On Friday a McAllen, Texas, paper (which previously endorsed Hillary Clinton), spotted a state representative and locally noted Clinton backer ... at an Obama rally.   Read More »

It shouldn't be Barack Obama. It shouldn't even be Hillary Clinton.

It should be people like Mark Penn, Terry McAuliffe, Joel Ferguson, and the other architects of Clinton's abysmal, atrocious and sometimes outright offensive presidential campaign.   Read More »

If this nonsense about "unimportant" and "second-class" states continues. Among other things I'm a former Democratic state party executive committee member here in Idaho, and I have to say that if Clinton is the nominee, a public endorsement "none of the above" looks more appealing every day unless this rhetoric ceases.   Read More »

I'm attempting to consolidate supporter e-mails in one place, so I can consequently limit bold-faced campaigning to one place. No doubt that would be easier on everyone. I know some of you are already on this list, so I'll only post this once here.

The plan is to dump the Yahoo group with something less intrusive once campaign finances warrant it. In the meantime, you can also sign up by going to my web site: http://www.lanestartin.org/   Read More »

The plan was simple: have dinner, then go to the caucus here in Twin Falls around 6:30. I figured the senior center would be busy, but there wouldn't be any problem getting to the door.

I was mistaken.

I had to park four blocks away and caucus two blocks away from the center at a local bakery and pub. By the time it was all over in Twin Falls County - which by the way hasn't elected a Democrat to the Idaho Legislature since 1938 - there were 763 participants.   Read More »

Over the past few days I've been heartily endorsed by the Dine' Warrior. The level of the support is both surprising and confidence-building. I'm deeply honored.

In 1877, Chief Tulhuulhulsuit of the Nez Perce, one of the Native American tribes of Idaho, said, "The Earth is part of my body, and I never gave up the Earth. I belong to the land out of which I came. The Earth is my mother."

I'm not Native American myself, but I realize the ancient "don't tread on me, or anyone else" philosophy shared by many Native American tribes across the country still loudly resonates in the 21st Century as intelligent public policy.   Read More »

The highest ranking Democratic elected official in Idaho at the moment is the state senate minority leader. We have none of the statewide constitutional offices and none of the Congressional seats. Indeed, some of the major offices have been continuously held by Republicans for over 60 years.

Further, apart from a group of maybe five individuals, there's no one who can contest a major race. At least six more need to step up. In the absence of action elsewhere, I'm making the effort to do just that. If more Idaho Democrats in better positions than I am choose to step up with me, then I'll reassess my reasoning for this at that point.

   Read More »

Dear fellow Democrat:

I'm considering a run for Governor of Idaho in 2010. I'm doing this knowing full well there are several precedents against me.

Idaho hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1990, and hasn't elected a Democrat over a Republican incumbent since 1970 (Cecil Andrus in both cases).   Read More »

Over the past few months I've had the honor to serve as Idaho state grassroots coordinator for Gov. Bill Richardson's run for president, so it is with a bit of sadness that I note the end of his campaign. I think Gov. Richardson could have been very competitive in the Idaho caucus. I wish him all the best.

Of the remaining candidates, I believe Sen. Barack Obama now represents the best choice for America, the West, and Idaho. Today I offer my support and endorsement to Sen. Obama's campaign. I encourage Idaho Democrats who haven't already done so to rally around him and attend the 5 February caucus on his behalf. There's now nothing standing in the way of a particularly decisive victory for Obama in the Idaho caucus. Let's deliver it to him.

If you haven't checked out IdaBlue over at Link lately, you really should. Alan over there has made some very good points on water policy and Butch Otter recently.

Earlier this week, undoubtedly as a direct result of the Thayn domestic violence fracas, Otter's office set domestic violence policy. As Alan observed, "I'd like to see Gov. Otter issue a policy with real teeth."

Well, exactly.   Read More »

I've heard stories of a guy in the Idaho Legislature in the early 70s who was known for wearing a bright yellow jacket and voting "Hell no!" on legislation. I'm told he's governor now, but sometimes I wonder if he's the same guy.

When discussing transportation funding back in July Butch Otter said, "Folks, I'm sorry, but we've got to have it (higher taxes)."

But now that the legislative session looms, Otter is backpedaling. He told a meeting of the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho last week he wants more efficiency and accountability from the Idaho Transportation Department first.

