From the Associated Press:
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus was romantically involved with a former staffer when he recommended her earlier this year to become the next U.S. attorney for Montana, a spokesman said.
The Montana Democrat and his former state office director Melodee Hanes began their relationship in the summer [...]
From Canada Free Press:
“Party Crashers” had five-year relationship with Obama before state dinnerHey Secret Agent Man, here’s Obama, the senator flashing his pearly whites with Randy Jackson, better known as a judge on American Idol. “Others pictured are Black Eyed Peas Rock Band; Tareq Salahi the [...]
Sibby is giving me a hard time about buying it, but since the SDCAC organization is completely defunct, and they didn’t feel like paying for it after spending all of their out-of-state special interest money on 2008’s Initiated Measure 10 (and/or on themselves) – I managed to get the following [...]
Remember this story from a couple of years ago? If I recall, I even blogged on it:
The secretary of state’s office has forwarded possible evidence to Attorney General Larry Long that at least two Democratic political action committees failed to report $55,000 in contributions from an out-of-state donor.
and…..
Nelson didn’t name [...]
I caught the latest proposal from Scott Heidepriem…..
Eliminate the practice of the State granting millions of dollars in “no-bid” contracts which stifle competition and create a culture of cronyism in which State contracts too often are awarded to political friends potentially at inflated amounts of state [...]
I’m sure this might incite a flame war with another blogger, but I couldn’t help myself when I noticed it was up for grabs.
If you were reading the SDWC last election, you’ll get the joke.
[...]
Herseth Sandlin Not Even Trying to Hide Support for Tax Hikes
Democrats Slam Families and Businesses Once Again with Permanent Death Tax Extension
Washington- Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and her fellow Democrats have given up all attempts to hide their enamor with tax hikes, voting today to permanently extend the Death Tax and [...]
From the Associated Press, via KELO:
State Rep. Tom Deadrick says he will seek the Republican nomination for South Dakota secretary of state.
The 57-year-old from Platte is in his fourth term in the state Legislature and his second year as speaker of the house.
I’m sure Tim Rave might [...]
From the Argus Leader, more evidence that the demise of Big Stone II and particularly, the loss of the transmission capability it would have brought is holding back wind development in the region:
SummitWind project manager Jim Newcomb said the agency’s efforts are “a very good sign,” but wind producers are [...]
From KELO:
Senator John Thune says he applauds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announcement that the agency has determined the black-tailed prairie dog does not require designation as a threatened or endangered species.
and..
In a release, Thune says anyone who lives or ranches on South Dakota grasslands can see that prairie [...]
Governor Appoints Kristin Conzet to Legislature
PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Mike Rounds has appointed Kristin Conzet, Rapid City, as a District 32 Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives.
Mrs. Conzet succeeds Rep. Brian Dreyer, who resigned from the Legislature because of his pending deployment to Afghanistan with the South [...]
Bob Mercer had a column a few days ago I should have paid more attention to on Legislator travel and how their resolve might apply to the State Budget. (I was busy with Thanksgiving, and helping to get the family homestead in Pierre ready for sale).
Democrats opened up by trying [...]
Former South Dakotan and “DC Resident” Tom Daschle is taking some heat in Washington for his representation of health care clients with the administration as he acts as a “special helper” for the administration on health care:
On Monday, the former-Senate-majority-leader-turned-corporate-policy-adviser was the only outside participant in a legislative strategy session [...]
From the Rapid City Journal/Associated Press:
The newly formed South Dakota Wind Energy Association has commissioned a study to assess a plan for selling wind-generated electricity to Minnesota.
and…
Nelson says peak demand for all of South Dakota is just 3,000 megawatts an hour, so South Dakota needs to find ways to sell [...]
I just caught this nice story in the Aberdeen newspaper.
This was the first I’d heard of it, as he hadn’t mentioned anything, and I wouldn’t have expected him to, as I’m sure any of the candidates would have done the same thing:
Northern State sophomore Kirsti Griffith was traveling back to [...]
From the Argus Leader/Associated Press:
The Sioux Falls School Board has expelled a student for one year for bringing a weapon to school.
A school resource officer found a shotgun in the trunk of a car at Washington High School. The 17-year-old student said he forgot the gun in his car after [...]
From the Rapid City Journal, there’s a story involving a lawsuit that former State Legislator J.P. Duniphan brought against Rapid City for taking the airport restaurant lease away from she and her brother a few years back. :
Since losing the restaurant lease at Rapid City Regional Airport, the former manager [...]
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.
[...]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 [...]
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 [...]
