Op-Ed: Some statewide candidates come into better focus and it ain’t pretty

As the primary election approaches, we have gotten a better picture of some of the Republicans running for statewide office. It isn’t a particularly pretty picture. There have always been a few misfits among the gaggle of candidates vying for these offices, but this year seems to have produced an overabundance.

Janice McGeachin and Priscilla Giddings made a splash by trying and failing to prove that Idaho school kids are being indoctrinated. Then, they both exhibited a wretched understanding of Idaho’s Public Records Act. McGeachin ignored Attorney General Wasden’s advice to turn over documents related to the indoctrination fiasco and was hit with a lawsuit for violating the law. The judge ordered her to pay $29,000 in attorney fees, which she is now trying to make the taxpayers pay. She wants to be Governor.

Giddings is being sued for failing to hand over documents she made while defending a former legislator accused of rape. She exposed, ridiculed and defamed the victim, exposing the state to potential liability for a hefty damage award in a civil proceeding. She’s running for Lt. Governor.

Hot-headed Branden Durst apparently thinks he is a good fit for Superintendent of Public Instruction. He did not act the part when his proposal to create chaos in classrooms was voted down by the Senate Education Committee on Jan. 18. His plan would have authorized parents to enter schools at any time, leaf through the teacher’s instructional materials and demand individualized changes.

Parents are clearly entitled to have their say with school officials and school boards, but disrupting classroom business is not the way to go. Durst launched into a hissy fit when his plan was rejected. He harassed Senator Jim Woodward, threatening him with election retaliation. It did not go well for Durst. Woodward, a level-headed former Navy submariner, is well respected in the Senate and quite capable of standing up to a hothead. Senate GOP leadership condemned Durst for his “bad behavior.”

Senator Mary Souza of Coeur d’Alene hopes to be Secretary of State. She has raised questions about election integrity in Idaho, questioning her opponent’s acceptance of a no-strings-attached grant from a non-profit organization to defray the expense of the costly 2020 election. Idaho elections have been remarkably honest and efficient for decades. The 2020 election was as clean as a hound’s tooth, as Mr. MyPillow learned when he questioned our election. The pillow guy was handed a bill for $6,000 and told to buzz off by Secretary of State Denney.

Twenty Idaho counties used grant funds to help with the extra election expenses caused by the pandemic. Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane was acting within the law in doing so, as were the other 19 county clerks. McGrane has been a leading light in election work for many years. He has also been highly regarded for his work with the court system.

Raul Labrador, who wants to be Attorney General, demonstrated a less than ideal work ethic when he failed to attend a Central District Health Board meeting on January 21, just as the State was preparing to reactivate crisis standards of care because of a crowded hospital system. Board members may attend virtually in case they are unable to be personally present. Board member Elt Hasbrouck, who had driven an hour and a half to attend the meeting, said he was “disgruntled” that the meeting was postponed for lack of a quorum. Ignoring the coronavirus won’t defeat it.

These certainly are less than ideal candidates. On the other hand, they make it fairly easy to separate the wheat from the chaff.

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Jim Jones is a Vietnam combat veteran who served eight years as Idaho Attorney General (1983-1991) and 12 years as a Justice on the Idaho Supreme Court (2005-2017). He is currently a regular contributor to The Hill online news. He blogs at JJCommonTater.

LINKS:

She in now trying to make the taxpayers:

https://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/idaho-lt-gov-seeks-funds-to-cover-losing-lawsuit-costs/article_f56c039c-70ab-5e9b-ad79-ef21d8a27e96.html

Giddings is being sued:

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article257585673.html

Proposal to create chaos:

https://www.idahoednews.org/news/statehouse-roundup-1-18-22-deadlocked-committee-kills-parental-freedom-bill/

Durst launched into a hissy fit:

https://www.idahoednews.org/news/profane-exchange-between-republicans-follows-rejection-of-parental-rights-bill/

Senate GOP leadership:

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/idaho-senate-gop-branden-durst-condemnation-after-confrontation/277-13309181-aae1-4cb7-9cf3-a5feddeaec99

She raised questions:

https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/candidates-for-idaho-secretary-of-state-at-odds-over-grant-funding-in-2020-election/article_837ed8ee-5750-5f22-965b-baef3f7f1478.html

Mr. MyPillow learned:

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/idaho/articles/2022-01-20/idaho-officials-tell-mypillow-ceo-to-stop-false-voter-claims

Crisis standards of care:

https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/crisis-standards-of-care-reactivated-across-treasure-valley/article_5d48b0ff-46ca-5b65-bef7-01f6412024f4.htm

Said he was disgruntled:

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/community/boise/article257598223.html