratic Party, and the next day I read the announcement by Jill Kuraitis at NewWest Boise. Jill pulled out the same-ole-same-ole talk that was made public by Popkey, i.e., that Grant ran a "lackluster" campaign. My guess is that lackluster means he lost to Sali.... OMG, in a Republican state!!!, which only ended up remaining red because the Republicans had to spend so much money here on Sali's campaign that they lost candidates in Ohio and some other east coast state. So said Parag Mehta at the IDP State Committee Meeting in Kootenai County. And Cheney came to visit twice! Once in Boise and once in Coeur d'Alene. Now what major candidate EVER comes to Coeur d'Alene??? What is lackluster about drawing that kind of attention? Even Cecil Andrus endorsed him during the 2006 election. Geez, do you think that maybe "lackluster" really had nothing to do with this loss??

Now this really makes me wonder. Andrus is held as the ideal candidate who gets votes by going door-to-door, you know, real grassroots, like Howard Dean promotes. And that's what Larry Grant did. Even in Bonners Ferry. So, what's the problem? No Clinton/DLC money slinging? No big buck luster? We do not have movie star big donor types in Boundary County, but we gave what we can. And we turned out more Democratic voters than we had in years. Is that a lack of luster?

Also, in the recent past, I've heard many Idaho Democrat advisers say a candidate has to try two or even three times before they win in this state. So, Larry Grant is on his second try, but now that's not good enough. Is a second try a bit lusterless? Does that mean two or three tries are good or are they not? Does this require a whole new way of thinking mathematically so that I can't even apply it to Sudoku???

Well, they still say, that is the Boys of Boise say, that Larry Grant lost due to lackluster. Hmm, maybe that's the answer. Minnick has luster! Will somebody please tell me what that is?

Still, I remain confused. Perusing the news articles on Minnick, I have read little about issues, but a lot about Minnick's past association with big timber, the Republican party, Nixon, G. Gordon Liddy, and, thank God for small miracles, the Idaho Conservation League. Of course, that makes me wonder how he feels about the NUCLEAR QUESTION?? I ask because even though he fought the dumping of nuclear waste in Idaho, I understand Senate Candidate,Larry LaRocco, is a very good friend of Minnick. And Larry LaRocco supports nuclear energy as clean energy. That leaves me a bit wary....and gives a whole new definition to the word "clean." It also makes me wonder, why didn't Minnick try once more for the Senate seat? Is it because he is friends with LaRocco? Or does he prefer that path that Grant already paved..... Ah, the machinations of human behavior....

Anyway, I'm curious as to how ALL the candidates will handle the "tough" questions that Bonner and Boundary counties handed to Larry Grant when he first arrived. Forget the bring troops home from Iraq, we want to know when and how. And how about gun control? Health care? Does the candidate have a plan or just rhetoric? And the Right to Work? Minimum wage? Big Business tax breaks? Corporations? Corporate crime? Agricultural subsidies? Immigration? The War on Drugs? The Impeachment Question. I look forward to hearing everyone's responses, if they ever make it to Boundary County. Geographically we are the crown jewel of Idaho; however, we're not exactly around the corner.... Democrats from the south find that a trip to Boundary County is about as far away as, well, let me provide a clearer picture of distances. Boise is 361 miles from Bonners Ferry; Portland, OR is closer to Boise at 345 miles; Reno, NV is closer to Boise at only 336 miles; and Salt Lake City is only 296 miles from Boise. Think of the reverse: Vancouver, CAN is only 295 miles from Bonners Ferry; Seattle, WA is but 274 miles from Bonners; Banff, ALB is 169 miles; and Missoula, MT only 180 miles. Bonners Ferry is 2 1/2 hrs. from the nearest airport in Spokane, WA. We do not share any radio or television stations with southern Idaho. We do not share a common newspaper with southern Idaho (Bonners Ferry major media is from Spokane, WA). I'm not convinced that we're exactly in the same state, except by name and politics. In sum, we are not exactly geographically desirable to visitors from the south, and, nor are they to us.

As for the political situation, Boundary County is filled with Republicans, disgruntled Republicans, and Independents. If someone wants their vote, they had better remember the myth of Sisyphus. Or better yet, read and understand Deer-Hunting With Jesus. We have been working hard to get more votes for Democrats in Boundary County. In the last election, the Boundary County Central Committee once again made it okay to be a Democrat by putting up a billboard at the only entrance to town which read, "Had Enough? Vote Democratic." When candidates like Larry Grant, Jerry Brady, and Steve Elgar took the time to go door-to-door in our town, they also made it okay to be Democratic again. In the 2006 campaign, these candidates took the time to leave a path of luster in Boundary County, a luster they could bank on for the next election. New candidates have their work cut out for them....

As for me, a Sudoku awaits. Maybe I'll feel less mentally challenged after it's completion....if I complete it.