House Assistant Majority Leader Kristi Noem celebrates her 38th Birthday birthday today. Happy birthday to Kristi from the SDWC.
On December 8th, birthday wishes are due Middle Border Sun’s author and Democratic Activist Todd Epp. He’s much older than Kristi. Much, much older. (Instead of wishing him a happy birthday, we [...]
My wife was at an education conference a couple weeks ago where she heard one proposal being floated around out there for this next year’s budget by the Rounds’ administration is a rewrite of the educational formula so that education would get no increase under this next year’s budget.
Do you [...]
I was doing a little research on the last post I did on Scott Heidepriem, and came across this little tidbit. Apparently in 2008, the NRA “assigned Senator Heidepriem a grade of F (with grades ranging from a high of A+ to a low of F).” Heidepreim was one of [...]
A short time ago, State Senator Scott Heidepriem was howling about the state budget in the Yankton newspaper:
“What we need in South Dakota is a government that’s smaller, smarter, more transparent and accountable, and we believe we’ve got the solutions to do that,” Heidepriem told reporters at the Press & [...]
From my e-mail box:
For Immediate Release
November 27, 2009
Contact: CapSouth Consulting
info@draftcheney2012.com
Launch of Draft Dick Cheney 2012
Grassroots Movement Launched to Urge Former VP Dick Cheney to Seek the GOP Nomination for President in 2012
( Washington , DC ) – Today, Draft Dick Cheney 2012, a [...]
Sorry about the light posting this past week, but I took a couple of days off to work on “stuff.”
Attempting to fix the Wii my 2 year old broke, fixing my stove that decided to go down during the preparations of the thanksgiving meal, an early AM Black Friday run, [...]
Randy Rassmussen in the Rapid City Journal is opining today on the mistake of forcing consumers to pay for junk science:
A Black Hills Power official told a public hearing last week that a requested 26.6 percent rate increase was needed to pay for additional power capacity to meet growing residential [...]
What on earth are you doing reading a blog today? It’s thanksgiving!
(I’m quickly jotting this down during a commercial break in parade coverage.)
Enjoy your family, friends, fellowship and bounty. Give thanks, and remember those overseas who can’t be with their families this holiday.
[...]I know misery loves company but pardon me for just letting our liberal friends wallow in it all by theirself. They made this bed all by their lonesome.
Economy: When promoting the stimulus package, the President said if we pass the stimulus bill unemployment wouldn’t exceed 8%. Without it, unemployment would [...]
From the editorial board at the Mitchell Daily Republic:
Thune, for his part, continues to look toward a challenge. He told The Associated Press last week that he is “expecting a competitive race and a stiff challenge.”
As for the Democrats, state party chairwoman Cheryl Chapman said it’s not too late for [...]
From politico, an unprecedented story on the preced….. er, president:
Perhaps it was a sign when President Barack Obama sat down in January to record his first weekly address and announced: “We begin this year and this administration in the midst of an unprecedented crisis that calls for unprecedented action.”
What [...]
One of the resident enviro-nuts over at Badlands Bleu seems to be playing with terminology.
In a recent post, they keep talking about “Dirty” Coal in a perjorative manner, and referring to it as if it’s the devil coming to earth. This comes after trying to shift blame from [...]
As Brookings sits on the cusp over a fight over whether or not the city of Brookings should dump millions into the local convention center (the Swiftel Center), up pops SDSU rolling out their proposal to make a massive increase in housing at SDSU. Which in [...]
Well, I have to say that this is probably a first.
Ron Volesky, a Democratic candidate for governor, will have his son serve as campaign manager.
Tucker Volesky is a sophomore in high school. He has participated in debate and varsity basketball and track.
[...]From the Rapid City Journal, a brand new set of flip flops from the Democratic candidate for Governor:
In response to an audience question, Knuppe, Heidepriem and Munsterman pledged not to raise taxes if elected governor. Knudson, a Sioux Falls lawyer and Republican leader in the state Senate, wouldn’t take the [...]
From today’s argus leader, comes a tale of Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin besieged by her critics in the Republican party, and those in her own party:
The political world for South Dakota Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin might be a lonely place these days.
For years, liberals have guarded her left flank while she [...]
