BCRCC should be censored, not Rep. Sauter

District 1 Sen. Scott Herndon is continuing with dirty tricks as the Bonner County Republican Central Committee chairman.

Having read on the front page of the Daily “B” (April 24) that the BCRCC, chaired by Sen. Herndon, awarded a no-confidence vote for District 1 Rep. Mark Sauter along with the April 29 Kootenai County Republican Central Committee article alleging our same senator paid out-of-state McShane LLC $80,000 to attack fellow Republicans in the last election cycle, I feel compelled to respond.

As a conservative Republican, appointed two terms as an Idaho Fish and Game commissioner for the Panhandle, and a member of the governor's wolf control board preceded by many years of military service, I have witnessed the good, bad and ugly in politics. I resigned from this group as a precinct chair along with a half-dozen others on the same night due to their divisive uncompromising political views.

According to Herndon, Mark Sauter, Jim Woodward and numerous other solid Republicans who do not fall in line with Herndon’s “my way or the highway” are labeled as RINOs, not fit to be in the Republican Party. The BCRCC under Herndon’s leadership has disintegrated into a cesspool of toxic leadership.

With this current group, ethical standards and values have been replaced by “anything goes to win.” In the last primary, he conducted a scorched earth campaign of lies, distortion and name-calling against his opponent. His method of operation continues against those with whom he disagrees, funded by multiple sources outside the district and some external to the state of Idaho. The sad part of all of this is that his approach to politics worked because 50% of the registered Republican voters in Bonner and Boundary counties failed to vote in the primary.

Let me make it crystal clear about what Herndon and his gang are up to. They are upset that Rep. Sauter has not toed the line according to the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s principles and voted accordingly. That would be to go along with Herndon’s attempt to make abortion so extreme a mother’s life is no longer valued, which resulted in hospital OBGYN departments closing and doctors leaving the state. This along with proposed legislation for criminal prosecutions for those performing abortion. Additionally, he worked to de-fund public education and put control of libraries in the hands of his style of government. The sick part is that he has convinced BCRCC membership to go along with his extreme proposals. It is the BCRCC who should be censored and not Rep. Sauter.

This corrupt politician who has a closet full of skeletons needs to be defeated in the next election. I will do my best to make this happen and request the help of the voting public in LD1.

TONY McDERMOTT

Sagle