A year ago, Idaho's conservative and stubbornly do-nothing House was an ally to Gov. Butch Otter.

This year, that same obstinate House is Otter's biggest obstacle. And to some extent, Otter has brought it on himself.

Otter didn't discourage House conservatives, such as Majority Leader Mike Moyle of Star, from using the state Constitution as an impediment to allowing local governments to seek voter-approved sales taxes for roads or transit. Moyle spent the 2008 session pushing an unnecessary and cynical local-option constitutional amendment — over the objections of local officials and transit advocates, but with Otter's blessing. Meanwhile, Otter dissuaded Boise Republican Chuck Winder, a moderate and former Idaho Transportation Board chairman, from taking on Moyle in the May primary.

Re-elected in 2008, and emboldened by a pair of easy election victories, Moyle has been the House's spiritual and ideological leader in 2009. He has spearheaded the House GOP's fight with Otter over gas tax or vehicle registration fee increases to fix Idaho roads.

Now, by no means did Otter "make" Moyle into a power broker. Moyle was a member of House GOP leadership before Otter was elected governor. Nor did Otter necessarily "rescue" Moyle's political career by talking Winder out of a race against Moyle. I'm not sure how a Moyle-Winder primary might have shaken out — although it certainly would have been closer than Moyle's win over former Eagle Mayor Nancy Merrill, who ran a last-minute and ill-conceived write-in challenge.

But a year ago, Otter took the unusual step of interceding in a legislative primary. He consciously went out of his way to give a vote of confidence to Moyle, and by extension, House GOP leadership. And these days, Otter's strongest allies are in Senate GOP leadership.

As we've seen, and as Otter has experienced firsthand, the House GOP caucus tries to write its own agenda. On local-option — and clearly on road repairs — the agenda is to delay. The House even tries to set its own our-way-or-the-highway schedule. On Wednesday evening, House Republicans made like Fred Flintstone at quitting time, sliding down the tail of the dinosaur in a cartoonish attempt to adjourn for the year and embarrass Otter and the Senate.

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