Commentary

by Dennis Mansfield & Christ Troupis

In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a peasant confronts King Arthur, “(You) treat me like an inferior!” Arthur responds: “Be quiet, I am your king…” the peasant’s wife mutters, “Well, I didn’t vote for you.”  Her voice echoes strongly today. This November Idaho will adopt or reject Proposition 1 (Ranked Choice Voting/Open Primaries).

The King Arthurs of Idaho want to abolish closed party primaries, to keep the peasants quiet. Vote NO on Prop 1.

Many will vote on this proposition without knowing much about it. They’ll vote based on a vague, feel-good sense of “fairness.” Machine politicians will smile. But this is not good for Idaho. So, who is it good for? A lot of outside big money interests poured resources into Idaho. The machine politicians were ousted by the rank-and-file Idahoans and left simmering until now. Their combined work is a disaster in disguise.

We have long believed that political parties best serve their purpose when they stick to their principles. In 2008, 18% of votes in the Republican Party Primary were cast by Democrats. That’s why I (Christ) brought suit and I (Dennis) testified on behalf of the Idaho Republican Party to close its primary. 

Democrats don’t vote in Republican primaries to promote GOP values.

We won the lawsuit. A greater benefit: Politicians became more accountable to the People to deliver what they promised. Since then, the Republican Party has elected more candidates who support family values than ever before. The machine politicians have been ousted from control of the party and they don’t like it. They need Democrats voting in an “open” Republican primary to dilute conservative values and promote the “uni-party,” objectives of big government.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) works like this: Four candidates are on your ballot. You can vote for each one in order of preference.  If you only like one candidate, you can vote once for that candidate, and you lose your other 3 votes.  If no candidate gets over 50% of the votes, the candidate in fourth place is eliminated, and the ballots of those who voted for that person as their first choice are “reallocated” based on their 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th choices.  This is a “second vote” for the group whose candidate was eliminated. So, the people who voted for the #4 candidate get two votes. This process continues until someone gets over 50%. If there is another “reallocation”, the people who voted for the #4 candidate get 3 votes, the group who voted for the #3 candidate get 2 votes.  If you only voted for the one candidate of your choice, you get 1 vote. That is vote dilution…and a scandalous attack on the sacred American principle of “one person, one vote”. 

The Foundation for Government Accountability discovered, in the 2010 San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ General Election, more than half of the ballots were thrown out because of RCV, and only 8,200 ballots determined the final result. New York City, Minneapolis and Portland all have RCV.  Is it any wonder, New York City’s council just voted for reparations and voted to release violent criminals without bail? These are the end-results of RCV elections.

The Ultimate Problem

When I (Christ) worked with the Trump team on the 2020 Wisconsin recount, I learned there are a lot of ways to steal an election.  All based on one principle, dilute real votes with ‘fill in the blank’ votes. That’s RCV’s potential. 

With the passage of Proposition 1, the GOP closed primary would be dead and we would be forced to vote for 3 candidates we don’t want, in order to have our 1 vote count. Our vote would be diluted by the rest of the votes and possible voter fraud would be ushered in. It’s a disaster in disguise. Vote NO on Proposition 1. As Monty Python so clearly stated, “We’re not dead yet.”

Dennis Mansfield is a former candidate, a business coach and an author

Christ Troupis is a retired attorney and an author

With Ms. Harris’ pick of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, Planned Parenthood’s ownership of the Democratic Party is cemented.  This will mean that the number one issue for Democrats this fall will be abortion-on-demand.  Perhaps the only issue they willingly discuss.

Gov. Walz has made a mess of Minnesota on many fronts, but none more disturbing than his hearty embrace of Planned Parenthood’s deadly agenda.  He has enshrined their transgender agenda into Minnesota law by creating a “safe haven” for children from across America to obtain sex change operations and treatment in Minnesota without parental knowledge or consent. 

But his rabid support for their abortion agenda is even more chilling: He has made Minnesota into an “abortion sanctuary” state – welcoming women from across the nation to schedule their “abortion vacations” in the North Star State.  State tax dollars are available to help.

Gov. Walz has gone even further in promoting abortion tourism: He signed a law guaranteeing that a woman will get a dead baby out of the deal.  In Minnesota, it is now legal to kill an infant who survives an abortion by denying post-birth treatment.  This is stone cold murder by any rational definition.  Radical people like Bill Maher might be “okay with that” … but we are confident most Americans will shudder at such barbarity.

So this is the state of affairs in America as we face the most consequential election since 1860.

The choice before Americans will be one of Life … or Death.  Blessings or curses.  For any Christian voter queasy over President Trump’s brash style, we beg you to seek the Lord’s face on this matter.  There is no longer any grey territory, and your duty is crystal clear.  Get off the couch, off the pew and vote as if lives depended upon it because that is what time it is.

Think we oversimplify things?  Ponder these words from the Democrat Candidate for Vice-President:

“My record is so pro-choice that Nancy Pelosi asked me to tone it down.  I stand with Planned Parenthood.”

DAVID DALEIDEN SPEAKS OUT …

Suppression of evidence, hand-picked judges… jackboot raids of private residences … gag orders… Sound familiar?

What an extraordinary week we have just been through.  President Trump was very nearly killed by an assassin during an inexplicable failure by the Secret Service to perform even the most rudimentary security precautions.

Then came an amazing Republican Convention.  We witnessed President Trump’s amazing comeback from 2020 … and the emotional terror of the assassination attempt … to accept the party’s nomination for the third straight time.  More than that – the convention was illuminated by the voices of many ordinary Americans: the Gold Star parents of servicemen lost in Afghanistan; the parents of an American citizen held captive by terrorists in Gaza; the victims of illegal immigrant crime; a courageous cultural star recount her awakening after years of being manipulated by the Democrat Media Machine.  A very inspiring week.

And then the Empire struck back.

Within a week of President Trump’s heroic escape … the Stalinesque leaders of the Democrat Party forced an incumbent president to quit on his own re-election campaign.  The clique in charge of this political machine determined that Biden had outlived his usefulness.  Despite having raised some $300 million; despite winning something like 98% of the delegate votes over the past half year; despite repeated public declarations that he was ready to finish the race – the Stalinists who run the Democrat Politburo have ordered Biden to leave: We can do this the easy way … or the hard way. Mr. Chauncey Gardner is expendable. And it is truly alarming that this kind of unaccountable private power could be so effectively wielded against a sitting President of the United States.  But those are the days in which we live; the days from which we desperately need to escape.

And within twenty-four hours, the Stalinist-Democrats have gathered up some $85 million in new corporate funding for their chosen replacement: VP Harris.  And like dutiful sheep, a majority of the delegates once elected to support Biden … have already flopped to support The New Leader.  Wow. 

(One could only hope that there is enough integrity left in this party that they will quickly and quietly destroy any tv ads, bumper stickers or radio jingles claiming to be the “defenders of democracy”.)

But the priority for the Democrat Ministry of Truth will be to turn its considerable powers to the matter of selling America on what a wondrous Leader Kamala Harris will become if we but give her the keys to what is left of the Republic.  They will be hard selling us the notion that Harris is “brilliant” … “a tough prosecutor” … “young and energetic” … blah … blah… blah.  And at least one of those things might be more or less true.

What concerns us most is that Kamala Harris is even more obsessed with abortion than Joe Biden; even more hostile to Christianity than our nominally Catholic president.  In fact, it may be the case that Harris has been a key engineer, driving Biden to ever more radical abortion policies.

Let us review just some of the highlights from Harris’ public service:

• As Attorney General of California, Harris employed the full weight of state government to persecute and prosecute an American hero because he had the wits and courage to expose Planned Parenthood’s grossly evil baby parts business.  You will recall that David Daleiden conducted a series of undercover videos detailing Planned Parenthood’s trafficking of aborted baby parts back in 2014 and 2015.  But rather than using her office to prosecute and shut-down such illegal and immoral practices – Kamala Harris went after Daleiden.  She sent armed agents to his apartment in San Diego to seize all of his computers, video files, records; she led efforts to get a court order forbidding him from making any of his damning videos public.  She made David Daleiden the criminal – not Planned Parenthood.

Without doubt, Planned Parenthood owes their survival after this scandal to Kamala Harris.

• Ms. Harris has fought to strip doctors and nurses of conscience protections – making it a condition of their medical license that they perform abortions and other procedures they find objectionable.
  
• Ms. Harris has also demonstrated an intense hostility toward pregnancy care centers.  She actually got legislation passed in California requiring pro-Life centers to advertise Planned Parenthood’s abortion services inside their facilities.

What a disaster it would be for Kamala Harris to somehow gain the White House.  She is a wholly owned agent of Planned Parenthood.

As we witness these extraordinary events, it is important to steel our hearts for the outrages yet to be revealed.  We must strengthen our hearts for battle … and we must appeal to the God of Heaven for wisdom and resolve to meet this most dangerous threat to the Republic.

Today marks the second anniversary of the historic Dobbs decision.  While the people of this nation continue to struggle with detoxifying our culture from fifty years of abortion ideology – this is a day to give thanks to the Lord.  In His great mercy, He heard the prayers of many crying to Him for justice.

The rejection of Roe was nothing short of miraculous.  So many things had to happen for the Supreme Court to finally confess its great sin to the American people.  There has never been a ruling like Roe in all of American history – when the Supreme Court itself violated the Constitution to amend the Constitution by fiat.  The Founders could never have imagined such a gross breach of the sacred public trust.

In addition to the Almighty, we must acknowledge a number of historic figures in bringing about this monumental correction.  There is, of course, Donald J. Trump.  Unlike his Republican predecessors, Mr. Trump meant what he said when he promised that he would scour the land to find pro-Life, Constitutionally-committed jurists.

But we must also honor two living giants in our midst:  Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Sam Alito.  These two men have borne the burden of defending the Constitution for decades, subjecting themselves to public scorn for insisting that a great lie was being perpetrated upon the American people.  They kept the faith … and saved the Constitution.  For a season, they had the worthy companionship of Justice Scalia – but, alas, he did not live to see the final victory on June 24, 2022.

On this historic day, we look to Scripture to express our joy:

                “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.  Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.”  (Psalm 107:13-16).

But the overturning of Roe is just the beginning step in restoring justice to the land.  There are many battles ahead as we continue our fight to bring healing to the culture, and repentance for the great sin of destroying our own children.  May the Lord continue to be merciful and continue to provide help. We certainly cannot rebuild a Culture of Life without His aid.

In his 2021 inaugural address, President Biden remarked, “The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We have learned again that democracy is precious.”

Then, a year later, this self-declared unifier sued my state for exercising democracy.

Idaho passed the Defense of Life Act in 2020 to protect the lives of women and their unborn children. The law officially became enforceable in June 2022, when the Supreme Court ruled Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the people and their elected representatives in the states have the power to pass pro-life laws. Idahoans stand to protect life, and our law is a reflection of their will.

But the Biden administration didn’t care. A couple of months after Dobbs gave this decision-making power back to the states, the administration manipulated a federal law to say we still don’t have that power. The Justice Department sued Idaho, claiming that a federal law – the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) – supersedes our own law and in fact even forces emergency room doctors to perform abortions.

This could not be further from the truth. EMTALA contains no provisions about abortion. In fact, that particular law requires emergency room physicians to care for pregnant women and their “unborn child[ren].” No conflict exists between Idaho’s law and EMTALA. A conflict does exist, however, between the will of the people of Idaho and the Biden administration’s adherence to an extreme abortion agenda.

EMTALA was passed to ensure that emergency rooms serve everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. The purpose of this law is to save lives, not to take them. Similarly, Idaho’s law ensures that mothers’ and children’s lives are protected. There is harmony between Idaho’s law and EMTALA, but the administration is attempting to sow discord. Rather than seek to save lives, it is twisting the law into something unrecognizable, all to endanger lives and unnecessarily burden emergency room staff.

Emergency room doctors in Idaho – and in every state, in fact – treat women who suffer from ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and other life-threatening conditions. Doctors are bound by oath to protect their patients – every patient, including unborn children. The actions of the administration would force them to violate their oath and violate state law.

Because the administration is attempting to put its will above the people of Idaho, my office is standing in defense of our law. A lower court ruled against our ability to enforce our law, so we appealed that decision to the high court. Our efforts have already paid off. In January, the Supreme Court not only agreed to hear our case but also allowed us to enforce our law while the Court reviews the administration’s actions.

Make no mistake about it: Although Biden claims that his “whole soul” is in on uniting America, his administration is pushing an extreme agenda that is seeking to end lives rather than save them. His administration is attempting to use federal law to trump state law in direct opposition to the people of Idaho and legal precedent. Rather than respect democracy, Biden is kowtowing to abortion lobbyists, who stand to lose the most by allowing the unborn to have a chance at life.

With the help of the legal firms Alliance Defending Freedom and Cooper and Kirk – both of which have impressive track records at the U.S. Supreme Court – my office is working to uphold Idaho’s law. The Supreme Court heard our case Wednesday as we asked the court to end the Biden administration’s lawlessness and reckless disregard for life, women’s health, medical integrity, and democracy. A favorable ruling will uphold what Idaho’s law and EMTALA are both written to do: save lives.

Like conservatives across the state, we were excited to learn that U.S. Senate Kari Lake was coming to Idaho Falls.  She has become a leading voice in America for restoring integrity to our election system and for the values that made America the greatest nation in history.’

Imagine our profound disappointment, then, when we saw this heroine join the media mob in calling for an immediate “fix” to Arizona’s historic law protecting preborn children.  The law protecting preborn children from the horror of abortion was enacted by the people of Arizona before it became a state.  And it was reaffirmed by the people of that great state numerous times until the right to life was snatched away by the Roe Court in 1973.

Our heroine joined the mob in calling the law archaic, and in need of “improvement” – by which Mrs. Lake meant that more abortions should be made legal in Arizona.

But the right to Life is no more archaic than the right to bear arms or the right to freely exercise our faith.   These ancient values are the very foundation of our greatness as a people and nation.  They are gifts from our Creator. It is only through the recovery of these honored virtues that we can recover our greatness.

It is a shame that Mrs. Lake missed a great teaching opportunity.  Rather than respond in a panic to the supposed threat to her election hopes – she missed a chance to seize the moment by calling Arizona citizens to account and reflection.  This was an opportunity to expose what we have lost, and to appeal to the nature of our best selves. It was a genuine leadership moment.

We can only pray that, during her visit to Idaho Falls, Kari Lake will have time to reflect.  Perhaps some of the conservative leaders in eastern Idaho can help her find her way back.  Because if we cannot trust a politician to protect the most vulnerable among us when their ambitions might be at risk – how can we trust her to face the many torments of the great swamp that is Washington?

Every Democrat in the Idaho Legislature signed onto a bill (HB721) this past week to repeal our Defense of Life Act.  It is clear from their news conference that they will follow their national leaders and make abortion the central feature of their campaigns this year.  Forget fentanyl or the illegal immigrant invasion.  Don’t worry about inflation or declining performance of our public school system.  In their world, Abortion is the most important issue facing Idaho and the nation.

At the news conference, Democrats sought to conflate the issues of IVF (in vitro fertilization) and their unrestrained commitment to abortion.  They also sought to disguise their radical agenda by claiming that they sought a “health” exception to Idaho’s law protecting preborn children.  Ostensibly this is necessary to keep some Idaho doctors happy about practicing in Idaho. 

But their proposed legislation goes well beyond weakening the Defense of Life Act.  (In fact, HB721 never actually mentions a “health” exception). 

Idaho Democrats want to make abortion legal at ALL stages of pregnancy.  And for ANY reason.  The only restriction on abortion they would leave in place is the Ban on Partial Birth Abortions – enacted by the Idaho Legislature in 1998.  Late term abortions through the end of pregnancy?  No problem.

Democrats seek to put Planned Parenthood back into business in Idaho.  Not only would they resume abortion-on-demand, their legislation allows their patrons at Planned Parenthood back into our schools:  Democrats want to repeal the No Public Funds for Abortions Act.  Teachers and counselors would again be free to encourage students to get abortions at their local Planned Parenthood office.  Planned Parenthood officials would again be welcome into classrooms to troll for new customers.  (In fact, every Democrat in the Legislature voted against our bill this session to prohibit abortion providers from teaching sex ed courses in public school classrooms).

But even that is not enough for these radicals.  The Democrat legislation would also repeal the Abortion Trafficking Law enacted by the Legislature last year (IC 18-623).  This critical protection makes it a felony to transport a minor girl across state lines to obtain an abortion without parental knowledge or consent.  Imagine.  Idaho Democrats want to enable third parties – like their patrons at Planned Parenthood or any other adult for that matter, including abusers and sex traffickers – to ingratiate themselves into the lives of Idaho children behind the back of parents.  These dark actors would be able to help children obtain abortions without parental knowledge, potentially to conceal criminal sexual abuse: Pay for travel, hotel rooms, meals … and the abortion procedure itself.

It is clear that Idaho Democrats subscribe to the dangerous belief that children have a right to something they call “bodily autonomy” – and that any interested adult should be free to manipulate vulnerable children into making life-altering decisions.

Thankfully HB721 will go nowhere this session.  But the Democrats have boldly proclaimed their dark vision for Idaho’s future. 

Voters beware.

“Just as President Trump has stood up for preborn children
across this land, we will stand up for him.”

News Release. Idaho’s leading pro-Life political action committee, Idaho Chooses Life, today announced its support for Donald Trump ahead of the March 2^nd GOP Presidential Caucus.

“We are proud to continue to stand with Donald Trump as he prepares to secure another term as President of the United States,” ICL Executive Director David Ripley said in a prepared statement issued to media on Tuesday.  “Just as President Trump has stood up for preborn children across this land, we will stand up for him.”

Ripley specifically pointed to the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs as evidence of Trump’s commitment to seeking justice for ALL Americans – as well as upholding the rule of law based upon the Constitution. 

“Many candidates, over decades, promised action on overturning the travesty of Roe v. Wade, but only Donald Trump delivered,” Ripley observed.  “Much work needs to be done, but the Dobbs decision was an historic turning point in correcting overreach by the federal judiciary.”

“We are deeply impressed by the salient moral courage displayed by Mr. Trump as he faces down an unprecedented level of political persecution,” Ripley added. “This is the kind of courage it will take to rescue America from a host of grave challenges.”

 “May the Lord continue to grant him strength and encouragement,” Ripley said.

Idaho Chooses Life encourages pro-Lifers across Idaho to participate in the GOP Presidential Caucus, scheduled for Saturday, March 2^nd.  For information about caucus locations and procedures, pro-Life voters should visit the Idaho Republican Party website at IdahoGOP.org.

Yesterday the United States Supreme Court issued a preliminary victory to the State of Idaho in the lawsuit brought against us by the Biden Administration.  That lawsuit, known as “The United States of America vs. Idaho” – was brought by Joe Biden right after the Dobbs decision was handed down.  It was a blatant attempt to interfere with Idaho’s duty to protect preborn children from the scourge of abortion.

Biden sought to regain federal control of the abortion issue by abusing the Social Security Act to claim that our hospital emergency rooms must serve as abortion clinics.  The case naturally found its way into Judge Lynn Winmill’s courtroom, one of the most notorious pro-abort judges in the nation.  And, in a carefully coordinated assault on Idaho’s sovereignty, some 17 liberal states entered the fray and provided moral and legal support to Biden’s DOJ by filing “Friend of the Court” briefs with Judge Winmill.  They argued that Idaho could not be allowed to fully implement the Defense of Life Act.  At all hazards, abortions must be performed!

Not surprisingly, Judge Winmill was readily persuaded.  A week before the Defense of Life Act took effect on August 25, 2022 – Winmill issued an “emergency” order requiring Idaho hospitals perform abortions to “protect a woman’s health” if they wanted to continue receiving federal monies.

Through the courageous leadership of Sen. Chuck Winder and Speaker Mike Moyle, that order was challenged before a three-judge panel of the 9^th Circuit.  The Legislature’s special counsel presented the court with a compelling argument that Winmill’s order violated Idaho’s sovereignty; it was a tortured and incorrect reading of the Social Security law Biden was using to regulate abortions in Idaho.

The Left was shocked when that appeals court ruled – unanimously – in favor of the Legislature.  They lifted Judge Winmill’s stay last fall.  That allowed DOLA to go into full effect for the first time. 

Biden then appealed, asking the 9^th Circuit to re-hear the appeal before an “en banc” panel of the full 9^th Circuit.  That motion was granted.  A hearing was scheduled for later this month (January 24th).  In addition, the 9^th Circuit re-imposed Judge Winmill’s order forcing hospitals to again perform abortions.

Attorney General Raul Labrador quickly filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court – in which he asked them to stop Winmill’s unjustifiable order from again being enforced.

Yesterday, the high court granted Labrador’s request.  But they went beyond.  They granted the State of Idaho a writ of certiorari – meaning they have taken the case out of the hands of the 9^th Circuit altogether.

This is all very unusual – and highly encouraging.  We read it to mean that the Supreme Court has determined to quash efforts by the Abortion Industry to undermine its ruling in Dobbs.  In that landmark opinion, the Supreme Court declared that abortion was now a matter for the states to determine.  The federal judiciary was out of the abortion business.  We see yesterday’s decisive actions by the Court as sending a message to Biden and his allies that they meant what they said in June of 2022.  They will not tolerate a strategy of tearing away at the edges of Dobbs.

So Idaho hospitals can now get back to the business of saving lives – not destroying them.

Glory to God.