McGEE: Standards should fit everyone

I am writing out of concern over Sen. McGee’s recent DUI and grand larceny arrest. I’m also deeply concerned with published colleague responses which claim that their main concern in this matter is for “Sen. McGee and his family.” 

What kind of ridiculous double standard are we promoting here in Idaho? I heard Sen. McGee lumped into a monologue with Sen. Weiner last week on Jay Leno. He is literally making a “joke” out of the Idaho Legislature. I hope citizens do the appropriate thing and demand his immediate resignation.

There isn’t a medical condition under the sun that could cause him to be found passed out with twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system in a stolen vehicle. He could have killed someone. To make things even more ironic, Sen. McGee is the Chairman of the Regional Substance Abuse Authority Legislative Committee. His colleagues keep claiming that this is so “out of character” for him and seem to be doing their best to victimize him in the media. 

I read this legislator's response in the Idaho Statesman on June 20th: "We feel really bad about the situation and how it may affect his wife and family. Our concerns right now are to help him and his family out any way we can. We just want to make sure things work out for John and his family." (Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill).

As to my concerns over McGee, Sen. Joyce Broadsword wrote to me recently, "You are wrong. There is no way anyone who knows Senator McGee would do anything like what happened without an underlining medical issue. Please stop assuming you know all from a few press articles." (personal email).

I couldn't agree more that Sen. McGee deserves a trial free from bias. That is why it is so hard to ignore the obvious political involvement of his colleagues. They are blindly supporting him and campaigning to victimize him in the media. He should face the same consequences as his constituents would.

REBECCA SCHROEDER

Coeur d’Alene