It's politics as unusual

Silly you, you thought you might get a politics-free breather after the primary election.

Not a chance.

Lo and behold, the Republican National Committee is soliciting money - sorry, we mean input - via a mailing that hit North Idaho Republicans' mailboxes recently.

In a form letter from RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, the first three pages of the mailer excoriate President Obama's "creeping socialist agenda" and set the stage for the battle ahead.

"In 2014, the RNC is working to rally every Republican, Tea Party Member, Independent and disaffected Democrat against the massive, well-funded Obama-Democrat political machine," the letter reads. "We need to stop the Left from gaining the legislative leverage it needs to help Obama finish his mission of permanently 'transforming' America."

In addition to the money pitch, RNC included a 36-question survey, plus questions about demographics. The survey is amusing, if not statistically valid.

Good question: Do you believe Barack Obama has used the presidency and the powers of his office to look out for the concerns and interests of Americans like you?

Loaded question: Should Congress pass legislation to undo the job-killing, costly new rules, regulations and fees imposed on businesses by unelected federal bureaucrats in the Obama Administration?

Good question: Do you believe Congress should demand that President Obama offset any increase of the federal debt ceiling for borrowing with equal reductions to federal spending?

Loaded question: Are you committed to helping ensure that in 2014, the Obama-era of radical liberalism, reckless spending and embarrassing foreign policy comes to an end?

You get the idea. With Congressional elections looming this fall, both major parties are ramping up their propaganda machines and emotion agitators in the quest for massive war chests rather than dispensing accurate information. We'd appreciate any Press reader receiving a similar mailer from the Democratic National Committee to share its contents with us, as well. We'll gladly give it equal ridicule.

So why all the fuss?

According to Christian Science Monitor, Democratic groups had amassed a war chest of almost $40 million by the end of the first quarter of 2014 for midterm elections. That's in addition to money raised by the candidates themselves. By some accounts, that gave Democrats nearly a 3-to-1 advantage over similar Republican groups - and might help explain the alarming nature of the GOP's recent mailer.

"That number, though, is somewhat misleading, given how many conservative groups - including the Koch brothers' powerful Americans for Prosperity - don't have to disclose fundraising because of the way they're classified," CSM reported.

Because of our nation's almost no-holds-barred rules on political fundraising, it's virtually impossible to accurately assess who's leading whom in the arms race. Just keep in mind that whatever party is reaching out to you, your opinion matters. Your money just matters a lot more.