Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador’s spokesman asked that a photo including Labrador alongside Idaho House Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa, be replaced on the Statesman’s website.
The photo accompanied my column Friday exploring Crane’s erroneous claim that civil rights icon Rosa Parks was standing up to the federal government in 1955 when she was arrested for refusing to obey a Montgomery, Ala., city ordinance that required she give up her seat on a bus to a white man.
Crane invoked the memory of Parks during his debate last week in opposition to Gov. Butch Otter’s bill to establish a state-run health insurance exchange under the U.S. Affordable Care Act, saying, “One little lady got tired of the federal government telling her what to do.”
Labrador took the unusual step of lobbying against state legislation in at least two Statehouse meetings with freshman members of the Idaho House. The late-January meetings were arranged by Crane.
Crane, a top prospect for Labrador’s congressional seat should Labrador decided to run for governor against Otter in the 2014 Republican primary, is among Labrador’s closest friends. The photo was taken when Labrador was in the Idaho House in 2010. Also pictured is then-Rep. and now state Sen. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian.
Shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, Labrador’s spokesman in Washington, D.C., Michael Tate, sent me the following brief email: “I noticed an article from you today featured a photo of Congressman Labrador in a story not about him. Politely wondering if you are able to use a photo in the story without my boss?”
I forwarded Tate’s email to our photo chief, Joe Jaszewski, who picked the photo for our website.
Replied Jaszewski: “The story does highlight the relationship between Crane and Labrador, so I think it’s entirely appropriate to use a photo in which they are both pictured. Rep. Labrador is in the background and out-of-focus, which I believe to be a proper treatment considering he isn’t the main focus of the story. But is nevertheless included.”
Given the relationship between Crane and Labrador and Labrador’s involvement in the health exchange issue, I’d say chose Jaszewski chose well.
Excellent choice of picture and very appropriate. Good choice, Joe.
What’s the matter Raul, does Crane likey “Two Broke Girls,” also?
Maybe you can get him fired.
Wow. He has no problem standing next to Crane to try to pressure Idaho legislators into voting in a manner that will help his potential campaign for governor, but doesn’t even want to be in a photo with him in public when he defends that vote.
Rep. Crane should pay attention to this. It gives a good indication that Congressman Labrador is ready to quickly step away from you when it doesn’t suit his political needs.
So, Mr. Labrador wants his pictures published only if they don’t include party members who DON’T do something that might cause him reflected embarrassment. Given the nature of the current Idaho GOP, that limits his photo-ops to a single studio head-shot.
Then again… this IS Raul Labrador. Safest thing for him would be to substitute his photo with one of those generic avatar icons….
Thank you for not backing down to Labrador. You made the right decision. These politicians need to own up to their hypocrisy. You want to have best buddies that are clueless to civil rights issues and show a themselves to have a bad case of White Privilege then expect the consequences and learn from them…………..justice for all!
I didn’t realize that Rosa Parks was instrumental in throwing friends under the bus. I thought she had something to do with using busses for fairness.
Now if we could just distance our state from Raul…..
Interesting that Idahos congressional GOP political terrorist who believes his party’s belief structure is eternal, rejects the friendship of his fellow GOPer from the revisionist parallel universe that spawned his career.
“In the background and out of focus” sounds very appropriate.