Bob Mercer has a post on the staff member from former Democratic US Senator Jim Abourezk who ended up spying on the United States and passing the information to the communist regime of Fidel Castro:
The Washington Post reports this morning that Walter Myers and Gwendolyn Steingraber Myers pleaded guilty in [...]
KELO did an “Eye on Keloland” bit Thursday night about the Governor’s race and their thoughts on trying to cut/contain the state budget. They profiled each candidate and gave them the opportunity to say why they would be best, a fairly typical news piece. So, I thought I’d comment and [...]
From the Watertown Public Opinion:
And….
And…
Read the entire article at the Watertown Public Opinion.
What have I been saying? The Wind Companies are now literally left twisting in the wind with all this generating capacity, [...]
Todd Epp over at Middle Border Sun (AKA SD Watch) suggests that his party takes it’s bad, bad blue dog out and give it a swat on the nose with a newspaper:
My former colleagues at South Dakota Public Radio give our poor, maligned sole United States Representative a bully pulpit [...]
From the Argus:
Sen. John Thune will receive the Charles Dick Medal of Merit by the National Guard Association of the United States.
and…
The Charles Dick Medal of Merit recognizes public servants at the state and federal level who demonstrate support for the National Guard.
[...]
(For Republicans only!)
What’s your read on the Congressional Race? Do you like Blake Curd’s position on Obamacare? Do you appreciate Chris Nelson’s track record as SOS? Or do you want to send Pork Bellies to North Korea? Take a moment, and give us the pulse of popular [...]
I’m starting to wonder if there’s any Republican political philosophy behind GOP Congressional candidate Thad Wasson other than throwing stuff against the wall and seeing if anything sticks.
I love an underdog, but there’s a difference between being an underdog, and barking at the moon.
Recently on the candidate blog he’s [...]
Don’t you hate those politicians who say one thing in Washington Pierre and another back home?
The leading Democrat in the state Senate said Wednesday that South Dakota’s budget shortfall is so extreme that across-the-board cuts in services could be the only way to balance the budget.
Sen. Scott Heidepriem blamed years [...]
From the Mitchell Daily Republic, via the Rapid City Journal, it sounds like I’m not the only one waving the “shame on you” sign at the environmental nuts:
South Dakota’s wind industry may be “sidetracked” by the recent termination of plans to build a coal-fired power plant in the northeastern part [...]
Former US Senator Tom “Turbo Tax” Daschle is moving from one lobbying firm to go to another. Where it is expected that he will use his influence with the White House and Democratic Senators to help clients get their way:
Former Sen. Tom Daschle is leaving Alston & Bird to [...]
It looks like lots of good political events are taking place this week, with the GOP House forum last night, the Farm Bureau Gubernatorial forum in Rapid City on Satuturday and tonight’s offering at the Gene Abdallah Game Feed, where the speaker will be Oliver North.
I’ll be there again this [...]
From my mailbox:
Siouxland Republican Women’s forum for the three declared candidates for the Republican Primary for the US House of Representatives race included a full house at Westward Ho in Sioux Falls Tuesday night with over 100 people attending including television and press representatives. The three candidates, Sec. of State [...]
Washington Post columnist Chris Cillizza of “The Fix” fame thinks US Senator John Thune could be the guy in 2012:
For months — if not years — the Republican/conservative smart set has been looking for a fresh face on which to hang their hopes and dreams.
South Dakota Sen. John Thune [...]
From Politico:
Sen. John Thune is trying to build support to end the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, a move bound to cause heartburn for Democrats wary of strong anti-bailouts sentiment among voters.
Thune, the No. 4 leader in the Republican Conference, plans to introduce a one-page bill Tuesday that would [...]
Back several months ago, I had an obtuse commenter blab about how the smoking court case ban was going to go. This morning, I noticed the Madville Whine Times was writing on this particular topic with Cory’s usual schoolgirl enthusiasm for the big government side of the equation.
So, it [...]
KSFY has a story on how the local communities that would have benefitted from Big Stone II are reacting to the news of it being killed by the Obama administration and environmental goofs:
Developers have announced that Big Stone II, a 1.6 billion dollar coal plant scheduled to go up near [...]
From the Hill:
Republicans are “more than happy” to work around-the-clock and through the holidays to stop healthcare legislation, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) asserted Monday evening.
