Idaho Lawyer Won't Challenge Rep. Minnick (D)

[last_texas_dem]

>>>>Idaho lawyer Larry Grant (D) won't run against freshman Rep. Walt Minnick (D), even though he's received encouragement from some Democratic activists to challenge a congressman whose voting record makes him the most conservative Democrat in the House.
Grant, a former Micron Technology executive, was the Democratic nominee in Idaho's western 1st district in the 2006 election, losing by 5 percentage points to Republican Bill Sali. Minnick unseated Sali in the 2008 election by slightly more than one percentage point.

I called Grant on Friday after reading a blog item in the Idaho Statesman that said Grant "gets at least one call a week from Democrats urging him to challenge Minnick" and that also carried the provocative headline "Larry Grant a Republican for Congress?"

"Walt's walking a very fine line in this state. The Democratic base is not particularly large, but they're pretty active ... and a lot of those core people are not happy with his votes," Grant said. But, he said, "I will not run against Walt in a primary. I was instrumental in getting him elected last time, so no way."

Minnick, whose district has a strong conservative bent, has given some Idaho Democrats heartburn by voting more frequently with Republicans than with Democrats on votes that essentially divide the two parties. Minnick opposed the economic stimulus, cap-and-trade and health care bills.>>>>

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2009/12/idaho-lawyer-wont-challenge-re.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=eye-on-2010

I'd love to see a moderate Democrat challenge Minnick, if only to give him a scare and hopefully move him slightly to the left. I realize he's representing one of the most conservative districts held by a Democrat, and he's certainly an improvement over the certified grade-A wingnut he replaced (Bill Sali). But voting with the Repugs more than the Democrats, and essentially opposing the Democrats on just about every major piece of legislation? I guess being one more warm body caucusing with the Democrats and keeping a particularly frightening right-wing kook out of the seat has some value, but it still gets frustrating.

[bluestateguy]

1. Minnick is one Democrat I would cut some slack, given his district

I think we all need to give him some space given his blood red district. What angers me is when Democrats like John Adler (NJ-3) vote against health care reform, and his district voted for Obama, or Joe Lieberman and his solid blue state, and he insists on being a pain in the ass for the Administration.

[last_texas_dem]

2. Good point

Minnick may well be one of those cases where he's just about the only Democrat who could get elected in his district, and it will likely be an even tougher battle for him next year since he won't be running against a controversial incumbent again. Admittedly, Minnick was mostly on my mind due to my annoyance at seeing his sponsorship of this legislation:

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/House-eases-restrictions-on-apf-1465178190.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

I know conservative Democrats have to walk the line regarding God and guns to hold their districts, but are that many rural western Idahoans that concerned about regulations on derivatives trading being too restrictive? haha

As for Lieberman, I'm convinced that he has simply become aware that he has very little chance of being reelected and has either decided to just let out the right-wing true colors he's secretly held for a while, or is simply spiteful towards the Democratic Party and thus has decided to behave like as big of an ass as he possibly can.