Idaho GOP Fails To Elect Chairman, Agree On Platform

In this May 15, 2012 photo, Congressman Raul Labrador speaks at the GOP election party at the Riverside Hotel. Democrat Jimmy Farris blames his Republican, Labrador, for the congressional stalemates. But Farris is ... In this May 15, 2012 photo, Congressman Raul Labrador speaks at the GOP election party at the Riverside Hotel. Democrat Jimmy Farris blames his Republican, Labrador, for the congressional stalemates. But Farris is facing a steep challenge. Labrador holds a significant fundraising advantage. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman,Chris Butler) LOCAL TV OUT (KTVB 7) MORE LESS
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The Idaho Republican party adjourned its convention on Saturday without agreeing on a platform or electing a chairman, the Spokesman-Review reported.

Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID), the Tea Party congressman running against Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to be House majority leader, lamented that as convention chairman, he was unable to facilitate consensus.

“For three weeks I’ve tried to broker a deal to prevent what happened today,” he told Idaho Public Television on Saturday.

During the convention, the entire delegation from Bannock County was unseated, leading to chaos, according to the Idaho State Journal. Attempts were underway to remove the delegates for two additional counties due to disagreements between establishment and Tea Party Republicans when Labrador brought the convention to a close.

State Sen. Chuck Winder blamed the chaos on Tea Partiers and libertarians.

“It was basically the ultra-, ultra-conservative, tea party-libertarian type people basically flexing their muscle in the way the thing was organized,” he told the Spokesman-Review. “It’s a real shame that a convention comes to that stage, where there really wasn’t any real floor leadership, there wasn’t any fairness in the process, either in the credentials committee or on the floor. It was all pre-determined. It’s kind of ‘who’s going to have the power,’ rather than working together.”

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  1. Avatar for pine pine says:

    Posted same story for Lara Ingraham who might find this story hilarious since she said Cantor didn’t have a sense of humor.

  2. “For three weeks I’ve tried to broker a deal to prevent what happened today,” he told Idaho Public Television on Saturday.

    Sounds like the perfect person to be the GOP House Majority Leader. These guys can’t even find a compromise amongst themselves. I can’t wait for Ron Fournier to drag out that Pew study again and try to maintain that both sides are uncompromising.

  3. Rep. Raúl Labrador: “For three weeks I’ve tried to broker a deal to prevent what happened today,” he told Idaho Public Television on Saturday.

    So, um, you can’t make a bunch of right-wing Republicans within Idaho work together, but you want to be Majority leader for the House.

    Clown.

  4. Avatar for dnl dnl says:

    TeaFreakin;'Hee!

  5. Indeed. If Labrador can’t bridge the yawning chasm between the RWNJ’s and the ultra-RWNJ’s, I’m sure he’d do a dandy job getting the House Republicans in line.

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