OPINION: Tucker vs. KCRCC Town Hall

“Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.” — Ronald Reagan

Tucker Carlson has suddenly left Fox News. This is upsetting to hear because he was considered by many as a trusted source for conservative information.

Tucker’s Fox Nation interviews were most fascinating, in my opinion. He interviewed a wide array of interesting experts discussing current issues pertinent to our world. Some were liberal, some conservative, and many were non-political. Each interview was a full hour or more. From moderate Democrat Robert Kennedy Jr. talking about vaccines and Big Pharma, to Libs of TikTok discussing the impacts of social media, to interviews with the President of El Salvador as the digital currency capitol of the world, and many more. Tucker asked questions then let the guest talk. He wanted to hear their different viewpoints; to bring us ideas and information we wouldn’t get from quick sound bites, so we could listen and make up our own minds.

Let’s compare and contrast this attitude of openness to various ideas and viewpoints, with the tragically constrained, myopic, rigid dogma of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC). Our local newspaper covered their recent Legislative Town Hall meeting with a defining headline that shouted, “We Have Identified the Enemy.”

“The Enemy?” You might be shocked to learn our local legislators think the enemy is their fellow Republican legislators, who were duly elected by the majority of voters in their own districts, but are now seen as “the enemy” by the KCRCC. This extreme statement was made by Coeur d’Alene’s brand new legislator, Rep. Joe Alfieri, who is also very new to Idaho. He spewed his angry claims at the Town Hall meeting, and went on to triumphantly announce, “We have exposed who the RINOs are,” using the slur meaning Republicans In Name Only.

If you have read my previous eight columns on the “IFF files,” you will understand how this group works and how they do NOT believe in Republican values. The leaders of IFF are self-described Libertarian/Anarchists. They are bringing in well-known extremists from across the country and are using the Idaho Republican Party as their vehicle to strive for complete, concentrated power.

Ronald Reagan is turning over in his grave.

I was recently told a true story by a trusted friend in the Senate. He said that one of the new IFF legi-groupies had the audacity to vote opposite the IFF mandate on a bill. Oh my! This resulted in wannabe IFF-king-of-the-senate, Scott Herndon, accosting this legislator after the vote and yelling at them, in public, that they must vote with the IFF block or they will not be reelected.

Do we all have to think alike? These legislators, as part of their parent company, Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF), seem to demand total obedience.

Please let me remind you that Idaho has 35 legislative districts. Each has one senator and two representatives. Each district has its own culture, priorities, industries and problems. The legislators elected in each district have sworn to represent the needs of their people. Instead, IFF legi-groupies do what they are told by IFF, which decides what is best for all the districts in Idaho. And because the Chairman of IFF, Brent Regan, is also the Chairman of the KCRCC, this consolidation of power is very real.

General George Patton said, “If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn’t thinking.”

During my eight years in the Senate, we had some lively and informative discussions and debates over certain bills. Senators from all different parts of our state stood to share their experiences and describe the needs of their districts. It was highly informative, not unlike Tucker Carlson’s interviews offering various opinions and perspectives. Different viewpoints strengthen our discussions and improve our governmental decisions. We do not want power concentrated into the hands of only a few in Idaho, or in our nation.

Please read my previous columns on this topic, the link is below, do your own research, make your own decisions, and be careful with your donations and your votes.

• • •

Mary Souza, a Coeur d'Alene Republican, represented District 4 in the Idaho Senate for eight years from 2014 to 2022.

Feedback: MarySouzaUnfiltered@gmail.com

Facebook: @MarySouza-Uncanceled and Unfiltered