COEUR d’ALENE — Raul Labrador apparently is done taking polite jabs at the political system, both in Idaho and in the U.S. Congress.

The Republican who represents the state’s 1st District in the House of Representatives, and currently is ramping up his run for governor, visited the North Idaho Pachyderm Club Friday morning at the IHOP restaurant on Fourth Street.

Labrador delivered some serious wallops at his colleagues in the House, and then turned on what he sees as a state bogged down in regulations and a needless administrative mess.

“This is a wonderful state,” Labrador told a full house in IHOP’s meeting room, “but Idaho is going backward right now.

“When I left the (state) Legislature to run for Congress in 2010, business owners here complained about taxes, but they said that at least they weren’t burdened by too much regulation.

“Asking them now, though, they’re upset and concerned — still about the tax rate but also about too much government regulation. And this isn’t the federal government they’re talking about, it’s the state.”

Labrador made it clear that if he’s elected governor, he would demand to hear from every agency chief exactly what that organization is doing, and if it’s not effective, he would insist the agency either be shut down or streamlined to help Idaho taxpayers.

On the issue of why a member of the House who has a considerable amount of clout — he’s a co-founder of the powerful conservative Freedom Caucus — would decide to leave for a shot at the Idaho governor’s office, Labrador teed up his own party’s electeds.

“My first reason for coming home was my family,” he said. “I want to spend more time with my wife and my children. I want to sleep in my own bed.

“But also I feel so frustrated with what’s going on in Congress. We’re not delivering what we promised when we all were elected. Republicans want to be liked by the media and by people in Washington (D.C.).

“They would tell me, ‘Raul, just wait until we control both houses of Congress.’ Then it was, ‘Raul, just wait until we have the White House.’

“Well, we have all the levers of power now and things still are not getting done. I am very, very frustrated by what’s going on.

“It’s especially frustrating when you see what’s going on at the state level. Republican governors in quite a few states have done a terrific job of reforming things. I’m seeing things happening in these states, and as much as I want to be home anyway, I know I can achieve some of these things in Idaho.”

Labrador conceded he faces formidable opponents in his race for governor. He might be a slight favorite based on name recognition and for his work in Congress, but Labrador insisted he’s taking nothing for granted.

“You have good candidates in this race,” he said, referring to Lt. Gov. Brad Little and Boise physician/businessman Tommy Ahlquist. “I’m not going to lie.

“But I believe I’m the only one with experience running a business and also working with the Legislature (Labrador served two terms as an Idaho state representative from 2006-2010). I’m the most qualified to get these important things done.”

On matters of policy as a potential governor, Labrador said he was an opponent of Common Core as a way to solve the state’s education problems; that he would not have vetoed the grocery tax repeal law, but he favors a wider tax reform; and the state must quit “micro-managing” businesses with regulations, things that have strangled Idaho and left the state 47th nationally in per-capita income.

Overall, Labrador used just 45 minutes — taking questions after his opening remarks — but managed to strongly project an air of a man who is unhappy with government at several levels, and in some cases, offered anecdotes to back up his points.

In that sense, the local Pachyderms got more with their pancakes than the usual boilerplate stump speech.

Even at 7 a.m., they were treated to an up-close look at Rep. Raul Labrador in a fighting mood.

Judging by the response, they loved it.