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Posts published in “Day: August 24, 2006”

Confessions of a candidate

This one made us stop and pause. There is an inescapable element of political tactic here, and we'll get to that, but also a more painful matter: Have we got to the point that candidates are bound to reveal their darkest, back-of-the-closet secrets to the world if they choose to run for office?

Mike McGavickWe suspect things haven't gone quite that bad, but Mike McGavick, the Republican running for the Senate in Washington (and near-certain nominee), apparently does. And so, today, he decided to confess all, to the news media and directly to his supporters through a post on his blog. (He also says he had no indication that these items were slated for disclosure by Democrats, that he was beating them to the punch. That's credible, since he makes no effort to excuse or minimize.)

You could say that in one astonishing shot he characterized himself as a drunk driver - testing .17, extremely drunk - a man who got a divorce because he and his wife simply came not to like each other much, a part-time father, a purveyor of a dishonest campaign tactic - in a U.S. Senate race, no less - and a corporate exec who, Enron-style, first said the business was fully righted and then proceeded to lay off 500 employees who weren't expecting it.

You could say that - it would be an intepretation which may get out there and take hold. It would not be a fair interpretation. Three of these incidents were incidents, one-time events, and McGavick indicates remorse for each. The other - about his first marriage - is an essentially private matter, and what he describes is unfortunately familiar to a lot of people. He suggests he has learned and grown. "Here it is," he writes. "I have lots of faults, and I have made some mistakes that I deeply regret." (more…)

Sheldon-Lucas is up

Took a bit, but the transcript of the state Senate Democratic primary chat between Tim Sheldon, often blasted in-party as too pro-Republican, and challenger Kyle Taylor Lucas, is posted on the Olympian site.

Top reader question: "Sen. Sheldon, in the past you've explained some of you more controversial votes by saying the 35th District is much more conservative than other parts of Washington. This implies that your votes are based on what your district believes, rather than what you believe. What votes would have changed had you voted your conscience, rather than what you believed was the will of your district?"

His answer: "I can't think of a bill I personally disagreed with." Make of that what you will.

LaBeau at IACI

Alex LaBeau, for quite a few years the top lobbyist at the Idaho Statehouse for realtor interests, has been hired as the new president of the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry, replacing its veteran leader, Steve Ahrens.

Idaho Association of Commerce & IndustryIACI is one of the two or three most influential organizations in Idaho politics (and some say you can strike the "two or three"), partly because of some skilled leaders (such as Ahrens) and partly because of its membership, which includes a large chunk of the state's leading business community. It rarely loses at the Idaho Legislature, and it does well in negotiations with state agencies and other groups as well. The sucession, once Ahrens announced his retirement earlier this year, has been closely watched, and a number of names have been floated.

One of those most floated in recent weeks (whatever the validity) was Brian Whitlock, who was a chief of staff and budget official for former Governor Dirk Kempthorne. That makes him very well connected, close to many of the people in power (albeit less so to the new Risch Administration). The IACI choice for LaBeau sends a somewhat different message.

Not that LaBeau isn't well connected. (For that matter, as the government guy for the Association of Realtors, he has been an active participant in IACI committees and decision-making.) But he's known (well known) in governmental circles more as a solid lobbyist and widely respected - put another way, a pro at doing the sort of things IACI expects its government affairs operation to do, whoever's in power at the time. That may be sound thinking for the long run.