<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of today's (July 30, 2014) Lewiston Tribune.</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">------------------------------------</div><div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><h1 id="blox-asset-title" style="font-size: 30px; outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: 400; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 34px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="blox-headline entry-title" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(204, 0, 0); line-height: 38px; font-family: TiresiasInfofontRegular, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crafty Ron Crane channels Tricky Dick Nixon</span></h1><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nearly a half century ago, President Richard Nixon wrote the modern playbook for politicians in trouble. With evidence of wrongdoing piling up, accusations flying, friends fleeing and excuses falling flat, Nixon reached deep into his bag of tricks. He denied. He insulted. He obfuscated. He played the victim.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Clearly, Idaho Treasurer Ron Crane is a student of history. For four terms - 16 years - Idahoans have entrusted billions of dollars to Crane. In return for this responsibility, not to mention his $101,150 salary, Crane has stumbled and bumbled through one misstep after another.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It began when legislative auditors asked Canyon County's prosecutor to investigate Crane's use of a state credit card to purchase nearly $8,000 in gas. Crane's defense was he saved taxpayers money by not using a state vehicle for his commute to work - though a 1996 law said "the use of state vehicles for personal or other nonofficial business is strictly prohibited."</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Republican prosecutor in Crane's home county filed no charges.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another audit discovered that travel expenses to New York City, where Crane, lucky legislators and their spouses would gather to secure Idaho's bond rating, had not been logged in the state's accounting system. Also highlighted was this happy troupe's mode of transport around the Big Apple - stretch limos instead of taxi cabs.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Another audit questioned Crane diverting $10,000 from his annual appropriation to a conference sponsored by his office.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Yet another audit accused Crane of making questionable investment decisions that cost taxpayers millions. Now those same auditors say Crane failed to provide documentation showing his office has conducted a full review of those transactions.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In light of all this, the Lewiston Tribune recently had the temerity to suggest voters might consider his Democratic opponent, CPA Deborah Silver, in November's general election.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Crane's July 14 response was right out of Tricky Dick's playbook.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">First he accused the Tribune of making "false accusations." Next Crane tossed out the old biased media charge. He followed with denials, an attempt to discredit "the inexperienced auditor," and concluded by mentioning the "Obama approach of government," which, apparently, means encouraging people to live "on the government dole."</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Naturally, Crane's sleight of hand made no mention that all those charges came not from Democrats or the liberal media, but auditors hired by a Republican-dominated Legislature whose House leadership team includes his own son.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But you've got to hand it to Crane. His response was, well, crafty. Avoiding a primary race while every other statewide candidate was forced to fight for his political life was, again, crafty.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">We know how Nixon's story ended. Crane's worst-case scenario is much rosier. If voters decide 16 years is enough, Crane would simply slide into a cushy retirement, his monthly check padded by the PERSI Perk, a boondoggle that allows former legislators who attain higher-paying jobs to live large during their golden years.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One imagines Tricky Dick is smiling down on Idaho about now. His playbook has been put to excellent use by Idaho's craftiest public servant.</span></p></div><div class="encrypted-content" style="outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; float: none !important;"><p style="outline: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: none; float: none !important;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tricky Dick and Crafty Crane. We have no doubt a generation of future politicians will profit from their example.</span></p></div></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">------------------------------------<br><br><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There's room at the top they are telling you still.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But first you must learn how to smile as you kill,</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- John Lennon</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div></div></div></body></html>