OPINION: Effort to Impeach Brad Little Caused by His Own Hubris

I’m surprised it took this long.  Governor Brad Little hasn’t been popular with the constitutional wing of his party for as long as I can remember.  The more libertarian wing backed Raul Labrador in the 2018 Republican Primary.  Its members are closely allied with Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin.  During the 2018 lead up to Primary Day, a caller to my program wanted to know who she favored for Governor.  She responded she was concerned about her own race.  Then added her politics better aligned with Labrador.

The Governor’s comments on Friday appear to have inflamed even some of his traditional allies.  It involves the battle over coronavirus emergency orders.  You can read about his remarks by clicking on this link.  You can also see there was swift response from GOP caucuses in both houses of the legislature.

The story explains the Governor fears losing tens of millions of dollars from the federal government.  The story makes no mention the money is fiat currency.  Printed on an electronic ledger and padding the national debt.

You can see the comments at the top of the page from Representative Chad Christensen.  He’s from a district in East Idaho.  While impeachment is unlikely in this writer’s opinion, the Representative’s anger isn’t unique.

Old party structures would’ve kept these spats behind a curtain.  Modern social media has changed how elected leaders communicate with constituents.  The Republican establishment has been slow to recognize the impact.  Christensen isn’t making any of this up out of thin air.  He’s channeling the thoughts of a great many people in his backyard.

My two cents?  Legislators don’t work for the Governor.  The House and Senate comprise a distinct branch.  Little could brush up on diplomatic skills.  His predecessor would be a good place to start when it comes to advice.  One week ago I would’ve said Little was likely to get a second term.  Friday’s outburst changes my wager.