By Timothy Braatz
The spring climate has changed in North Idaho. Snowpack melts faster. Hummingbirds arrive sooner. And the mail brings hateful flyers from Scott Herndon.
Hummingbirds are difficult to track. Herndon is easy, thanks to campaign finance laws.
Herndon takes money from wealthy donors in southern Idaho and out of state. Here is a recent sampling:
- $6000 from Larry and Marianne Williams, owners of Tree Top Ranches, Boise.
- $2000 from Karen Cox, Ketchum.
- $2000 from Don Martin, owner of Forward Freight, Marsing.
- $1000 from Wendy Webb, owner of Webb Management, Hailey.
- $1000 from Tom Moore, Meridian.
- $1000 from Kipp Bedard, Boise.
- $950 from Shane Womack, Middleton.
- $1000 from Shane Macaulay, Bellevue, Washington.
- $1000 from Peter Gambee, Sacramento, California.
- $777 from William Wolf, Walpole, Massachusetts
- $225 from Edwin Brant Frost IV, Newnan, Georgia.
These outsider contributions allowed Herndon to pay McShane LLC over $80,000 in the first four months of 2024.
McShane LLC is a political consulting company in Las Vegas, owned by Rory McShane, who specializes in smear campaigns.
McShane researches voters to determine which lies, half-truths, and scare tactics will be most effective. Apparently, McShane concluded that north Idaho voters are racist cowards. Look at this dishonest flyer: Letter continues below
First, the fear: A photo of gang members, but they’re not “illegal immigrants.” They’re in a Central American prison—3,700 miles from Sandpoint.
Next, the lies about Jim Woodward. For example, Woodward voted for a committee to look into the problem of unlicensed, uninsured drivers. In McShane’s hands, that becomes “Voted to support Driver’s Licenses to Illegals.”
The expensive smear campaigning will continue until it no longer works, until north Idaho voters reject Herndon and his hateful lies. This means voting for Jim Woodward in the Republican primary election on May 21.
A vote for Woodward is a message to Rory McShane in Las Vegas and lobbyist Peter Gambee in Sacramento and the Frost family in Georgia: Stop Meddling in North Idaho!
It is amazing that Herndon has any support.
Re the money. Something is missing. Candidates do not report independent expenditures. These are done by groups not connected to the campaign. Many of us are familiar with the mailers from the American Federation for Children. That expense will not show up on Herndon’s Sunshine report because it was not made by his campaign. Add to independent expenditures the “campaigning” done by Idaho Freedom Action. IFA, which is under the management of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, has sent mailers, done radio ads and sponsored social medial ads opposing Woodward and supporting Herndon. IFA, like IFF, does not file Sunshine reports so we have no idea of the amount of money spent, nor do we know who the donors are. Knowing the donors is an important piece of information Idaho voters should have but under current law it is not available.
I notice that whenever a leftist disagrees with something that they call it ” racist’ or “hate”. Mr Braaatz is one of the head instigators of the Boundary County Human Rights Task Force, which is basically a bunch of leftist do-gooders. If you don’t think their way watch out. Mr Braatz has made negative comments regarding police shootings, a subject he knows nothing about. We have had at at least 10 million illegal aliens enter our country in the last 3 1/2 years. It’s not “scary” or “racist” to control our borders.
MP, about half of what you submit goes in the trash heap for being a) accusatory and wrong; b) inapplicable and wrong, or c) wrong, wrong, wrong. This one deserves a medal. Leftist do-gooders? What does that make the rabid right (besides wrong?!) I won’t go into police shootings, police knees on necks, police pride in abusing their power only because I believe the vast majority of law enforcement personnel are honest and dedicated servants of public safety earning each day the public trust and holding themselves and their fellow officers to a higher standard. But what really gets me is the abject inanity of that last sentence … as my Chinese boss used to say, “Wha’? … you make no sentence!” So 10-million plus illegal aliens in the last 3 1/2 years, eh? Hmmm … not counting that Barack Obama was a paperless illegal alien who should never have been given the keys to the White House (unless maybe the service entrance) when was illegal immigration declared a major national dilemma? Who defined the problem? Who promised a solution to the problem? Who said he delivered and solved that problem? If he solved the problem, how come there’s 10 million illegal aliens waiting for Joe Biden to steal the election to cross the border? Hmmmm … it’s a conundrum … wait … could it be Trump was lying about that just the same as he lied any time his tongue wagged?
Sir, as you may know, Biden undid many or Trumps policies such as stay in Mexico. Biden also publicly stated “Migrants are welcome”. You and the left own this problem. 11 million did not come across our borders when Trump was in office.
MP, I thank you for your reasoned argument, but I find your logic specious. This country has always had a love/hate outlook on immigration; we have a statue in New York with a poetic welcome; “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” and yet we’ve decried the Italians, the Irish, Chinese, Vietnamese … nearly every influx from any nation. We’re a nation of immigrants, and every new wave wants to close the door behind them. Trump’s immigration “policies” didn’t work else we wouldn’t have a supposed crisis beginning the day he left office; and in a nation founded on the ideal of all men being equal, it’s a wonder so many bought his hateful rhetoric and methods on an issue he deliberately and hatefully exacerbated. Pol Pot, Hitler, Stalin, Amin and others had immigration policies that started out looking and sounding near identical to Trump’s, and they evolved to work exceedingly well. They, too, were discontinued. And who says 11-million illegal immigrants didn’t come across the border during Trump’s tenure? As far as I can tell, only Trump and those who believe him. I personally have a hard time believing liars and con men.
The Border Patrol compiles the data. If you have any friends or relatives on the Border Patrol, like I do, they would tell you the same. Biden opened the border. All they do is process and babysit. Very little interdiction. Listen to the Border Patrol Council, the union for Border Patrol members.
No, Bernard, this you being laughed at for wasting time jacking your jaw and saying nothing. I publish only as an example of what is unacceptable. Won’t happen again.
What a bunch of baloney, Woodward has many times the outside area contributions from real estate, hospitals, and business all over Idaho as well as out of state. The mailer sent out recently attacking Herndon was paid for over 10,000 by two democrat supporters, not reported by Woodward because it is an outside group. A journalist would note this. Of course, this is just a letter to the editor for Mike’s chosen Democrat candidate.
Why Mr. Wisberg … have you impugned my honor?! I am mortified … I don’t know how I shall ever be able to bear it! In my defense, sir, I would contend that Mr. Woodward has no more control over what others do than does Mr. Herndon and that Jim has not and will not stoop to the lows that reflect Reverend Herndon at his tippy toe tallest. And I would also aver that Jim Woodward is, like myself, a fine and upstanding specimen of the Republican Party, both of us shocked and disgusted by how easy we made it for a bunch of radical extremists to waltz into our fold to usurp and bastardize what was a once proud and effective organization. I don’t think one need be a journalist to see that, and I contend I’d be a damned poor journalist if I did the cowardly thing and said nothing.
My goodness, Bernard, did I touch a nerve? Is it safe to assume you weren’t the captain of your debate team? Instead of me wasting time conversing with a brick wall, I invite you to read any of the editorials I’ve written for your list of names … I’m sure your feelings will be hurt many times over but your response would be similar to this one. If you have a reasoned and cogent argument to make germane to the topic at hand, I’d be happy to publish it, even if I disagree completely. I’d also be surprised.
“Then when a reader dares reply, there you are to criticize that person for voicing their opinion. What’s with that?”
I would guess that being able to cogently defend “their opinion” is what’s with that: expressing an opinion is swell, but being able to explain the basis of that opinion is kind of what rational discourse is all about…