Gov. Dirk Kempthorne today inexplicably released a rebuttal to comments last Tuesday – the day after his State of the State message – by Democratic legislative leaders critical of his proposed $50-a-head energy rebate.

“I fully expected a rational discussion on my proposal to provide immediate energy assistance to Idaho families at a time when they most need it. I’ve heard first-hand the eagerness Idahoans have for this relief during my travels around the state in recent days,” the governor wrote. “Instead, Democratic leaders have been dismissive and turned a deaf ear to my plan to help Idahoans with the rising costs of natural gas, electricity and gasoline. These out-of-touch Democratic leaders have even called my plan to provide relief to hard-working Idahoans a ‘gimmick.’”

That was, in fact, the term Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum, used for the proposal in his response the morning after the governor’s speech. But a lot of the lack of enthusiasm around the Statehouse in the past week over Kempthorne’s proposal has actually been coming from lawmakers from his own party – the Republicans.

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