" As a future no doubt " Republican " voter , I see that the brainwashing techniques posed by the GOP hasalready affected you. This is exactly what is wrong with Wyoming politics , spoon feeding young folks to the GOP way is not in the best interests of all. May the good lord help you. "

" sniff, sniff.... The GOP are strong and stick to our values and that passes on through the generations. I am sure you can't stand the fact that this doesnt't happen with your party aka the "flip flops" "

" The fact you led with the "southern border", a known bedwetter issue, shows that he was smart to give you the brush off. Why don't you look at his website anyways? Are you scared or lazy? "

" I'm sure Gary Trauner had NO idea that the 14 year-old kid he blew off at breakfast would come back to bite him in the rump!

What a great letter, James. Trauner should wake up and realize that you and other intelligent future voters already have a powerful voice. If he had treated you with the respect you deserved, perhaps this letter would have been an endorsement for him rather than a warning against him.

(Pay no attention to BULL, James. He's just mad that you correctly pegged his boy Trauner as an egotisical blowhard. Keep up the good work!) "

" poorbull, sorry to burst your little bubble, but there are many of us 'former republicans' out there, and our numbers are growing! We are sick and tired of the chaff that are out there to vote for in the republican party. We are disenchanted with the way our 'former' party has been corrupted to the point of unrecognizability. We are tired of seeing the same dog and pony show going to Washington and feeding at the trough of special interest groups and leaving the rest of us hanging out to dry. We are ready for changes that need to come in order for our country to progress, rather than to stagnate. "

" Sorry to disapoint ya there , poorbull , but " my party " sure isnt the left one. Since you dont know what " my party ' really is , you can only make stupid accusations. As for the GOP being strong , they sure havent showed in the last 7 years. "

" Wow. BULL are you serious?? Now here is a young person who is willing to engage in the political process and become informed, which says more than a lot of voters, and here you are ragging on him. Don't you know that most young voters tend to vote more liberal anyway??

James, I commend you for wanting to become informed. Wyoming and our nation needs more individuals who are willing to engage politics and ask questions.

So keeping asking questions and holding people accountable becuase you are future and it's good to know we have some young ones who will hold a critical eye and high expectations. "

" WyomingGal,

Rather than abandoning your former party, why didn't YOU do something to improve it? In Wyoming, anyone can run for any office. You chose to turn tail and run rather than standing up and trying to help. The Democratic Party is full of cowards and slackers just like you. They can keep you!

Republicans are looking forward to fine young men like James Heath who will work to do what they can to help the conservative cause; not abandon it and take the easy way out: the liberal low road.

I don't know James Heath, but I do know many other young people his age who are chompin' at the bit until they are old enough to vote. I am pleased to report that every one of them is a rock-solid conservative. While the kids of liberals are still hanging out on the street corners causing trouble, kids of conservatives are paying attention to the issues and candidates.

Watch out, aging liberals. The next generation abhors your lazy leftist hippie mindset and have chosen to be "Right"! "

" This letter ran in the Sheridan Press too. It's clearly a GOP tactic to muddy the waters because they are scared. I'm proud to be blue in a red state. But we need to quit paying attention to this party bull and actually consider the candidate as the best person for the job not because they are an R or a D. Lummis' shady business dealings are enough to make me say no. It's not the R by her name. I'd vote for her if she was the best person for the job. She's not. "

" Future Voter,

How many letters do I have to write to my republican State Senators, Legislators, as well as those counterparts on the federal level and get no responses before I get fed up with them? Plenty! How long do I have to see the corruption in my former party before I become disenchanted with them? Many years worth! (Hint, it didn't start with Bush 1 or 2). As far as my running for office, with the economy the way it is presently, I can hardly afford to launch a successful campaign without the funds needed to run for one now can I? It takes money, and lots of it, to even consider running for public office these days. I could not afford to take the time off from work in order to do so.

