Idaho Dems Walk Out
Posted by on December 12, 2006 at 09:45 AM
(Via release)
Newly elected Democrats stood up and left their desks empty on the floor of the House chamber during Friday's organizational session, a show of unity against a patently unfair and mean-spirited move by Republicans who refused to recognize Democratic electoral gains.
According to custom and tradition, legislative committees are assigned to lawmakers based on their partisan percentages. This year, Democrats gained six seats in the House, an increase of 8.57 percent, for a total of 19 representatives out of a 70-member House.
But the Republican leadership, lead by newly-elected Speaker Lawerence Denney, decided that wasn't enough to merit another seat on the budget committee. By law, the Speaker may determine the makeup of the committees; but past precedent has allowed each party a fair representation on committees.
Not this year, and not with this new leadership.
“This is a breach of trust,” House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet told the House in brief remarks protesting the Republican move. “We won our seats, you won your seats. ... It is political. It is mean-spirited.”
Democrats then stood and walked out of the House chamber en masse. Republicans sat in their seats and stared, dumbfounded at the courage of the Democratic Caucus.
House Assistant Minority Leader George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene, said: “If this continues, it’s going to be a very tough session and a very contentious one, and I’m very disappointed that they chose to go this route. I guess it’s a reflection of the political agenda of the new leadership,” as reported in the online blog "Eye on Boise" by Idaho Spokesman-Review reporter Betsy Russell.
House Republican Speaker Lawerence Denney then broke another tradition by continuing the organizing session without a single Democrat on the floor.
Jaquet said Democrats will continue to fight for the seat on the budget committee using procedural tactics.
"The Republicans are disenfranchising the voters when they refuse to recognize our election wins," Jaquet said. "We worked hard to win these seats, and we will fight hard to get the respect and representation we deserve."
Comments - 16 »
Comments - 16 «
Even local Republicans are saying this move was a bit unfair. Granted, what do people expect from the party has made every attempt to set themselves up as the ever ruling body and honestly Idaho has a long way to come if things are going to change.
Posted by Kristen on December 12, 2006 at 10:53 AM
Posted by Kristen on December 12, 2006 at 10:58 AM
A bit unfair? Is that like a bit pregnant?
The Republicans in the Montana legislature, though barely a majority are loading the committees with Republicans so they can block much needed legislation here too. It is on the same level as the scumbag political campaign they ran before the election.
Posted by Butte on December 12, 2006 at 12:08 PM
The fascists know their days are numbered. They still think they are oprating from a post 9/11 world of manipulation and lies instead of a post Katrina world of reality and humanity.
The weight of their hypocricy is going to come crashing down on their heads when their fiscal irresponsibility, corporate corruption, and lack of an alternative fuel policy hits the voter in the pocketbook soon. The failed War on Terror in Iraq will take care of the rest.
It's the Hoover economy meets the Vietnam debacle.
And the GOP thinks its escaped accountability for Foley, Abramoff, Katrina, Schiavo, Abu Graibe, and the national debt scandals? The Bush/Cheney/DeLay Legacy of Shame will filter down to all state houses and even local dog catcher races before the poison is eradicted from our system.
They may have thought they circumvented the Constitution with the Clinton impeachment, the Rumsfeld Supreme Court decision against fair elections in 2000, the Patriot Act, and the Torture Act, but history has a way of balancing out these assaults on human dignity. I wouldn't want to be a Young Republican just starting out in life.
Let the Rove-inspired Republican crime organization continue to rack up the evidence against themselves. It only help us in 2008.
Posted by SandyH on December 12, 2006 at 12:57 PM
This is just another insight that repubs are unfit for elective office.They continually misuse their power when they have majority.It will also be their undoing!
Posted by virgo on December 12, 2006 at 02:44 PM
We had better worry first about cleaning up our own "house"--(pun intended). Nancy Pelosi is acting like a loose cannon and making appointments based more on her personal agenda than on qualifications and/or seniority. If she is allowed her own head, we might well lose the House in the next election or two.
Let's get this thing started right. We kicked the Republicans in the election. Now let's kick ourselves in the butts and get something done with what we have.
Dr. Bob
Posted by drbobsoffice on December 12, 2006 at 04:58 PM
I agree with you Dr Bob. We can either do the right thing and stand up for America or we can show America that we are a party of cowards and complainers who talk tough and say one thing but fail to deliver. That will not win us a second term or the Presidency.
Posted by Citizen4GovReform on December 12, 2006 at 05:12 PM
I see the bobbsey twins stopped in to ask for directions. Here you go.
Posted by dorsano on December 12, 2006 at 09:14 PM
Prince John of Arizona wants a draft while Idaho elephants pick a fight over ONE seat.
The regressive republicans will never learn.
Posted by pee-wee on December 12, 2006 at 09:26 PM
Nope the republicans will never learn. They're just typical whiners.
Posted by ap215 on December 12, 2006 at 10:24 PM
Posted by sdf on December 13, 2006 at 06:20 AM
The Midwest is where the action is this week. In addition to Idaho, Dennis Kucinich announced for the presidency in Ohio. http://www.kucinich.us/
He has identified 10 issues, notably universal healthcare and cutting Iraq funding. He's an interesting candidate and worth checking out, even though he didn't do well last time he ran for president.
Posted by GrassrootDemocratBruce on December 13, 2006 at 07:20 AM
We need to pressure the DNC to stop supporting the Republi-lites in 2008, and not advancing the causes of Republi-lite presidential hopefuls, even though many of them are in senior positions in the party.
They are not serving the best interests of either the Democrat party or the mainstream of the American people.
We have a number of populist Democrats, who have been elected to governorships and to Washington, who serve the true center of the party, Who would make viable presidential candidates who would serve the American people. Unlike the self-named "centrist" Democrats, who are actually leaning toward the Republican agendas of helping big business with unregulated trade agreements,and destroying the middle class, our public lands, and our economy at the behest of the K-street lobbyists and their employers.
We need a viable presidential candidate who won't sell out our country or our people for a mess of pottage.
The first step we must take is for election and campaign reform. Like NOW!
Posted by Butte on December 13, 2006 at 11:19 AM
In other words, Tsunami, you are saying that the bullies in the lunchrooms have all the rights and we shouldn't complain about it?
You are obviously a neo-con Republican, who thinks it's right to lie, cheat and steal your way into power and diss everyone who thinks you don't belong there.
That is NOT what a Democracy is about.
Regan was playing his greatest role, wasn't much smarter than Bush, but could memorize his lines better and had a much better public presence. The moneyed interests who hired him, used his film and TV popularity to get him into office and keep him there.
The Guvernator saw the handwriting on the wall and changed his tactics, and his policies, only because he didn't want to be kicked out of office.
Great examples you picked there.
Posted by Butte on December 16, 2006 at 12:02 PM
Let me tellyou why I am happyinct because w e have in our state hose 106 reps out of 150 which gives us a veto-proof majority and over in our state senate it is the same story.so our corrrupt Gov M. Jodi Rell has been made totally irr.evlant . FIRE LISA MOODY.
Posted by happyinct on December 16, 2006 at 10:15 PM
Let me tellyou why I am happyinct because w e have in our state hose 106 reps out of 150 which gives us a veto-proof majority and over in our state senate it is the same story.so our corrrupt Gov M. Jodi Rell has been made totally irr.evlant . FIRE LISA MOODY.
Posted by happyinct on December 16, 2006 at 10:16 PM
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