Talking turkey about all these spats

Maybe it’s the heat.

We’ve been stuck here on the face of the sun so long that folks are sliding from mildly annoyed to all-out growling.

Anyway, that’s one explanation for all the public arguing, from downtown “artwork” to local Republican politics, with some haggling over city and county budgets thrown in for good measure.

Let’s start with the ruckus caused by the Art Spirit Gallery on Sherman Avenue.

If you haven’t seen the rather bizarre figure in the front window, then I suppose you can just skip ahead a bit to the scuffle over politics.

If you HAVE stopped to stare at what is supposed to be a rendering of Our Lady of Guadalupe, then your opinion almost certainly falls into one of three categories.

First: You didn’t know what the heck you were looking at and just kept on walking.

Second: You were mildly intrigued and absorbed the artist’s message in one form or another.

Third: You were outraged, and promptly wrote to us, to the gallery owner, to the city and anyone else who might help get that blasphemous monstrosity out of sight.

NEXT UP is a spat among Kootenai County Republicans, a group you’d imagine had very little to worry about — except maybe how Anthony Scaramucci managed to have a 10-day career as President Trump’s mouthpiece.

And no, we’re not talking about the rumors that The Mooch is dating FOX news anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Although...

You do have to wonder what “sweet nothings” Scaramucci might whisper in a lady’s ear.

Right, back to our own GOP crowd, and how we’ve arrived at dueling guest appearances in The Press by Brent Regan, chairman of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, and just-resigned precinct committeewoman Christa Hazel.

Much like the art gallery dust-up, this political infighting has prompted letters to the editor and nasty feelings all around.

The issue, when you boil it all down, is whether mega-conservatives — opponents would say “Redoubt Republicans — have hijacked the KCRCC and now are pushing their own agenda items on to mainstream Republicans who are perhaps a bit more open-minded.

The Redoubtians and their friends, meanwhile, would argue that they were fairly elected to this precinct majority — as opposed to taking it through a military junta — and that their resolutions are right in line with the platform of the Idaho Republican Party.

AS A columnist, it’s obviously my sacred duty to take sides in these current disputes.

So here’s my take: I agree with everybody...

In part.

And I disagree with everybody...

In part.

Regarding the grotesque figure downtown that has enraged Catholics and many others, yes, the argument that ALL art can teach us something has held up since the beginning of time.

I have to side with the gallery on that point, but I hope the owners understand that shoving an obscene Andy Warhol imitation into the face of conservative little Coeur d’Alene may have a cost.

We’re talking an actual cash cost, if enough folks boycott the place.

Stay tuned.

AS FOR the arguing Republicans, do you remember the TV show “All in the Family?”

Think Archie and Meathead.

After all the yelling, they could wind up with the odd primary scrap — but don’t expect much change.

Hazel and her more moderate friends can defect to NIPAC or another GOP group, if that’s their comfort zone.

Regan will continue to run a super-conservative KCRCC that occasionally votes to slap the government of Turkey.

If nothing else, all this yapping is great material for journalists.

And hey, it’s a free country.

Turkey, I mean.

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Steve Cameron is a special assignment reporter for The Press. Reach Steve via email: [email protected].