Oh, and by the way, who said I was a democrat? If you had read any of my posts on several articles and opinion pieces related to politics, you would have seen that I'm an Independent! I agree strongly with BuffaloGal and will, like her, pick who I believe is the best person for the job, regardless of party affiliation. I don't need a 'leftist' or a 'rightist' party telling me how to think or who to vote for. I can make up my own mind thank you very much! Both parties have some good ideas, and that being the case, we need someone who is beholden to no particular party in office in order to make the changes necessary for this country to move forward instead of stagnate with partisan politics as usual. Nothing gets done otherwise. The way things are now politically, it's fillibuster this, veto that, and we get stuck with the short end of the stick. If we must elect people into office, we need to make sure that they are people who are willing and able to cross party lines for the good of the country, and not just concentrate on one side of the political coin, special interest group, or what have you.

You might want to pay more attention to what is going on in America right now as there are just as many democratic-minded kids 'chomping at the bit' to vote for their politician of choice too. Perhaps you haven't paid enough attention to the news, but I've also observed record numbers of young liberal kids coming out to support their democratic candidates as well. Perhaps being more of a centrist now, I'm able to watch the trends without getting hoodwinked into the politics of it all or turning a blind eye to things I don't agree with.

As far as what you said about the children of liberals, that is a total crock! I have also observed just as many kids from supposed fine, upstanding, conservative families wind up in jail or worse. Some kids will not do well regardless of their family's political leanings, and it is unfair of you to make that distinction only with the children of democrats.

Watch out aging liberals and conservatives! While neither party is doing squat for them, and they are getting just as fed up with the partisan politics that these two parties have played for years, the next generation just might surprise you all and vote both parties out of existence! "

" Both parties should be voted out of existence. When are people going to develop a brain and a backbone and get out of the political party mindset? Their only chance for meaningful political freedom is to become truly independent. Good for you Wyoming Gal and all the other smart people who are becoming independents. You are the future of American politics.

Another true independent. I love my political freedom. "

" Looks like the carpet bagger got out smarted by a 14 year old. Of course I would expect little else from anyone who could actually lose an election against babs, my dog could have won running against this political wonder. Face it this Jackson Hole liberal lefty puppet has only one agenda and it has little to do with Wyoming, and a lot more to do with supporting his out of state contributors. "

" Assuming that this 14 year old actually wrote this letter, I think its great for young people to get involved.

I do not respect those who run for office and do not give direct answers. I will respect those who do give direct responses even if I may not agree with their position. As this kid learned most canidates do NOT answer questions--they just pile on some BS "

" To WyomingGal, I am glad that you do NOT run for public office----we already have enough elected officials that talk/write too much and effectively say/do nothing!---your logic about parties clearly lacks any understanding of our history. "

" Sure looks like another career politician trick to me. Lummis is sending 14-year old boys to do her dirty work.

Somebody look up if this poor James kid is a Lummis volunteer... I bet you'd be surprised.

This is why I support Gordon in the Primary... and wouldn't dream of supporting Lummis even if she is my party's nominee. "

" Trauner has over 1,000 Wyoming contributors. The other candidates only have like 100... TOTAL! Check your facts next time, SHR.

I'm am SOOOO sick of career politician dirty tricks and lies! "

" Just a couple things that smell like a rat here:

14 year olds don't have representatives in Congress. Actual voters do.

"Washington liberal establishment" isn't a phrase any REAL 14 year olds use. I hear their lazy, closed minded parents using it, but not kids.

Same goes for "agenda". And what "14 year old" knows anything, let alone actually worries about illegal immigration or taxes? I'll allow him the concern on the war in Iraq question because he's going to be over there in 4 years if McSame and any of the Republicans running for the House get elected this year.

And this little "14 year old" who wants us to believe he's politically astute must not remember who the current US Representative from Wyoming is if he's got a problem with "not even listen to Wyoming citizens."

The only thing in this whole piece of fiction that could have been from an actual 14 year old is the poor grammer, but then again, maybe not. There are a lot of lazy adults out there too.

