In the immortal words of Jean-Paul Sartre, "Au revoir, gopher".

Check out the Official Bannock County Election website here. When you get there, search for "voter registration" or "absentee ballot." What do you see? Look! A link to Jim Risch's campaign website. What's up with that Bannock County?

h/t Boise Guardian

Idaho Falls Drinking Liberally is sponsoring a concert by Roy Zimmerman, a funny and skillful political satirist.  With his sharp wit and musical talent, Roy takes on war, poverty, ignorance, bigotry, neo-conservatism, homophobia, greed, lust and fear.  He's in the middle of a lower-48-state tour, and is on his way to gigs at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.  read more »

The debate is over, but if you didn't get a chance to watch it live, click the video below to see it in its crunchy-caramally recorded goodness.

Digby:

From Idaho's Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Larry LaRocco:

"Yes, the paper has been held up by many as a very conservative paper. It serves a conservative audience."--or maybe its a conservative audience because they live in an echo chamber. Without being exposed to reasonable alternative points of view they're devoid of choice. Which lead to exchanges like this, leaving a chilling pall of surprise upon a rational ear.

I commend the Idaho Press Tribune for the courage to ask tough questions of the appropriateness of Bill Sali's conduct between his congressional office and the campaign office and for recognizing that they were engaged in an illuminating but diversionary pissing contest, and took the high road out. Here are a few suggestions for follow up questions they mentioned just in case they haven't gone their yet. Ask some questions regarding Sali's personnel policy and Hoffman's time sheets? Maybe a couple on the real reasons Sali sited his campaign office right next to his congressional office. Very refreshing to have some skepticism with a heavy dose of critical analysis in journalism in Idaho.  read more »

Today mcjoan over at the Daily Kos wrote a fantastic piece about how Democrats are out raising their Republican counterparts.

Specifically, the post highlights how, for the first time in about a decade, the Idaho Democratic Party earned more from the state tax check-off than the Republicans.

Join us in building the momentum that will break the Republican's lock on political discussion here in Idaho. Contribute today!

PRESS RELEASE - August 15th, 2008
Debbie Holmes for Congress

Yesterday, Mike Simpson returned to Washington, while the House was not in session, to participate in an act of political grandstanding on the House floor. In a press release, Simpson claims that the Democratic leadership of the House isn't willing to allow a vote on offshore drilling. This is not true. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, has stated her willingness and intention to hold a floor vote at the end off the recess to allow offshore drilling with an increase in renewable energy investment.  read more »

Republicans have spawned an energy policy media blitz designed to satisfy even the greediest of oil companies, dubbed "drill now, drill everywhere" adopting the now useless slogan that was to be used for Larry Craig's re-election campaign. Big oil is sponsoring Republican convention coverage so they can turn the Republican Party faithful into their dutiful drones, as if they weren't already. They want their juice and they want it now regardless of the damage it causes and the addiction it feeds. Petulant bastards.

Think Progress went national with Bill Sali's trees for oil program making him the heir apparent for bringing more shame to Idaho.

Big ole fat hat tip to the Unequivocal Notion for getting this noticed.

Idaho wingnut congressclown Bill 'Brainfade' Sali may or may not inspire loyalty, but it's certain he and his cadre of misfit misanthropes inspire loyal opposition:

To read the Idaho Press-Tribune's first blog post, titled "Wayne Hoffman: The man behind today's launch", click here. It's got lots o' quotes from the Gem State's blue blogosphere on Sali's FEC filing kerfuffle.

Tilt of the chapeau to Randy Stapilus at Ridenbaugh Press.

More at The Unequivocal Notion.

From the Idaho Democratic Party:

From Idaho's Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Larry LaRocco:

Recently the Idaho Press Tribune questioned the ethics of Congressman Bill Sali and his reelection campaign. The editorial board stated "the dual employ of Hoffman as an official spokesman for Sali's congressional office and his campaign spokesman is unusual and inappropriate. Hoffman says he can keep his job separate by using different phones and stepping out of the congressman's office to deal with campaign related calls." They quite properly labeled this a "shell game."  read more »

A immigrant trying to straighten out his immigration status with the Department of UberHomeland Security died while in custody of US officials:

These are crimes against humanity, human rights are being trampled and the faceless thousands that are trying to get through immigration, legally. We need accountability back in our system, a nonpartisan DOJ would begin that change. So is this another criminalless crime, Mr. Mukasey? No one doing their job with the Federal Government is to be held accountable for their crimes. Maybe they'll just be embarrassed by today's DOJ while another family is devastated. Congratulations, America!  read more »

The only problem with this video? I'm not sure this is a real McCain ad. If it is, then he needs to fire the people that made it just because the production is so bad.

Idaho's Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Larry LaRocco will be at the Spokesman-Review's blog Huckleberries Online this morning beginning at 10:30 Pacific Time, 11:30 A.M. Mountain Time.

HBO blogwrangler Dave Oliveria isn't sure if there will be time for outside questions, but tune in and give it a shot.

As Bush sets out to do as much damage as possible in his last remaining lame duck months, our own Idaho moron has teamed up with him:

Thanks a lot, Dirk. You've once again made Idaho look worse.

I'm pretty sure those two blundering fools have no idea what they have done. What repercussions this will cause will be a matter of time to determine, but I believe they'll be drastic and unfortunate.

Last Friday, Idaho Rethuglican Party chairmoron Norm Semanko and his guano-gargling lickspittle Sid Smith used former presidential candidate John Edwards' admission of an affair in 2006 to attack U.S. Senate candidate Larry LaRocco.

It's almost certain that Jim "Angry Gnome" Risch is behind the ham-handed GOP attack on LaRocco. It appears that The Gnome and Scumanko -- terrified that Risch's flaccid poll numbers will only continue to deflate -- went into panic mode and began wildly spraying sewage in the vain hope of knocking the LaRocco campaign down to the Idaho Rethug's level.

It's becoming painfully obvious (painful to the Idaho GOP, anyway) that Angry Gnome Risch has lost control of his campaign, if he ever had control of it to begin with. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent down their goon squad to force Scumanko and the Gnome to try to shank the LaRocco campaign before it becomes any stronger. If that happens to be the case, then Angry Gnome Risch's campaign is in trouble. Which may also explain why Risch refuses to engage in retail politics and talk to voters, and still has no policies published on his website. In short (ahem), he's got nuthin'.

Now that we've seen the Idaho GOP flailing wildly in the dirt, what slimy shenanigans do they have next to pull out of their snot-encrusted sleeves? If I had to make a prognostication, I'd venture to guess they're ginning up a vicious attack against Angry Gnome Risch's nemesis -- pseudo-Independent Senate candidate Rex Rammell. Watch for it, folks -- it's coming sooner than you think.

LaRocco, however, understands the old adage that a wise man never wrestles with a (GOP) pig -- you both get filthy, and only the pig enjoys it.  read more »