"I am not ashamed that we use a lot of energy in this country. It has made us the most prosperous Nation on the face of the planet. ... Using energy makes us prosperous." — Congressman Bill Sali (R-ID-01) during debate on an energy bill that, among other things, invested in alternative and renewable energy sources and repealed tax subsidies for large oil companies. (H.R.6899)
"If [Oversight Committee Chairman] Henry Waxman was interested in doing more than just showboat, we'd be there in a heartbeat. It's political grandstanding." — spokesman Wayne Hoffman explaining why Congressman Bill Sali (R-ID-01) was absent from congressional oversight hearings into the financial crisis where, among other things, it was learned that AIG executives indulged in a lavish retreat a week after the bailout.
"You know what, campaigns are fast and furious, I accept responsibility that we don't have the right citation there, but the facts I stand by - we are correct about that." — Congressman Bill Sali (R-ID-01) reacting to a campaign commercial fact-checking report.
"There are people out there without health care, and we need to address that, but it's not as big of a problem as some people would make it out to be" — Congressman Bill Sali (R-ID-01) in a Lewiston, ID debate
"People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power." — President Bill Clinton in a speech at the 2008 DNC
"To my supporters, to my champions, to my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits, from the bottom of my heart, thank you." — Senator Hillary Clinton in a speech at the 2008 DNC
"The America that we know, that the founding fathers envisioned, will cease to exist." — Congressman Bill Sali (R-ID-01) speaking at the state GOP convention about the possibility of a Democratically controlled White House and Congress.
"Sometimes the problems have to get larger before you can solve them. We can still drive around the potholes, so they must not be big enough." — House Speaker Lawerence Denney (R-Midvale), explaining that lawmakers still need to be convinced about the extent of road maintenance problems before they'll agree to tax or fee increases.
"Those people that believe in shooting animals through the fences . . . ought to turn the rifle the other way." — Former Governor Cecil Andrus, at sportsmen's rally, decked out in full camouflage, urging opposition to "shooter bull" operations on domestic elk farms.
"GARVEE is like swallowing a raw egg - it seems to be one of those things that's really hard to stop in the middle of." — Rep. Marv Hagedorn (R-Meridian), in comments on a package of transportation bills introduced by House GOP leaders at an emergency committee meeting.
"I'm a professional dairyman. I have milked and milked everything I can possibly milk." — State Police Maj. Ralph Powell, arguing that the state crime lab's bare-bones operation has reached its limit and now costs the state money as testing is sent to private labs.
"Idaho is ranked last in the nation in protecting the safety of children in day care centers." — Sen. Kate Kelly (D-Boise), in support of an unsuccessful move by Senate Democrats to force a daycare standards bill out of committee.
"This [anti-discrimination bill] is something we will propose every year until it passes." — Rep. Nicole LeFavour (D-Boise), responding to the latest BSU Public Policy survey in which 63 percent of Idahoans think it ought to be illegal to fire someone for being gay or seeming to be gay.
"I assumed it would be a bunch of radical college students, so to fit the part, I grew a goatee, got a revolutionary T-shirt and put on some ratty jeans." — Rep. Curtis Bowers (R-Caldwell) in an Idaho Press-Tribune opinion explaining how he disguised himself to uncover alleged communist plots.
Oh, and the handwriting on Risch's letter? Came with it.
Posted by: MountainGoat | December 05, 2007 at 11:06 AM
What is it with hard-right Republicans insisting on calling it the "Democrat" Party? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(phrase)
It just seems rude to me.
Posted by: Bubblehead | December 05, 2007 at 11:21 AM
And intentionally so Bubbles. That was no typo.
Posted by: Sisyphus | December 05, 2007 at 12:03 PM
The Risch letter is hilarious on many levels, from the doodles to the idea that the national "Democrat" Party is pushing wheelbarrows of cash up to Larry LaRocco's HQ.
Idaho is still far off the national radar, the Craig scandal aside. If you look at the DSCC website, there's barely a mention of Idaho. This is about it:
http://www.dscc.org/races?State=id
I know Larry L is working hard to raise Idaho's profile, but we're still, excuse me, small potatoes. But let Risch try and herd the Idaho GOP faithful into believing otherwise. Baaaaaahhhhh. Hey Jimmy, there's a REASON Republicans face an identity crisis and a decline in public support!
Posted by: Julie in Boise | December 05, 2007 at 07:18 PM
I just read Lt. Gov. Risch's letter, and one thing stuck out to me. He says "...our Rights should be protected by the Bill of Rights..." -- does he not know that the "Bill of Rights" refers to only the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution? Does that mean that he doesn't believe that rights enshrined in the Constitution since then (including the right of women to vote) aren't to be protected?
Posted by: Bubblehead | December 06, 2007 at 05:12 PM
What I think is hilarious, well one of the things anyway, about Risch's letter is how much the tone of it sounds like our friend Delphinium, the commentor at Free Republic. You know, the guy that was talking about *known* democrats stealing precincts from republicans...the one we laughed about in July. Refresh your memory here:
http://mountaingoatreport.typepad.com/the_mountaingoat_report/2007/07/idaho-democrats.html#more
Despite having more control over this state than they know what to do with, apparently some in the GOP are scared to death of the stealthy democrats.
Posted by: MountainGoat | December 07, 2007 at 08:55 AM