No, this letter wasn't written by a REAL 14 year old. It was written by an adult Lummis supporter parent and signed by
a 14 year old. Then the adult Lummis supporter put the kid on the phone when the CST letter verifier called. I think it would be great if Gary Trauner would come on this blog and tell his version of what really happened with this "kid" - if it actually happened at all. What is it with the Rupublicans and their supporters that they can't campaign fairly? "

" James, congratulations, not only did you ask a good pointed question to a politician who could not answer, but by writing this letter you have engaged a lot of folks into a debate, some of which does not really do credit to "adults". You are a credit to yourself, your parents, and this great state and country.
Excellent letter. "

" Now if we can just get rid of Barrasso and Enzi...... come on elections. "

" That doesn't sound like a 14 year old kid to me. More like a GOP operative dabbling into the standard negative campaigning as usual. I guess if you don't stand for anything worthwhile, all you can do is campaign against the other guy...don't vote for him because... Tell me why I should vote for you; don't tell me why I shouldn't vote for someone else. Negative campaigns make me want to vote for the opponent. "

" Watch out kid, you have Marion congratulating you. Now Marion believes that radiometric age dating is phony and it is a trick by evil computers intent on taking over the world. Crazy huh? She also is a known race-baiter. One time, out of the blue, in an article on Barack Obama she brought up how much she hated MLK Jr. Day. She also thinks weather and climate are the same thing- often saying things like it is cold at their house, therefore there is no Global Warming.
Getting compliments from this person is back-handed to say the least. Stay in school and take plenty of math and science classes, or you may end up that way too! "

" What is wrong with all of you?

A candidate should be prepared to answer any question asked.

He is auditioning for a job paid by our tax dollars.

Do you think that since he is a democrat he is above telling people what he thinks?

This is exactly what has made our process nothing more than a failure and all of you idiots are attacking the kid for asking direct questions.

All candidates had better be able to answer simple questions such as these in public when asked and they should not hold back based on the audience in front of them.

If he wants to lower/raise taxes, he should have the courage to say so and way.

If he does/doesn't want to secure the US boarders he should have the courage to say so and then tell us all why.

If he wants the US in/out of Iraq, he should has the courage to say so and then tell us all why.

In public and any time he is asked.

To do less is no more than plain dishonest.

Do we need more dishonest scum on the public dole doing nothing?

Some of you dopes seem to think so.

I want honesty and hard work out of these people.

And I don't care if they come from the Bone-in-the-Nose Singing Pygmy Party. "

" Not a 14 year old because he's articulate? THAT'S your argument? Come on, guys. Defend your candidate but don't tear down a kid because you can't read above an eigth grade level. "

" He can't answer three simple questions for a kid? What else can't he be bothered to do? Show up for work sober? Listen to the will of his constituents? Obey the law? "

" I have no way to know if this kid actually asked any questions, if Trauner did or did not answer questions, or if this letter was even written by a 14 year old kid (which I doubt). I do know that the representatives that we have been sending to Washington have not been representing our best interest, but rather have been supporting whatever the special interests, big corporations, and big oil want them to do. I am not going to get myself all excited over a letter from someone who I don't even know is real that is probably being spoon fed whatever is in this letter by some right wing hack. I have met Gary Trauner and spoke to him for quite some time. He answered every question that I asked and seemed to be sincerely on the same page as me and most people that I know. Mr. Trauner will make a fine representative for Wyoming; he shares the same values of most everyone that I know. He won't just blindly follow along with whatever the corrupt Washington lobbyists and power brokers want to do. "

" Well said Martha!!! You hit the nail square on the head! If you want to run for office, be prepared to answer the tough questions, not just those you wish to answer. Furthermore, I expect an honest days work for an honest days wage from my employess and expect no less from the politicians I pay for with my taxes. "

" I agree with casper, just because the young man in question can take the time to do the research, ask sophisticated questions, and be articulate about it, doesn't mean that the letter was written by someone else.
I was helping my 7 year old grand daughter with some spelling words recently. I can tell you that we didn't have to learn words that difficult when I was that age! "

" This was obviously a dirty politics stunt set up by opponents of Gary Trauner. If this event happened, and it probably did, then It is to Gary Trauner's credit that he told the kid he would be happy to talk with him. The kid said in his letter that Trauner said he would be happy to talk to him. How is it now that the kid says in the last part of his letter that he does not want someone representing him that won't talk to him?!? Apparently GaryTrauner considers the thoughts and feelings of 14 year olds to be worthwhile. Now the exact conversation that happened between Trauner and the kid is probably known only to them. We do not know exactly how or what the kid asked Trauner, so we don't know if Trauner's answers were appropriate, direct and useful. All we have now is this letter, that obviously was not written entirely by this kid. It wreaks of republican orientation and bias against Trauner. If this was not meant to be an unfair political attack against Trauner, then why was it sent to more than one newspaper?

