Today's Editorial in the Idaho Statesman is clear, concise and cogent.
It is one of the best examinations of the recent "peek" behind the curtain of the GOP Senate Caucus vote that Idahohans have been granted.
The Gang of Nine state senators have "called out" their GOP colleagues to a clear accountability by their actions and in essence have asked others to stand accountable for their vote... either in support of John McGee or in opposition to him.
And that doesn't settle well in the Idaho State Senate. In a passive-aggressive way, there may just be Heck (ie: Hell) to pay, because the Senate's very culture is one of "politics by nonconfrontation." (Those guys would NEVER be real and cuss, would they?)
Here's the lead in to the excellent editorial:
For years, Idaho legislators have tried to keep their leadership elections and in-house discipline to themselves.
This is one reason why lawmakers say they need to be able to meet in closed party caucuses, outside the view of the media and their constituents. A caucus is not unlike Las Vegas. What happens there stays there.
But on Friday, nine Republican state senators pulled back the curtain and gave their constituents a glimpse inside the cloistered caucus — although their motivations were probably more machiavellian than altruistic. Regardless, it is an astounding twist in the implosion of state Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell.
Senator McGee seems to be betting his future on the premise that people in Idaho will forget about his actions - both when drunk with liquor and apparently when drunk with power - if only enough time elapses.
We won't. My guess is that neither will the Senate.
Eventually someone in Senate leadership will grow the political vertebrae that the Gang of Nine already have shown they have.
Ask the GOP senators, who were in the the actual vote that day. My bet is they saw two John McGees - one who was crying and snotting and begging for his political life and another who, once the vote went in his favor, suspended the snot-flow and like a complete different person returned to his arrogant and manipulative ways - right before their very eyes.
After all, Vegas entertainers have a way of singing show-tunes right after they sing the blues.
Den
PS: Speaking of entertainers...
I casually mentioned that Mr. McGee was reminding me more and more of Mr. Magoo, with his inability to "see" the political horizon. I think I miscast him.
He's acting more and more like Dr. Seuss' character "Marvin K. Mooney" - who simply refused "to go now"; Richard Nixon experienced the same "Marvin K. Mooney" request just days before he left office.
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