Fulcher’s ‘Freedom Tour’ stops in Moscow

Congressman Russ Fulcher stopped in Moscow Thursday in a final effort to address constituents with five days remaining until Election Day.

Fulcher, a Meridian Republican, is looking to fend off Nampa Democrat Rudy Soto for Idaho’s 1st Congressional District seat.

Fulcher’s “Freedom Tour” started Thursday and included stops in Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Coeur d’Alene and Moscow, and it ends today with public meetings in Lewiston, Craigmont, Grangeville, Cascade and Meridian.

Fulcher discussed the coming election, Idaho’s booming population, political division in Washington, D.C., and the national debt to about 15 people — mostly unmasked - Thursday at the Latah Republicans’ headquarters on North Main Street in Moscow.

Fulcher said he is unsure, but he thinks Donald Trump will be reelected. He said there appears to be great momentum and enthusiasm for Trump and he expects a huge turnout of Trump voters. He said he also expects Republicans to make gains in the House of Representatives this election but does not expect the House to turn into a Republican majority.

“Multiple times in my life I’ve heard the statement, ‘This is the most important election in history,’” Fulcher said. “And they were probably true then, and I’m tellin’ you I think it’s true now.”

He said there is tremendous conflict in the Democratic party, saying many of them want to be called “socialist progressives” instead of Democrats. Fulcher said, in general, there is great conflict in Congress.

He said Don Young, R-Alaska, who is the longest-serving member in Congress, and Bob Latta, R-Ohio, another experienced congressman, agreed with Fulcher.

“They said, ‘Russ, there is more conflict in the halls of Congress right now than at any time we believe since the Civil War,’” Fulcher said Young and Latta told him.

In regards to Idaho’s population boom, Fulcher said he welcomes the newcomers but asks that they not forget the reasons for coming, which he said for many people is for a safer, better quality life.

“It will be up to you and how you engage and how you educate yourself and how you participate that dictates whether or not we can keep it this way,” Fulcher said. “We are not Portland, we are not Seattle, we are not Minneapolis. We don’t want to be.”

He said new residents of the state are still pouring in from California but also from other aforementioned major cities.

Fulcher said he is extremely disappointed in the national debt, which is at about $27 trillion. He said he discussed with Trump a proposal to reduce the debt and that no one in Congress is seriously addressing the debt crisis.

Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.