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'Lurch' Loertscher strikes again

Submitted by d2 on Mon, 04/02/2007 - 10:05pm.

Bone resident and erstwhile neanderthal 'Lurch' Loertscher quietly struck again in the last days of the Idaho Legislature. He used his position as chair of State Affairs to pocket a widely-supported Vote by Mail bill weeks ago, claiming constitutional problems had surfaced. Lurch then lied, announcing that he planned to schedule another hearing and never doing so.

As the session wrapped up, the Lewiston Morning Trib followed up with Lurch: "Uh, it was 2 months ago -- boy, you're asking me to remember!?" Pressed further, Lurch admitted he personally doesn't like the convenience of vote-by-mail. "The easier it (voting) becomes, the less important it becomes to us... It starts to mean less."

First Lurch complains about special interests while raking in $800,000 in farm subsidies. Then he pontificates that safety standards for daycares is enabling EVIL since women should stay home with their kids. And now he's opposed to a move that was wildly popular, would have saved money, and would have increased voting rates statewide because he thinks voting is too easy!? And aren't we ALL already regularly lamenting that voting matters less and less for Americans, based on dwindling voter turnouts!?

Now, I appreciate a good Forrest Gump impression as well as the next guy, but I'm at a loss for words. Really. What the hell criteria did Lurch's constituents use to pick him as their best possible representative. I'm dying to know.

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Compassion toward wingnuts is never rewarded

Submitted by d2 on Mon, 04/02/2007 - 10:44pm.

This is what happens when moderates and progressives forget the backblast and show sympathy when they should trust their instincts about these biscuit-headed nimrods:

From Eye on Boise

Newcomb's revenge?

House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, stripped Rep. Bill Sali, R-Kuna, of his committee seats today, an apparent attempt at revenge for Sali’s challenging Newcomb’s ruling on Wednesday that the combination property tax bill, HB 876, can’t be divided into separate votes.

Sali, a candidate for the 1st District congressional seat, sat on the Health and Welfare Committee and Judiciary and Rules Committee, neither of which is expected to meet again this session.

“In the end it is a senseless display of vindictiveness against me that is unbecoming of his position....For the Speaker’s own sake I hope he will reconsider his actions,” Sali said in a written statement. He said he did not mean Wednesday’s challenge to be an attack on Newcomb.

Sali previously chaired the Health and Welfare Committee but was stripped of his chairmanship by Newcomb two years ago.

Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, the only one to join Sali in voting for the appeal, was also removed from his committee seats.

then, (same source):

On second thought...

John Miller of The Associated Press reports that House Speaker Bruce Newcomb rescinded his punishments for Reps. Bill Sali, R-Kuna, and Tom Loertscher, R-Iona.

Miller reports:

"The Burley Republican yielded to advice from colleagues who advised him against such a move in the waning days of his final legislative session.

Newcomb later told the chamber he was retracting the letters, saying he didn't want to leave the session on a sour note. Since Thursday morning, lawmakers including House Majority Leader Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, had been trying to get Newcomb to reconsider what would have been one of his last acts as speaker. Newcomb is resigning from the Legislature after 20 years."

The revoking of the committee seats was an apparent attempt at revenge for Sali’s challenging Newcomb’s ruling on Wednesday that the combination property tax bill, HB 876, can’t be divided into separate votes. Loertscher was the only other lawmaker to support Sali's appeal.

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