Posted on 10/22/2008 1:14:46 PM PDT by GOP_Raider
BOISE — Republican Jim Risch and Democrat Larry LaRocco staked out very different territory Tuesday night in a U.S. Senate race debate that covered health care reform, the issue of a new economic stimulus package and who is best equipped to help solve the nation’s domestic challenges.
At times, the exchanges between Risch, Idaho’s lieutenant governor, and LaRocco, the last Idaho Democrat elected to Congress, got testy as they traded attacks that have defined each of their campaigns.
--snip--
Throughout the debate, Rammell claimed he is the true conservative in the contest. He said abortion doctors should be charged with murder and suggested he is the only candidate committed to reducing federal spending and the size of the federal government.
“I did not leave the Republican party, the party left me,” Rammell said.
(Excerpt) Read more at idahopress.com ...
The guy actually changed his named to “Pro-Life” WOW, sounds like the dem is going to get all kinds of help.
Yes he did. My absentee ballot says “Pro-life - formerly known as (whatever his name previously was)”
Besides that though I’m having a problem with this race. It’s either gonna be Rammel or Risch but both have things I wouldn’t vote for.
Risch opposed a coal power plant, is wishy washy on nuclear power. Risch is also hiding his global warming stance on his issues page, and no wonder...he believes the AGW hype is for getting “serious about [reducing] putting carbon into the air.” He finagled taxes so property taxes were lower, but sales tax went up. At the same time as property values were being artificially inflated by the Counties so people ended up paying the same or more. He illegally (debatable) ordered the killing of Rammel’s Elk Herd. I just have a gut feeling that once he gets to the national level Risch will end up being a RINO just like Craig was.
Rammel fits more what I would vote for, but since he is running as Independent that means canceling out a vote for Risch and helping to put LaRocco in office. I really don’t want to help put the Senate at 60 rats with one of them being from Idaho. That just wouldn’t be right.
Larry LaRocco will caucus with Harry Reid and the dimocRATS.
My son and his family live in Boise...I’ve heard that Sali is in a tight race. is this true?
That property tax change pushed by Risch dropped my property taxes from $3150 to $2080 annually. Even allowing for my big ticket purchases of $20,000 (3 motorcycles, 1 scooter and a trailer), the extra 1% sales tax amounted to $200. I'm still way ahead. I suspect that is the case for most homeowners.
Otter is barking up the wrong tree with his proposed "odometer tax" to fund roads. I drive very little inside Idaho. My significant mileage is piled on with trips to San Diego or Yellowstone National park. Most of the miles in those trips are outside the state of Idaho. It's just plain wrong to tax miles driven outside the state. My motorcycle miles are a mix of street and dirt. Why assess me for miles on the dirt? The state isn't doing squat to maintain those roads.
Beautiful country. Idaho has got to be the sanest state in the nation. Even LaRocco sounds better than most Republicans in this state east of Harrisburg.
Oh damn I didn’t even think about the out of State miles and dirt miles.
Just the other day some lady at work was complaining about it saying it wasn’t fair because she was forced to commute from Boise to Nampa where as I commute from Boise to um Boise so her taxes would be higher. I was getting on her case that she wasn’t being forced to commute that far, it was her choice.
Didn’t even occur to me that I’d probably pay higher taxes then her because like you I do a lot of miles outside the State and on unimproved/unmaintained roads that taxes don’t pay for.
We had a discussion on that very thing yesterday with this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2111709/posts
I voted absentee this year, and I think I agonized over it for a good 45 minutes between Risch and Rammel. My grandfather despises Risch and I’m very lukewarm towards Risch, at best.
On the other hand, LaRocco will more than likely end up being a poodle foro Dingy Harry (I apologize to all of the poodles I offend). I do wonder how Rammel will splinter the conservative vote statewide and send LaRocco back to Washington.
Well, LaRocco lost his House seat to the Late Helen Chenoweth in 1994, and Jim Risch has been running ads all over the state with a gentle reminder of how LaRocco voted in what ended up being the largest tax increase in American history.
Idaho didn't used to elect GOP folks quite so convincingly--we are the state responsible for Frank Church. (sorry about that, America).
He did exactly that when Tom Foley was Speaker of the House until he lost his congressional seat back in '94.
I’m voting absentee as well. Ballot has been sitting on my desk for a week now and the only thing missing is Rammel or Risch...and the vehicle registration proposition.
As far as Rammell goes, I’ve been around him and he is not someone I could vote for. He really is carrying out a vendetta against Risch over the elk issue, despite what he says. He also has no legislative experience, and would be swallowed up by the process in DC. If he wants things changed, he should start at a local level-i.e. school board, city council, or county commissioner, and see if he can get elected there. He also owes a lot of money to the former partner in the elk farm. That guy has taken Rammell to court twice over the debt. Rammell was ordered to pay, which he has not, but he can run around the state in his bus campaigning. I’d really hate to see him shave votes from Risch, and strengthen LaRocco’s bid.
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