In an article published at the Pacific Northwest Inlander, former Democratic state Senator Mary Lou Reed dished up a king-sized helping of very sour grapes.
The reason for her angst?
Republicans won city elections in Coeur d'Alene, ID, earlier this month.
Not just any Republicans, however. These Republicans were endorsed by a group known as the Kootenai Reagan Republicans.
"Partisan creep is moving in on non-partisan territory and threatens to wreak havoc on our good government. I am angry and very sad for Coeur d’Alene," Reed wrote on Nov. 22.
"In the just-concluded, by-law-nonpartisan city elections in Kootenai County, the Reagan Republicans won all the races they invested time and dollars in. Shamelessly, they pulled out all the stops on their party machine and played all the negative cards in their hands," she whined.
Keep in mind this is coming from what many in the area would argue is one of, if not the most, partisan Democrat in north Idaho.
She goes on to call the participation of the Reagan Republicans unethical and politically wrong.
One of those who won was Books for Dummies author Dan Gookin, who beat former state representative George Sayler by a wide margin.
Reed wrote:
George has all the qualities you would want in an elected official. Years of teaching political science in Coeur d’Alene High School, years of service in the Idaho House of Representatives. Intelligent, conscientious, a known and respected public servant. When asked at a meeting of the Reagan Republicans who he supported for president, his very appropriate response was, “What connection does that have with the city election?”
Nevertheless, Sayler said he had voted for Obama and would vote for him again. In the last days of the campaign, this exchange came to voters in the form of a postcard, with an unattractive picture of Sayler, side by side with an unappealing (and perhaps darkened) photo of President Barack Obama.
"North Idaho conservatives (read: Libertarians/Constitutionalists/Ron Paulers) can’t look past the party identifier to see what an individual has accomplished in terms of bettering his/her community. Instead, they unabashedly prefer a GOP black hole like Steve Adams whose great vision for Coeur d’Alene is to fire 50 to 100 employees and mebbe upgrade the dugouts on the American Legion Baseball field at McEuen Field."
Idaho Democrats won City Council races throughout the state!
- Sandpoint- Aaron Qualls
- Moscow- Tom Lamar
- Grangeville- Shelley Dumas Write in
- McCall- Nic Swanson and Jackie Aymon
- Boise- Mayor Dave Bieter, Lauren McLean, Ben Quintana, David Eberle
- Twin Falls- Shawn Barigar
- Pocatello- Eva Nye
- Driggs- Ralph Mossman
The announcement includes an excerpt from DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse, Election Night 2011: A Repudiation of Extreme Republican Policies, A Victory for the Middle Class:
Last night, we saw voters come out to the polls to defeat Republican initiatives and Republican candidates across the country in a full-scale repudiation of extreme and divisive Republican policies, and party leaders like Mitt Romney, from immigration and women’s reproductive rights to ballot access and the treatment of public employees.
In other words, it's perfectly okay for Democrats to be partisan about non-partisan races, but not Republicans - what most of us in this place known as the real world would call a clear double standard.
"So I’m a bad loser," Reed wrote, summarizing the entire piece.
But that's what happens in elections - one person wins, another loses.
Whether Reed and Company likes it or not, the voters made their choice.
Now, it's up to Steve Adams and Dan Gookin to prove voters made the right choice.
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