That's all fine and good, indeed an entirely appropriate thing to ask for, but the core issue remains. Roads all over the state are either inadequate, dangerous, or both. As I mentioned back in July, we could address this issue now, without higher taxes.   Read More »

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- W. Lane Startin, a moderate Democrat from Twin Falls, Idaho, has won the 2007 virtual campaign for President of The United States at U4prez.com. Lane Startin, a 34 year old father has won the virtual general election. Startin emerged at the top of more than 3000 average Joe candidates to win the race in a 3 way runoff. The 2007 contest began in February and more than 650,000 votes were cast to narrow the field to the top Republican, Democrat and Independent. On many issues Startin is a traditional Democrat. He supports gay marriage, is pro-choice, favors legislation to encourage reduction of green house gases, and notes civil liberties and education as two of his most important priorities. He was able to garner Republican support by opposing new legislation on gun control, and reducing the size and scope of the federal government where he feels the private sector can better perform the task. The virtual president elect supports Bill Richardson for President of The United States in 2008. Startin chose a more liberal Democrat, Mark Turner from Arlington Texas as his virtual running mate. A very strong challenge by an Independent candidate made the race close, while division among the Republicans on the site relegated them to third place.   Read More »

Hello all:

The last day of the U4Prez "general election" is today. I'm faustus37, the Democratic "presidential nominee." Over the past week I've been recruiting people to the site to vote for me. It's been a solid grassroots effort, but today I need your help more than ever.

Unfortunately, the Republicans on the site have been pulling all sorts of dirty tricks. I've been called a liar, a cheat, a fraud, and even had someone "joke" about calling child protective services on my daughter. One can only take so much. There's also strong reason to suspect voter fraud.   Read More »

Hey all:

The U4Prez general election at http://www.u4prez.com/ is underway all this week. I'm faustus37, the Democratic nominee. I'd really like your support in the race.

I'm easy to find on the general election board. The other two guys are holding guns. I'm holding my two-year-old daughter.

You'll need to register to vote, but you don't have to include your real name if you don't want to. Right at the moment I'm leading, but only one vote ahead of a guy who wants to be "king" of the United States (seriously). Let's show them what a grassroots effort can do.

Lane
Idaho

After a few bumps, last night I finally managed to get my online fundraising up and running. Click here to contribute securely.

Of course, you can still contribute the old-fashioned way:

Startin for Idaho
282 Dubois Avenue
Twin Falls, ID 83301-4611

W. Lane Startin (D-Idaho)
2010 exploratory candidate, Governor of Idaho
www.lanestartin.org

Fellow Democrats:

I'd like to take this opportunity to invite all of you to U4Prez.com. Two reasons:

1 - We need more Democrats.

2 - I'm this year's Democratic "presidential nominee" there, and I'd love to have your support. I'm known as faustus37 there.

U4Prez is at http://www.u4prez.com/

When I was in fourth grade, my teacher assigned some of the top students to the accelerated reading group. I was the only straight A student who didn't make the cut. Needless to say I was a bit perturbed. So, that night I locked myself in the bathroom ... and completed roughly half of the year's entire reading curriculum before I went to bed, putting me about four months ahead of the rest of the class. After that stunt, my teacher had no choice but to let me in.

The moral of that story is you can't wait for someone to anoint you; sometimes you have to be utterly audacious and in-your-face. Indeed, everything I've ever done in my life that meant something began when I decided to throw caution to the wind.

If you're truly fed up with "culture of compliance" in Idaho (or "laziness," depending on how you look at it), then do something about it. Think about making a run for office. It's very difficult indeed to justify a Democratic Party organization that consistently fails to file enough candidates to not guarantee a Republican majority in the Legislature before a single vote is cast.

Tell your friends and acquaintances to stop whining about being "outed" as a Democrat. If an insurance agent for a particularly conservative company in Twin Falls can openly run a Democratic exploratory campaign for governor without any problems, they can handle it. Seriously.

If you want to run, make sure your family is OK with it. Make sure you'll have enough time to do it. Plan on raising about $20,000 for a serious legislative run (which means start now, regardless of what Adam Graham says). Most importantly, run for a position you actually want. Then do it.

Here's my first ad for Idaho governor. Who says it's too early to campaign for '10?

