Steve Symms |
Idaho Representative Walt Minnick - the Democrat elected last year in one of the most Republican House districts in America - just keeps on strengthening his position.
This latest had to be mind-bender for a lot of people: A fundraiser for Minnick, in Washington, headlined by none other than former Senator Steve Symms (1981-93), now a lobbyist in DC.
Symms is in no conceivable sense a liberal or moderate Republican, and as if to underline that, he was the guy who ousted veteran Democratic Senator Frank Church back in 1980. He campaigned alongside Ronald Reagan and was very much of a piece with the big Reagan win that year. He has never suggested, never indicated, any kind of philosophical mind change.
For whatever reason - could the realities of lobbying in Washington in 2009 have something to do with it? or maybe Minnick's own philosophical demeanor - he is fundraising for Minnick. This may be (someone offer a correction if needed) the first ever Democrat that Symms has publicly supported in any significant way.
There may be a reason Republican opposition to Minnick isn't coalescing very quickly yet.