Nobody should be reading very much into this incident, in that maybe the kid just didn't understand or fully absorb Trauner's answers. Maybe Trauner thought that directing the kid to his website for a more complete presentation of his positions was a good thing to do, since so many kids today are very computer savvy and they enjoy getting a lot of their information from the web.

Something really smells here. This is really the lowest of low cheap shot republican politics. Something like this could actually get Trauner elected simply because even many republicans would not want to be associated with this type of mean spirited political tricks. "

" Oh that's just Marion spouting the Republican way of thinking, flounder. She don't know any better. She's on the "poor-but-still-a-Republican-old-person" cat food diet. "

" You got problems Casper if you think what that "kid" wrote was articulate. Maybe to you that letter is worthy of a Pulitzer, but to those of us who know better, it was nothing more than another poorly disguised cheap shot by a political party that can only win by taking cheap shots - the Republican Party. No surprise stunts like this appeal to non-thinkers. Proof of that is 14 years of Barb Cubin. "

" Mary L. You are on the wrong band wagon here. I am a liberal minded independent and I don't care if Satan himself (Karl Rove) asked the questions.

If we want to be above board, honest and direct we must be prepared to stand on our convictions and provide an honest response to all comers.

If we cannot honestly and directly answer questions that people care about then what is the point of representative government?

The goals are transparent, honest, effective government. No power to the party for its own sake. We've had way to much of that and it has to come from both sides of the aisle!

You are supporting the dark, conspiracy theory side of terrible politics. Aren't you better than that? We don't need to hide behind that garbage do we?

I'm with Martha, bring on the honest and hard working pygmies! "

" It sure seems that the left is throwing that race card fast and furious these day. None recall the little boy that cried wolf. "

" Really, can an adult read any item on the internet without a shaker of salt? If you believe the "facts," the non-facts are certainly believable. "

" If this 14 year old's experience is fictional and this is a trick by the Rep Party of Wyoming to discredit Trauner and if this never took place: Then I would expect a liable suit forthcoming toward the originator of letter. If it indeed didn't happen and this is a bold faced lie, then it is warrented and I hope Trauner wins and presses on. Until then, I'll look at it as very plausable.

The reason? My 13 year old niece who has been reading since she was 2, writing stories since she was 4, and is currently taking high school courses along with college prep classes. She is more politically aware than MOST adults I know. She writes and reads beyond the college level (altough her hand writing leaves musch to be desired) and would be the type of "kid" to sit down and ask questions like these with no promting (as in from a political dirty trickster). It is more than plauable that this 14 year old James Heath exists, had this experience and is not a pawn in the political process. And if this is true, shame on Gary for in a sense blowing off the future of this country and not answering some very simple questions. "

" This BS is getting old and drug out. Move on. Only the shadow knows. "

" Allison, were you there? Did you see or hear any of the conversation between Gary Trauner and this kid? Do you know what was said? Do you know what questions were asked and how they were answered? You don't know sh...t about this, except for your desire to pretend not to take sides all the while giving credibility to a story that you don't know anything about. At this point you do not even know that this incident even took place, and if you do, then you would have to have been somehow personally involved in this incident. Hmmmm.

You are right about one thing Allison, I do see the dark conspiracy side of politics, and so does most of the public world. Politics is all about conspiracies and deception, what world have you been living in for all of your life? You will notice that I did not write "conspiracy theory" rather "conspiracy side". This is because these things are rarely theories, but absolute facts, usually proven long after the events have taken place. People who do not give conspiracy theories any credibility are extraordinarily naive or extraordinarily stupid. Conspiracies exist around all of us at all times. Financial schemes, political schemes, social schemes, etc. etc. If you don't know this, then you are living in a complete fantasy. The factual existence of dark conspiracies especially in politics is more prevalent than their non-existence.

Martha, the next time you are applying for anything such as a job, a loan, or anything else, and a 14 year old kid is auditioning you, then you had better snap to, you brainless idiot. Dyed in the wool republicans trying to give credibility to a story that they know nothing about in order to do political damage to a candidate. That is dirty republican party politics, and both Martha and Allison are guilty. "

" I don't care who is asking any questions or who put them up to it. It is a question for God's sake!