Link

See more at http://www.lanestartin.org/

Abortion

I'm pro-choice, with an emphasis on choice. I support women's reproductive rights, but I also support making the choice of adoption easier. Adoption worked for me.

Bipartisanship

While I don't apologize for strong opinions, I also don't pretend to have all the answers. As governor, I will seek the advice of Democrats, Republicans and independents statewide in order to formulate the best policy possible for the issues facing Idaho.

Education

Parents and teachers both deserve better from our education system. Teachers should be paid what they're worth, but parents should also be confident in those who teach their children. I support pay increases along with higher standards for teacher certification.

Teachers aren't parents, and shouldn't be expected to be parents.

We should recognize the individual needs of all Idaho children, including homeschooled, gifted and disadvantaged students. The GED - and immediate and fully recognized high school graduation upon passage - should be available to any 16- or 17-year-old with parental consent, and to anyone 18 and older.

As governor, I will support community colleges statewide, as well as the creation of a full medical school at Idaho State University.

Energy

As governor I will support cutting red tape to unlock alternative energy sources. Private individuals should have the means to generate and sell solar and wind power. I oppose the proposed nuclear plant in Owyhee County; such a proposal is simply not in Idaho's long-term interest.

Ethanol is a work in progress, especially when considering its impact on corn as a commodity. I support efforts to perfect its manufacture using non-food components and improved, more efficient technologies.

Family Values

We call them "family values" for a reason, not "government values." I strongly believe teaching my daughter morals and values is my job as a parent, not the government's. I oppose well-meaning but misguided proposals to enforce morality by statute. As governor I will bring this philosophy to the Statehouse.

Families in which both parents work are commonplace in Idaho. Mine is one of them. Idaho parents should be able to choose child care without having to worry about substandard conditions. As governor I will support stronger yet sensible child care licensing requirements.

Fiscal Issues

The Republican Legislature says it supports smaller government, but I beg to differ. I support curbing "rainy day" funds such as the Budget Stabilization Fund and the Economic Recovery Reserve Fund - now in excess of a quarter of a billion dollars - through tax cuts.

I support an across-the-board sales tax cut, as well as the elimination of sales tax on groceries.

As governor, I will support eliminating the Idaho State Liquor Dispensary in favor of industry privatization with a much smaller government oversight. This will save Idaho taxpayers a minimum of $15 million/year while creating a multi-million dollar industry in Idaho overnight.

Growth

Growth is inherently good for Idaho, but shouldn't come at the expense of our environmental and agricultural heritage. Urban interests need to recognize our traditional economic bases, while rural interests need to recognize our changing demographics. Both need to work for common ground now to avoid ugly court decisions later, especially with respect to water.

Gun Rights

I support Second Amendment gun rights. Even without taking the Constitution into consideration, I believe gun control is a band-aid - and a poor one at that - for problems with much more fundamental causes.

Jobs

Government should work to attract high-paying jobs to Idaho, and then get out of the way once it's successful in doing so. Promoting a diverse economy is the single most important thing we can do for Idaho's future.

Labor

Private companies and labor unions should have the right to negotiate "closed shop" contracts in Idaho if they so choose.

Welfare

Welfare should be limited to an absolute minimum, both at the individual and corporate levels. Initiative and innovation should be the driving force across the board.

Who will be the Democratic nominee for Idaho governor in 2010? I've been giving that question some thought for the past few days. Jerry Brady has been an outstanding candidate for the past two elections, but I wonder if he'll be up to a third run in 2010.

Governor Otter has taken some good stances for Idaho, but I feel he may be too compromised by his own party to truly make a difference. Otter says he's anti-tax, but vetoed legislation to increase the grocery tax credit. Otter says he's pro-education, but gutted an early childhood education program started by his Republican predecessor. I believe Governor Otter is fundamentally a good man, but given his struggles thus far I wonder if he'll be able to truly be an effective governor.

So who else is out there?

Then I thought, what about me? I'll be 37 in 2010. I�m a successful businessman, a published author and a community activist. I've run for major public office before, which at the very least gives me a good sense of what not to do. I believe I can bring a great deal of substance to the 2010 election which frankly I don�t see coming from Governor Otter or the Republicans.

I'm interested to know what you think

Lane
http://www.lanestartin.org/
(208) 420-5966

Quick bio: I'm an insurance agent, writer (more like blogger these days) and Democratic activist from Twin Falls.