COEUR d'ALENE - After an hour and a half of deciding whether or not to give written treasurer's reports or to hand out balloons or fans at the fair, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee finally tackled the issue everyone came to discuss:

Should they establish a special committee to vet Republican primary candidates to determine if they are true Republicans that will follow the Republican platform after they are elected.

That took all of about 20 minutes to shoot down.

Committeeman Bjorn Handeen proposed the resolution to establish an endorsement event to endorse candidates for the 2014 election cycle - but only after it was determined that the candidate would abide by the platform.

He read a statement from a prepared text that essentially chastised what he called the "Stockholm Syndrome Republicans" who sit on the central committee.

"In my six-year engagement with this party, I have noticed there are two types of party activist," he read. "There are those, and I count myself one of them, who see that our country is in rapid decline, and so we are doing our best to organize somewhat of a defense.

"But there is another, more common sort of party activist, and you will never catch them doing something useful - unless it is for a liberal news blog, I guess," Handeen continued, as other members of the committee began to object, calling it an attack. "These cocktail conservatives will never stick their neck out for anything other than bashing someone to their right..."

Chairman Neil Oliver cut him off at that point and ordered him to curtail what he considered an attack on other committee members.

Handeen stumbled, somewhat unsuccessfully, through the two-page text to try and find statements that were not attacking the other members.

"Month after month, year after year, we are under the thumb of moderation police," he continued, deviating from his prepared statement. "I have a problem with being sniped at by those who bring no resolutions of their own.

"They are in the same sinking ship as the rest of us, but while we are throwing out the life boats, they are giving aid to the moderates who are steering us into the icebergs."

That is when Handeen referred to his opponents on the central committee as Stockholm Syndrome Republicans and got gaveled down again by Oliver for the insult.

Given one more chance to finish his statement without attacking the committee, Handeen again attempted to moderate the tone of his statements.

He told the committee that they are more than just campaigners for Republican candidates and that as elected officials they have an obligation to give their neighbors a voice.

"Absent even the smallest peep from us, our neighbors have no choice but to look to this group and the Reagan Republicans for endorsements," he said. "Or even worse, they look to the hostile and ignorant local media."

He went on to encourage the committee to vote in favor of the resolution which would reassert the committee's authority over its brand and endorsement power.

A short debate ensued. Some were adamantly opposed to the resolution, and others explained why it was redundant or against the state party's Republican platform. Some members even sympathized with Handeen's effort, but opposed the resolution.

Then the question was called to a vote.

Only Handeen and Committeewoman Carol Goodman, a newly elected Post Falls School District trustee, favored of the resolution.

It was postponed indefinitely, or essentially killed, according to James McMillan, a visiting parliamentarian from Shoshone County.