If a politician running for office won't or can't answer a question about a major issue in our time she or he will not get my vote for employment. "

" James, I commend you for taking an interest in the political process at the age of 14. Don't let the negative comments get to you. If you decide to be a Democrat, Independant or Republican ( I listed those alphabetically so nobody can whine) you should ask direct questions and expect direct answers from people running for or currently in a public office. "

" Mary L. Your entrenched and brittle attitude is exactly what drives voters from a party or candidate. Ask Hillary, she is the poster child of your elitist attitude. If a candidate can't take a "real" or set up question in stride, she or he is not worth voting for. Attack the issue, not the source of the question. I thank you for needing to call me an idiot in public, it only shows that your argument cannot be supported and that you are blindly following a party or candidate with eyes shut tight. Feel the shame, you have earned it. "

" If you want to run for public office, and you expect me to vote for you, you had better be ready and able to answer questions in public from whomever may happen to ask them. The ignorant dolts that are all crying foul are part of what is wrong with our system today. Everyone wants to point fingers and redirect blame at their opposition for their candidates short comings. Are we really this weak and pathetic? "

" Darren: Unfortunately, it would seem so. "

" I do not support Gary Trauner! I am not a democrat! I will not be voting for Gary Trauner!

Once again, unless you were there at the pancake breakfast and you were right up close and personally witnessed the conversation between Mr. Trauner and Mr. Heath, then you do not know exactly what was asked and exactly what was answered or not answered.

I was not there! Neither were any of the other people making comments on this blog! Apparently the only two people involved in the conversation was Gary Trauner and James Heath. There is no way to defend or attack Mr. Trauner or Mr. Heath unless you were a personal party to the conversation! Again, this smacks of republican desperation. Just look at how all these people have glommed onto this kid's letter as a means to discredit a candidate, AND NONE OF THEM WERE THERE!

"Martha" you should be very ashamed of yourself. The title of idiot applies to you completely. Write again "Martha", and in your next post state unequivocally:

"Were you there?" "Were you party to the conversation with James and Trauner?" "Do you know what was said?" Share your personal account of this encounter between these two people with the rest of us. You said a worthwhile candidate should be able to take a "real" or a set up question in stride, so tell us, how do you know that Trauner was not successful in doing this? Because some 14 year old kid writes a letter and says so?!?

Hang in there James, you are about to become the next Messiah of the republican party in Wyoming. It would be most amusing if the rest of the world could hone in on this total joke in Wyoming politics. Such desperation! Unbelievable what the republican sheep will do to advance their party's cause. As I said before, I am not a democrat, I am totally independent and you can see from this situation why. "Us against them politics" "Us against them politics" "Us against them politics" ....................................................... "

" If your candidate is worth spit, he can stand up in public for himself. He doesn't need conspiracy theories to cover his backside. Unless of course he is that dim or has skeletons in his closet. "

" Blame the opposition for your candidates:

a) Stupidity

b) Arrogance

Take your pick (a and b together is also an acceptable answer). "

" If a politician tells you to go to his website BEFORE the election, should one expect him to answer questions directly IF he is elected? "

" What a bunch of mindless lemmings; blindly following whatever bs the GOP is shoveling that day. Get a mind of your own and stop blindly following the party that is trying to destroy our democracy. "

