I'm spending a few days in my old stomping ground, recovering from the convention and finding out what's up in Idaho. And what's up is generally good news for Idaho Dems.
First up is a poll from last month showing just how unpopular freshman Republican (the class president, as a matter of fact) Bill Sali is, and giving a boost to last year's netroots hero, Larry Grant. From NewWest.net:
The poll interviewed 253 voters July 11-13 and has a margin of error of 5.7%.
Very favorable or somewhat favorable: Sali 29%, Grant 28%
Very unfavorable or somewhat unfavorable: Sali 46%, Grant 13%
The poll shows that an additional 29% of those questioned know who Grant is, but have yet to form an opinion of him. Another 30% are unaware of him. Only 12% are unaware of Sali while another 13% have no opinion of him.
So 88% of Sali's constituents know him and a very substantial number of them don't like him a bit. As James L. at Swing State points out, despite the $924,000 spent by the GOP and the Club for Growth in the last weeks of the 2006 campaign, Sali's margin of victory was just three points, and Larry Grant walked away with his favorability rating virtually unscathed.
Grant is going to have to work even harder this go-round, as he has one primary challenger, new-comer Rand Lewis, declared and another, long-time Democrat and former Senate candidate Walt Minnick, contemplating the race. Minnick currently lives in Idaho's other congressional district, but is building a house in the first. Given how shallow the Idaho Dem bench is, it would be more productive on the whole for Minnick's talent and resources to be spent in the 2nd CD race against incumbent GOP Rep. Mike Simpson, who is likely to go unchallenged. But these numbers for Sali might be enough to tip Minnick into the race for the 1st.
The Democrats' Senate candidate, Larry LaRocco, is going to benefit from Sen. Larry Craig's inexplicable opposition to the final legislative wish of his colleague, recently deceased Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, to protect portions of the Snake River headwaters under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. It's a strange position to take, lining up against a diverse group of interests who've created Campaign for the Snake Headwaters, including hunters, anglers, outfitters, landowners, and business owners.
Craig's opposition is supposedly based on his concern for down-river irrigators, a bogus claim according to Wyoming's newest Senator:
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, who was appointed to temporarily replace Thomas, also does not believe the bill affects any existing water rights on the river, his press secretary Cameron Hardy said. Hardy said Barrasso and Craig have been discussing the issue and Barrasso would be willing to add additional language clarifying the sanctity of those rights.
But Whiting said Craig would not support the bill as long as it includes those 42 miles of the Snake River.
"It is an over-400-mile stretch of river and we are talking about 10 percent, so it seems pretty reasonable, especially if the stretch is between a couple dams," Whiting said. "It doesn't seem particularly wild and scenic."
Tom Patricelli, executive director for the Campaign for the Snake Headwaters, said removing the 42 miles would essentially gut the bill. "It's hard to have a Snake Headwaters Legacy Act without the Snake River in it," he said.
This doesn't come as much of a surprise to anyone who knows Larry Craig. He opposes any and all environmental legislation on the basic principle that he just doesn't care about conservation, no matter what--even if it's the dying wish of his "friend," a man who he called "a truly marvelous American."
I imagine all of those anglers, hunters, outfitters, landowners, and business owners are going to be considering sending Larry Craig a message, and throwing their support to Larry LaRocco.
(And yes, there are a lot of Larry's in Idaho.)