After a key Senate chairman, Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), said Monday that Democrats would force Republicans to work overnights and weekends throughout December if they stall [...]
From the Hill:
Despite taking a big bite out of politics since its inception in 1999, WUFPAC says much more needs to be done. For them, the number of female politicians in state and federal office, though steadily increasing, still isn’t big enough — and the number of young women in [...]
“It seems to be late because everybody starts running for office very early, but in reality it’s not that late, I think,” Chapman said.
“It’s not that late….. I think.”
I love it. Maybe they just see the handwriting on the wall.
[...]
Click on the image to enlarge.
Just a little blast from the past, for the 1940 election cycle. Wendell Willkie and then gubernatorial candidate (later US Senator) Harlan Bushfield.
Ironically, Willkie would be dead 4 years later, and Bushfield only lived 8 years after that, dying while in [...]
From KELOland & the Associated Press:
Attorney General Marty Jackley says a system is needed for doctors to see what drugs have been prescribed to the patients they encounter.
and….
Jackley says the state Department of Health ideally would handle the project. He says the attorney general’s office is also willing to address the [...]
From the Argus:
After testimony ended in a two-day trial, Circuit Judge Kathleen Trandahl found that opponents of the ban had collected 2,244 more signatures than they needed to force a public vote.
and…
Nelson and an official of American Cancer Society said they will decide later whether to appeal Trandahl’s decision to [...]
The pursuit of truth and its articulation requires one to be intellectually honest. Intellectual honesty requires one to apply the same standards of logic to one’s opponent one wants applied to themselves.
Consider first these facts:
South Dakota’s Consititution and Laws give the Legislature the exclusive authority to determine if a law is [...]From the Capitol Journal:
Sen. John Thune today led 30 of his colleagues in sending a letter to all members of the U.S. Senate urging them to oppose any amendments to the health care reform bill that would limit the existing tax deduction for charitable donations. Earlier this year, the Senate [...]
From KSFY, it looks like the American Cancer Society is continuing to spend money on attorneys, as they advocate for a bigger government:
Friday the American Cancer Society will argue the petitioners have fallen about 200 signatures short of the 16, 667 needed signatures to take this issue to a public [...]
South Dakota Group Announces Opposition to Proposed Ballot Initiative That Would Allow Cloning and Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Proposed measure would create giant loop hole in existing statewide cloning ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 12, 2009
Sioux Falls, SD – On Thursday, The Coalition for Cures Not Cloning, joined by Dr. Mick Vanden [...]
If you recall this summer, as part of his sentence convicted drug felon Bob Newland was instructed by the judge in his case that he could no longer advocate for medical ditchweed.
Since that time (on several occasions) it seems that Newland has done his best to skirt right up to [...]
From my e-mail box. Do they know I take paid ads from Democrats too? :
From: Adam Green <adamgreen321@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Subject: New ad targets Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin
Hi — this is Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (and former press secretary for [...]
Heard there was a great event out west last night. Over 125 folks in attendance for the Lawrence County GOP Gubernatorial Forum and Potato feed.
My guy Scott Munsterman, Dennis Daugaard, and Ken Knuppe were all there, and Dave Knudson was represented by a video tape that [...]
The American Nanny State Cancer Society spent some more of their donor’s money on lawyers today, only to be slapped down by the judge:
The American Cancer Society argued that the new law, which would ban smoking in bars and casinos, could not be referred because it is needed for the [...]
As I sat watching the horrendous morning news show at KDLT with Staci Steinhagen and her impenetrable helmet of hair, I saw the news that a new general manager is coming to it’s competing station, KSFY.
It’s out in the news that Christopher Sehring is the new general manager at [...]
From the Madison Daily Leader:
The two most recent job approval rating surveys for Congress (CNN and Ipsos/McClatchy) show that we Americans don’t think Congress is doing a good job. Only 29 percent of those surveyed approved, while 69 percent disapproved.
So doesn’t it seem strange that we’re willingly turning over our [...]
From the Argus/AP:
State Rep. Shantel Krebs of Renner says she has decided not to seek the Republican nomination for South Dakota’s lone seat in the U.S. House. Krebs says she will instead seek to switch from the state House to the state Senate in next year’s election because the current [...]
PP at the SDWC, Troy Jones, TC at AC
