[Vision2020] Welcome news in Idaho's 1st CD

[Mark Solomon]

For more info on Republicans for Grant: http://www.republicansforgrant.com/

Mark

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Popkey: Republicans for Grant could pose problem for Sali

Dan Popkey
The Idaho Statesman | Edition Date: 08-16-2006

No matter how much cash Vice President Cheney raises for Bill Sali's 
congressional campaign this afternoon, it's a better day for Democrat 
Larry Grant.

That's because the long-term impact of Cheney's fly-by fundraiser 
will pale compared to the announcement today of a Republicans for 
Grant organization, giving license to Republicans to vote for a 
Democrat.

The group includes some top GOP names: Jim Nelson of Nelson 
Construction, Micron co-founder and former GOP congressional 
candidate Ward Parkinson and lawyer-lobbyist Allyn Dingel.

Former Lt. Gov. David Leroy knows disloyalty's sting. In 1986, 
Republicans for Andrus helped Cecil Andrus defeat Leroy in the race 
for governor by 3,635 votes. Though Leroy never thought the defector 
organization large, its very presence made a difference. "It acts as 
a device to chip away at the base," Leroy said, "and it makes some 
people less guilty about doing something that they're not typically 
inclined to do."

The erosion includes those outside the formal group. Longtime GOP 
contributor Warren McCain, a retired Albertsons CEO, is not joining 
but gave Grant $1,000. "I'm a Republican," McCain said, "but I'm a 
Republican for Grant."

Another important defection could come from GOP icon Phil Batt, 
former governor, party chairman and legislator. Batt won't vote for 
Grant but may withhold his vote for Sali because of Sali's vociferous 
right-wing record. "When I was thinking about running for a second 
term, he told the Wall Street Journal how worthless I was and how 
they were trying to get somebody to run against me," Batt told me.

Batt then furnished an Aug. 18, 1997, clip in which Sali said he 
disagreed regularly with Batt and that Republicans "wish somebody 
would run against him in the primary."

Batt later decided not to run. He left a legacy including a smaller 
state government, tougher environmental laws, moderation on abortion, 
field toilets and workers' compensation for farmworkers and the 
beginning of a conversation about sentencing reform.

"I'm reserving judgment until I find out if he still thinks the 
things I did as governor were wrong," Batt said.

I tried to reach Sali by phone and e-mail. What I got was a written 
comment from Campaign Manager Jesseca Sali: "The real story is that 
Idahoans overwhelmingly embrace the limited government, low taxes and 
traditional family values that Rep. Bill Sali has a long record of 
supporting. Voters see Bill as an honorable, honest and decent family 
man who has dedicated his time in public service to helping Idahoans. 
For these reasons and more, Republicans, Democrats and independents 
are supporting Bill's campaign in greater and greater numbers."

But Sali's incivility in his 16 years as a legislator is driving 
Republicans away. Nelson, the leading organizer of Republican for 
Grant, called upon the words of the GOP speaker of the Idaho House. 
"Bruce Newcomb had it right," said Nelson. "He's an idiot's idiot."

In April, Sali refused to honor Newcomb's request to refrain from 
raising the non-germane and false claim of a link between abortion 
and breast cancer in debate. "That idiot is just an idiot," said 
Newcomb, who adjourned the House for the weekend as a result of 
Sali's bad manners.

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, who represents Idaho's 2nd District and 
preceded Newcomb as speaker of the Idaho House, once threatened to 
toss Sali from the third floor of the Capitol for spreading what 
Simpson called lies. But he is trying valiantly to enforce party 
loyalty and putting control of the U.S. House first.

"You've heard some talk about 'Republicans for Grant,'" Simpson said 
at the GOP convention in June. "There is no such thing as a 
Republican for Grant. They are Democrats!"

Nelson and his fellow travelers belie that claim. In Simpson's first 
race in 1998, Nelson held a Simpson fundraiser. "I had a get-together 
for 10 people at $1,000 apiece," Nelson said. "And you know, he 
didn't call me a Democrat then."

Pressed about Nelson's GOP credentials, Nikki Watts, Simpson's 
spokeswoman, said her boss still considers Nelson a good Republican. 
"Jim Nelson is a strong supporter and a friend. Congressman Simpson 
respects Jim's views, but he believes we must maintain the majority 
in the U.S. House."

"That's putting politics over principle," Nelson said. "That's 
totally against everything our country was founded on."

Business people like Nelson, Parkinson, Dingel and McCain trust Grant 
as a problem solver. They remember that he was Micron's first general 
counsel, who won the nation's first anti-dumping petition against 
Japanese chip makers, saving Micron. They distrust Sali because he 
rejects centrist solutions. "Politics are so polarized, nothing is 
getting done," Nelson said. "Moderate Republicans and moderate 
Democrats could control the process. Larry's that kind of guy. Sali's 
not."

This campaign will be won in the middle. Grant's appeal to Republican 
moderates got a boost today, but he'll need thousands more on Nov. 7.
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