Candidates tout past

POST FALLS - Republican candidates for Idaho's 1st District congressional seat dug into their past to tell why they believe they're the best choice for the future.

A standing-room-only crowd of about 125 packed into the conference room of the Garden Plaza in Post Falls on Tuesday night to hear Raul Labrador and Vaughn Ward square off in a forum sponsored by the Panhandle Pachyderm Club.

The candidates are locked in a controversial race for the GOP nomination in Tuesday's primary election to decide who will challenge incumbent Rep. Walt Minnick, D-Idaho, in November.

Ward, a 41-year-old U.S. Marine reservist, former John McCain aide and Twin Falls native, said he gives Idaho something different to make changes in Washington, D.C.

"It's not about sending more politicians to Washington, more status quo," Ward said. "Let's change what we're doing, the type of people we're sending to Congress. Let's send leaders who know how to defend this nation."

Labrador, a 42-year-old GOP state House member from Eagle, touted his immigration law and legislative experience that includes fighting tax increases and sponsoring the bill that allowed the state to sue the federal government for health care freedom.

"I haven't just talked about issues the last four years," Labrador said. "I've been doing something about them."

With illegal immigration, Labrador said the root of the problem is that current laws are not being enforced by the feds and they need to be. He believes that would be better than states taking on the issue individually. He said Arizona needed its illegal immigration law because of murders and Idaho shouldn't be compared to that state.

"The federal government needs to take care of its Constitutional responsibilities," Labrador said. "We can't do it piecemeal, state by state."

But Ward said each state needs to defend itself because the federal government is refusing to do its part.

"If enough states get together, they'll force Congress to finally do something about it," he said.

Labrador's ideas on sparking the economy include eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and sending that money back to the states to train people in science, math and technology. He believes there are opportunities through the Idaho National Laboratory and nuclear energy.

"Nuclear is the wave of the future," he said.

Ward said he would be interested in being on the natural resources committee to ensure Idaho industries such as agriculture, lumber and mining are protected.

One of the most heated moments of the forum came after a woman asked whether the candidates would support Puerto Rico becoming a state.

Labrador, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, said he would support it if it makes a case of becoming a contributing state. However, he said now isn't the time to consider it because of more pressing issues.

Ward said now, nor the foreseeable future, isn't the time to grow the country with other business to take care of.

Labrador quickly corrected Ward when he referred to Puerto Rico as a country, not a territory of the U.S. Ward said he doesn't care what it is, he doesn't support expanding the country.

Labrador then added: "Obviously you don't (care)."

Ward, who has a political science degree from Boise State University, also served on U.S. Sen. Dirk Kempthorne's legislative staff in Washington, D.C., for two years.

He joined the CIA as an operations officer after the 9/11 attacks and served in Afghanistan before resigning three years ago. In 2006 he took a leave from the CIA to serve with the Marines in Iraq.

Labrador graduated from Brigham Young University before serving on a two-year mission to Chile. He then received a law degree from the University of Washington. He has worked for several law firms before starting his own.

Ward has been campaigning for more than a year and holds a hefty lead with fundraising. Labrador announced in December after state Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, dropped out.

The other candidate, Harley Brown, didn't attend the forum.