[Vision2020] Firebrand Preachers, INKstains and Rogue Campaign Signs

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (October 16, 2010) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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INK: Firebrand preachers, INKstains and rogue campaign signs

The INKster takes pride in finally getting candidate Gresham Bouma to make
a statement in a legitimate venue, i.e., his letter to the editor this
week in the Daily News.

No, she has never spoken to the Republican candidate for the Senate
District 6 seat. Attempts to contact him shortly after he announced his
candidacy last spring failed, so the INKster assumed he didn't want to
talk to her, even though she is one of those old people he claims to care
about in his letter.

Bouma waxed eloquent on wanting to protect us all from the evils of "big,
bloated, powerful government," while failing to mention he once received
some of that "bloat" for a few years by drawing federal farm subsidy
checks. Former Republican Sen. Gary Schoeder pointed out that piece of
hypocrisy in a recent letter to the editor.

It also appears Bouma is having his "Reverend Wright" moment this week.
Moscow's Rose Huskey posed a question on the Vision 2020 list-serve to
well-known Republican Roger Falen asking whether Bouma shares the
"bigoted, ignorant and mockingly derisive attitude" of his pastor, Lloyd
Knerr. His anti-Latter-day Saints teachings at the Freeze Community Church
at Potlatch, where Bouma is an active member, are appalling. Knerr posts
his "sermons" on their website at www.freezechurch.org so the INKster was
able to check some of them.

Knerr also raves on about how "God hates what America has become," rants
against homosexuals, claims that President Obama "bows at the altar of
Islam and its false god," and states that "many of our churches are really
only minions of Satan."

To prove his point, Knerr preached after the May 25 primaries that out of
the estimated 40,000 people in Latah County, only 500 are "true
Christians" and outlines how they should use Bouma's campaign to grow
their flock.

But the real bile is in a 743-word "little side bar" where Knerr rips into
the LDS Church, mercilessly stating that Mormons do not worship the "God
of the bible" and compares the church and its members to "Satan and his
minions."

"If you think a man's religion doesn't make any difference, the day will
come when you will realize that you have been sadly mistaken," Knerr
concluded.

Those who post comments on Vision2020 say the good pastor has endorsed
Bouma from the pulpit on more than one occasion, which begs the question
as to what the IRS would think of that when it comes to the Freeze
Church's tax exempt status. The INKster has it on good authority that a
local Republican may have already filed a complaint.

And Wednesday, community watchdog Tom Hansen posted a note on V2020 that
all of the Oct. 10 financial disclosure reports for local candidates had
been filed with "one painful exception" - Bouma.

"What could be the reason?" Tom queried. "Any guesses as to who has been
contributing to his campaign?" The report is posted now, so you can check.

The INKster figured she'd rattled a few chains in her Oct. 9 column when
she found out Walter Steed had a letter to the editor into the Daily News
the next day. She takes pride in the fact we've never been close.

He took the INKster to task for her "reporting methods in not letting
facts get in the way of a good story."

The INKster apologizes for getting the name of one of the Latah County
Republican Party Executive Committee members who resigned incorrect - it
should have been Jason Croston.

But the INKster would like to point out that even Republicans make such
errors. In a June 3 posting when Steed was elected Chairman of the Central
Committee, either he or one of the group kept referring to then party
chairman Barrett Schroeder as "Garrett." A real gaff since BARRETT had
held that position for a decade.

Steed's letter assured readers that Shelley McGuire had resigned her seat
on the Executive Committee due to the press of commitments with family and
church. But it still begs the question why she is displaying a sign for
Democratic senate candidate Dan Schmidt in her yard, especially since she
is still a "Republican Precinct Chair."

The INKster has been involved in politics in some form or the other most
of her adult life and she knows yard signs are a barometer of how people
are voting and as of Saturday, McGuire wasn't the only Republican with
Schmidt signs in their yards.

Steed has always delighted in jabbing the INKster about her liberal stance
as opposed to his ultra-conservative one. She always found that amusing,
especially since he has made his living (as defined on the Moscow City
Council website) as a consultant who writes and administers Community
Development Block Grants for Idaho entities. She assumes he receives a
healthy chunk for his efforts. Though the years, even some of his
Republican friends have found it a bit of a conflict that he throws big
fundraisers at his home for GOP candidates who undoubtedly are useful in
helping him secure these grants - the old "you scratch my back and I'll
scratch yours" theory.

"These entities Walter works for are no doubt happy to hire a consultant
who has friends in high places," noted one unnamed Republican who chose
not to incur Steed's wrath. "He complains about big government but has
made his living off it."

And by the way, the INKster did write in last week's column that with the
resignation of the two Executive Committee members only six remained.
Steed "corrected" her, noting there were 11 members. Since the INKster
takes pride in also having some Republican friends in high places, she
checked with one of them and was told that only eight of the Executive
Committee are voting members.

Bottom line? The INKster will stick with last week's speculation there is
definitely a split in the ranks of the Republican Party and after talking
to a lot of people this past week, she suspects some of the blame might
well be placed at the feet of Mr. Steed.

Latah County Commissioner candidate Bill Goesling contacted the Daily News
this week and denied having talked to Bouma manager Paula Bauer regarding
his stand on abortion, an item the INKster referenced last week. Although
she'd had four people "confirm" this, she will take Goesling at his word.
He declared he was pro-choice and the INKster agreed with him when he
added that had no bearing on his candidacy for the job. For those
interested, he mentioned he had reservations "like most reasonable people"
and did not believe abortion should be a primary means of birth control.

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The question concerning Gresham Bouma's affilitation withhis "Reverend
Wright"  was also presented at the AARP Candidates' Forum on Friday at the
University Inn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOAD-f7zQDs

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown