Bonners Ferry Local Guide including all of Boundary County Idaho

Craig departure may disrupt Idaho GOP machine he helped build

Friday, September 7, 2007; IDST

In the last 27 years, dozens of Sen. Larry Craig's aides have transformed their service for Idaho's senior lawmaker into jobs that form the behind-the-scenes backbone of Idaho's Republican Party, in perhaps America's reddest state. Now, with the 62-year-old lawmaker likely quitting Congress after his sex-sting arrest, it means at least the partial dismantling of Craig's political machine that's responsible for this robust class of partisan bureaucrats and leaders. It includes everyone from Mike Reynoldson, now a top lobbyist for Micron Technologies, to Jeff Malmen, Gov. Otter's chief of staff. And Craig's reach extends well beyond Idaho: Kristine Svinicki, a former Craig policy adviser, has been nominated by President Bush serve on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Ken Burgess, now a lobbyist in Idaho's Statehouse and a former Craig staffer, says, "We like to call it 'the Craig family.' " Democrats say Craig's likely political demise will hurt the effectiveness of this network. Party Chairman Richard Stallings says, "Access is no longer going to be a real tool." Idaho Republican Chairman Kirk Sullivan says others will take up the mantle of producing GOP stalwarts. - Full Story