Rep. Bill Sali is probably doing the best possible thing he could do for himself as a new Congressman: he's keeping quiet.

Sali, the true believer right-wing firebrand who tore through the Idaho House of Representatives in a 16-year itch of ideology, iconoclasm and often plain idiocy, has so far turned out to be just another reliable yet dull voice of the ultra-right in Washington. I'm disappointed. I was expecting one of the best sideshows in politics, nothing less than the second coming of "B-1 Bob" Dornan.

Where's the Bill Sali who claimed abortions cause breast cancer?

Where's the Bill Sali whose combative style once caused former Republican state house speaker Bruce Newcomb to call him an "idiot" in public, and once compelled Mike Simpson, now Sali's Idaho Republican counterpart in the House, to threaten to throw him out a window?

Sure, in jest Sali proposed the "Obesity Reduction and Health Promotion Act" to protest raising the minimum wage. Slightly amusing, but it's not canned salmon by any stretch of the imagination.

The thing is, Sali is keeping quiet because he knows that a dull status quo candidate will be favored for reelection over what's he's been in the past, which means he's not completely stupid. As a result, that means Larry Grant has to take his game to the next level in 2008 if he wants to unseat him. The fireworks will have to come from the D side next time.

In the meantime, I feel cheated. If Idaho has to be stuck with a scion of the Knuckle-Dragging Troglodyte School of Moral Socialism for the next 18 months or so, at least we could get a decent show out of it.