Some politicians flunk courage test

Posted: Thursday, May 22, 2008 - 11:24:56 pm PDT
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By MARC STEWART
Staff writer 

Several candidates have not filled out questions offered by Project Vote Smart

COEUR d'ALENE -- Some politicians are flunking the political courage test offered by Project Vote Smart, a nonpartisan organization that tracks the positions of politicians across the country.

That's because they're failing to even respond to a series of issue questions, said Adelaide Elm Kimball, board member and senior adviser for Project Vote Smart,

"It's frustrating on a personal level," Elm Kimball said. "We're not affiliated with any political group. We've sent checks back to special interest groups and corporations. We're more like a research group."

The political courage test includes numerous questions about key issues such as abortion, taxes, education, health care, the environment, crime and guns.

Everyone running in the North Idaho legislative races has been asked to participate.

"We sent out the tests by mail four weeks ago," Elm Kimball said. "They're given every opportunity."

The participation levels have been mixed.

In the local state Senate races, District 4 Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene completed the test.

"I think it's important that the voters get as much information on candidates as they can," Goedde said. "I think it's a good format. I don't know how much it's utilized. Hopefully, it will become a more used format."

Challenger Ken Howard, D-Coeur d'Alene, didn't complete it, but independent challenger Jeremy Boggess filled it out.

Boggess couldn't be reached for comment.

Howard said he was puzzled by Project Vote Smart's request because he's running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

"I am new to this business," Howard said. "I thought maybe I should wait and think about the answers. I probably will answer them for the general election."

In the District 3 Senate race, neither incumbent Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, nor challenger Jim Connell participated in the courage test.

For the most part, local state representatives and their challengers in the upcoming election responded to the political courage test.

Phil Hart, R-Athol; Marge Chadderdon, R-Coeur d'Alene; Jim Clark, R-Hayden, George Sayler, D-Coeur d'Alene; and Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, answered questions.

Incumbents Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, Mary Lou Sheppard, R-Wallace, and Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, were the only representatives who didn't respond to the query.

Six of the 19 Idaho Congressional candidates answered questions in the political courage test. Republican Bill Sali refused, as did his Democratic challenger, Walt Minnick.

Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain have all refused to answer Project Vote Smart questions, said Elm Kimball

Project Vote Smart also posts voting records and biographically information on its Web site (http://www.votesmart.org/). Many of those bios are incomplete.

"The challengers are tough because we don't have a lot of information about them," Elm Kimball said. "If they don't fill out the test, they're not likely to give us bio information."

Elm Kimball said Project Vote Smart's Web site gets one million hits a day.

Information (888) Vote Smart