Huckleberries: Video return was nothing personal

You may have heard that state Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, returned his copy of the movie “Brokeback Mountain” that Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, sent to all Idaho senators last yuletide. LeFavour, the state’s only openly gay legislator, told the Idaho Statesman she circulated the video about a closeted gay relationship to launch a discussion about expanding human rights protections for Idaho gays.

On my Huckleberries Online blog (spokesman.com/hbo) last week, Nonini’s wife, Cathyanne, explained why LeFavour’s actions fell flat with her and her husband: “We returned the movie without a fuss and public comment – and it was my idea. I am a cradle Catholic and found her sending this movie in very poor taste, especially at Christmas. Nothing was written to Nicole, nor was anything unkind said to her. Nicole and the media were responsible for this being made public.”

My blog commenters split in favor of the Noninis over the appropriateness of the gift. Some said it was “over the top.” It won’t happen again, though. LeFavour is retiring from the Idaho Senate to challenge U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson for his 2nd Congressional District seat.

I will vote

Paranoid Idaho Republican leaders who fought successfully to close state primaries to ensure that only true-blue Elephants vote have disenfranchised some voters, including journalists. For the first time, Idahoans will have to indicate their political preference to vote in the primary election.

Reporters who cover politics and government, like this newspaper’s Betsy Z. Russell in Boise, probably will sit the primary out rather than compromise their journalistic nonpartisanship.

I won’t. As a blogger and former conservative editorial writer for The S-R, I won’t surprise many when I request a Republican ballot. Then, I plan to vote against every GOP incumbent who watched fat, dumb and happy while party hacks shut down Idaho’s popular open primary.

Huckleberries

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department provided the strangest tweet of the week: “There have been some questions about a rape that occurred this week in (Coeur d’Alene). The incident was not classified a crime and was a consensual act. The magazine company noted was a legitimate company. We do not recommend allowing solicitors inside however.” Did you hear the one about the Coeur d’Alene salesman who (ah, forget about it) … Poet’s Corner: Old Dick Cheney/is sly and smart,/and now at last/he has a heart – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“The Tin Man”) … The Kootenai County GOP Central Committee meeting was subdued Tuesday after the battle royal that resulted in militia hero Richard Mack being invited/disinvited/ reinvited to speak at the Lincoln Day Dinner. One Mack foe told Huckleberries that sometimes when there’s extraordinary tension in the air nothing happens.

Parting shot

Tongue firmly cheeked, columnist Argus Hamilton of Ardmoreite.com writes of a unique problem facing a North Idaho neo-Nazi: “Idaho Ku Klux Klan leader Shaun Winkler announced he will run for Bonner County sheriff in May.

“His timing was bad.

“Right now everyone thinks that anyone who wears a hood is protesting racial profiling in Florida, so he’ll have trouble getting his message out.”

Which should be nothing new for Winkler.