" By Bing West
The war I witnessed for more than five years in Iraq is over. In July, there were five American fatalities in Iraq, the lowest since the war began in March 2003. In Mosul recently, I chatted with shopkeepers on the same corner where last January a Humvee was blown apart in front of me. In the Baghdad district of Ghazilia -- where last January snipers controlled streets awash in human waste -- I saw clean streets and soccer games. In Basra, the local British colonel was dining at a restaurant in the center of the bustling city. For the first time in 15 trips across the country, I didn't hear one shot or a single blast from a roadside bomb. In Anbar Province, scene of the fiercest fighting during the war, the tribal sheiks insisted to Barack Obama on his recent visit that the U.S. Marines had to stay because they were the most trusted force. The war turned around in late 2006 because American troops partnered with Iraqi
forces and tribal auxiliaries to protect the population. Feeling safe, the population informed on the militias and terrorists living among them. Then, in the spring of 2008, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki attacked the Mahdi militia of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr that controlled Basra and half of Baghdad. The militia crumbled under pressure from Iraqi soldiers
backed by coalition intelligence and air assets. The threat in Iraq has changed from a full-scale insurgency into an antiterror campaign. Al Qaeda in Iraq is entrenched in northern Mosul,
where it may take 18 months to completely defeat them. By employing what he calls his "Anaconda Strategy," Gen. David Petraeus is squeezing the life out of al Qaeda in Iraq. The mafia-style militia of Sadr has been splintered. The competition among Iraqi politicians has shifted from violence to politics, albeit yielding a track record as poor as that of our own Congress. After failing for two years to deliver basic services, both Shiite and Sunni politicians are stalling on legislation to hold provincial elections because many of them will be defeated. While irritating, these political games have not blocked U.S. gains. Americans should praise rather than slight our military's achievements. Civil war has been averted. The Iraqi army has thrown the militia out of the port of Um Qasar, thus ensuring stable oil exports. Al Qaeda fought to make Iraq its base in the Arab Middle East. Instead, it is being hunted
down. Iran has emerged as the major threat to stability in Iraq. While its goal was to control a weak Iraq after the American army was driven out, Tehran overplayed its hand. Iran
supplied the rockets to attack Iraqi politicians in Baghdad in April and supported Sadr's militia. But hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Shiites died fighting Iranians in the '80s, and those memories are still fresh. In southern Maysan Province, American and Iraqi units are waiting to hunt down terrorists returning from Iranian training camps. Iraq, backed by some American forces in remote desert bases, is poised to emerge as a regional counterweight to Iran. Yet the progress in Iraq is most threatened by a political promise in the U.S. to remove
all American combat brigades, against the advice of our military commanders. Iraqi volunteers working for a nonsectarian political party in Baghdad asked me, "Is America giving up its goals?" It's an unsettling question. With victory in sight, why would we quit? The steady --but not total -- withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq is freeing up forces to fight in Afghanistan. But Afghanistan is not the central front in the war on terror. Al Qaeda is hiding in Pakistan, a nation we are not going to invade. The Iraqis aren't yet confident enough to stand entirely on their own; al Qaeda's savagery still imposes too much fear, while Iran is training terrorists next door. In counterinsurgency, the people must know they are protected.
Gen. Petraeus has proven that intimidation can be defeated by placing American soldiers among the population. Wars are won by confidence, but also by procedures that take time to mature; and the Iraqi offensive against Sadr's militia in Basra last April revealed an atrocious Iraqi command and control system. We are withdrawing as conditions permit. For instance, in the infamous Triangle of Death south of Baghdad, Col. Dominic Caraccilo has spread his rifle companies across 22 police precincts. Over the next year, he plans to pull out two of
every three companies, leaving the population protected by Iraqi forces, backed by a thin screen of American soldiers. If implemented on a countrywide scale, this model would reduce the American presence from 15 to five brigades over the next few years. They can be comprised of artillerymen, motor transport and civil affairs as well as infantrymen. By calling these
residual forces "Transition Teams," we can remove the political argument in the U.S. about the exact number of combat brigades, and allow our commanders flexibility in adjusting force levels. This change of names rather than of missions is a way to save face and bring Americans closer together. The problem is not American force levels in Iraq. It is divisiveness at home. While our military has adapted, our society has disconnected from its martial values. I was standing beside an Iraqi colonel one day in war-torn Fallujah when a tough Marine
patrol walked by. "You Americans," he said, "are the strongest tribe." But we cast aspersions on ourselves. The success of our military should not be begrudged to gain transitory
political advantage. In 1991, our nation held a parade after our military liberated Kuwait. Over the course of more than five hard years, our troops have brought stability and freedom to 25 million Iraqis, while crushing al Qaeda in Iraq. Regardless of disagreement about initiating the war back in 2003, Americans should unite to applaud the success of our troops in 2008.
A stable Iraq keeps faith with the million American soldiers who fought there, sets back Iran's aggression, and makes our enemies in Afghanistan and elsewhere fear us. It's time we stopped debating about yesterday and displayed national pride in our soldiers. "

" Unbelievable, Unable to attack the issues? Call a name, make an accusation, belittle the opposition's ideas. So where are your brilliant ideas? Have none? Thought so. "

" What does this purported letter from someone called "Bing West" have to do with the pancake breakfast saga? "