John Foster, campaign spokesman for freshman Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick, called on the Republican in the race for his candidate's seat, Raul Labrador, to apologize for using a sentence in an fundraising e-mail which, Foster says, denigrates business leaders Idaho.

Foster, in a statement e-mailed to local media outlets, said Labrador's language in the message to supporters was troubling.  "This is another troubling statement from Raul, and one for which he owes Idaho businesses an apology," Foster said. "His insinuation that business leaders are hypocritical about free enterprise insults the many Idahoans doing all they can to keep businesses afloat during these tough times. It's no surprise that the business leaders, business owners and trade associations working toward an economic recovery for Idaho are solidly behind Walt Minnick."

The latest controversy between the two men stems from a message the Labrador campaign sent out to followers earlier this month.  The line in question was not written by Labrador staffers, but rather Thomas Del Beccaro, a writer for the online media outlet Big Government. The Labrador e-mail refers to Beccaro's article, entitled "The 2010 Midterms: Businesses’ Final Time For Truth?"  Here is what Labrador staffers took from Beccaro's article and included in the e-mail, which has drawn the ire of Foster:

For decades, American business has wined, dined and lobbied American politicians. Some have sought preferential tax benefits... others have sought corporate welfare. Still others feed the alligator that is government in hopes that it will be kind to them in the future while it consumes others today.

China Gum, acting spokesperson for the Labrador campaign, has yet to comment on Foster's charges.