Palin Backed Candidate Loses in Idaho

David Weigel reports that Vaughn Ward, a Palin supported candidate, lost his Republican primary. Ward had become famous for making numerous gaffes on his campaign:

We won't have Vaughn Ward to kick around anymore. The candidate who cribbed vast sections of Barack Obama's 2004 DNC speech, the candidate who refused to believe that Puerto Rico was part of the United States, lost the GOP's nomination to run against Rep. Walt Minnick (R-Idaho) yesterday. State Rep. Raul Labrador beat Ward by 9 points, 48-39, with minor candidates splitting the remaining votes.

According to Dan Popkey's report in the Idaho Statesman, Sarah Palin's endorsement of Ward was more or less a bust -- a rare thing for the former governor in GOP primaries. (It's a defeat for the NRCC, too, which gave Ward coveted "Young Gun" status in reward for his early campaign moves.)

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