Republican gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell unveiled a new piece of campaign paraphernalia at the Capitol in Boise Thursday.  Rammell, no stranger to campaign oddities, revealed a large, green, inflatable dinosaur that appears to be holding a gun.

Rammell told reporters that the idea of the blow-up campaign piece came from one of his volunteers in north Idaho who wrote a song about him being "T-Rex the governor."  The children of the man who wrote the song sang it at Rammell's 10th Amendment rally in Boise on Sunday, which Rammell said was "darn cute."  He said the dinosaur is representative of him because he is tough and stands ready to "take a bite out of the federal government."

The dinosaur cost Rammell about $1,000, though he pointed out the he got it on sale.  As for the white thing in the dinosaur's right hand, Rammell said he is unsure of what it is.  In conjunction with the roll out of the dinosaur, Rammell plans to sell shirts that say "T-Rex for Governor" for $10 offering campaign hats that say "T-Rex."

Rammell also had some tough talk for Gov. Butch Otter, who he faces in the Republican primary election, set for May 25.  Rammell said Otter has refused to debate him on several occasions.  "The guy is absolutely scared to death to debate me," Rammell said.  "He knows he would lose in a debate with me."  According to reports, Otter declined an invitation to debate from Idaho Public Television because he felt it wrong that some candidates were not invited to the May 18 forum.  Debate organizers said that several Republican candidates for governor did not meet certain criteria required for invitations.  Rammell and Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman will appear at the event.