Fight brewing in Congressional race? RJC firing up purity questions.
On the Rapid City Journal website is a story by Rapid City Journal reporter Kevin Woster, which seems to be doing it’s best to rile up a battle over GOP purity in the Republican Congressional primary:
Republican U.S. House candidate Rep. Kristi Noem said she was seeking leadership skills, not flirting with Democratic politics, when she attended a campaign training camp sponsored by former Sen. Tom Daschle 10 years ago.
and…
And it wasn’t her only association with Daschle and his staff.
The former Democratic leader in the U.S. Senate, who was often attacked by Republicans for alleged obstructionist tactics, secured a presidential appointment from the Clinton White House for Noem to serve on the state committee for the federal Farm Service Agency.
and…
Curd, a Sioux Falls surgeon, said the $2,000 he gave to Daschle provided a personal meeting with the Senate Democratic leader during a private gathering in Sioux Falls in October of 2004, near the end of his bitter campaign against Thune. Curd said he was worried about legislation in Congress that could hurt his surgical business.
Curd said he made the $1,000 donation to Herseth Sandlin in 2005 at a gathering where he met and spoke with the congresswoman and thought she seemed to have Republican-type principles. Curd said he soon discovered his impression was wrong and voted for the Republican challengers in Herseth Sandlin’s past two re-election races.
Noem said she hasn’t made any donations to Daschle or Herseth Sandlin.
“I certainly have never given them any money, or donated time to help their cause, or philosophically had any agreement with them,” she said.
Given their legislative histories while serving in office, I think we can take these two legislators at their word – and their deeds – that they aren’t flaming liberals. All of this appears to have taken place 5 and 10 years ago, before either one entered public life.
Does any of this matter? Should it? And if so, are you willing to put your name to expressing that thought?
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Comments
Interesting how the RCJ is ignoring the fact that Knudson gave Daschle thousands of dollars over multiple years…maybe it is because they are backing the former democrat in sheep’s clothing…
It looks like Noem is doing a great job of back-peddling away from the democrats that helped her secure a seat on the local FSA Board. Did she hold that position or not? Did Tom D help her get it or not? Kristi, you got some splainin to do…
“they aren’t flaming liberals”
So what; they aren’t fiscal conservatives either.
They haven’t done one single thing to fix the state’s $40 million deficit this year or the $100 million deficit next year.
At least Nelson has run and managed a government office, very effectively and efficiently.
Nelson is the only candidate that has held office I can feel good about supporting at this time. Not only has Chris run the office effectively and efficiently, Chris has held the office to high standards. We should be so lucky to find that person in a candidate for Gov. No need for a purity check on Chris Nelson!
So your candidates’ associations with “flaiming liberals” is no big deal, but Heidepriem’s associations with 70s liberals are cause for four-blog alarm? The GOP primary is looking as much like Libapalooza as anything you’ve previously decried.
Cory –
My guys interacted with their senator.
Your guys (McGovern and Abourezk) spent time promoting relations with communist dictator and mass murderer Fidel Castro.
I’m not seeing the comparison between sending a check, and “Abortion, Amnesty and Acid.”
I have no idea if Noem served on the FSA board, but would it make a difference if she did? What an honor, to be thought of in that light. Both Noem and Curd are intelligent, hardworking legislators, and are able to work the system when they want to share their opinions. I’ve never been a Daschle fan, but he wasn’t always wrong-and he was still supposed to be representing SD. Time to put these “issues” to bed.
why can’t the GOP in this state get behind a solid gop supporter?
does anyone buy curd’s donation explanation? look at his centerish legislative stance.
why does noem go to commie tommies political camp, for fun? look at what noem has chosen to sponsor and even more importantly not sponsor in the legislature.
they are both fence sitters looking for the easiest way to win an election in a gop dominated state. I seriously question their core conservative values.
we don’t need more pretenders!
From the outside, being a Dem, Nelson is being left out of the discussion AGAIN!
I not sure if he thinks hiding in his office is the best way to get elected or if he is like Rounds and can’t compete with the money raised by Curd and now Noem.
Hope Chris figures it out soon. At least he shaved that 70’s porn stache!
Look… the fact are the facts. Clinton looked to his party’s senior senator for guidance on whom to appoint to the state FSA committee. Daschle and the Farmer’s Union modus operandi is to find young rural people, give them access, and court them into their folds. (Who gave Stephie a job after uncle Bill spanked her in 02?)
Like it or not Noem was front in center of the Democrats radar scope.
All of you newly-minted born-again fiscal conservatives:
Detail the cuts you would make.
The problem with Republicans going back decades and newly-minted Dem fiscal conservatives is ya’ll want to lower taxes but conveniently ignore spending cuts unless it is someone else’ ox being gored.
You know: no health care but don’t touch the farm subsidies.
So what gets cut to balance the budget?
And by the way, thanks to all of you for proving my earlier point that the media isn’t needed to start an intra-squad rumble.
Well, Tom Daschle was known as a friend of ethanol years ago as he got subsidies for farmers and lined his own pockets at the time. I am sure that every one of the candidates has used ethanol at one time or another, so there you go…all are corrupt and have had dealings with Tom, even though indirectly.
10:19, not surprised about the RCJ or most other SD media types. They love Knudson ’cause he’s a lib.
Gentlemen and ladies, please. This early canabalizing of the GOP candidates is a bit like a light in the loafers magician who works for a good cause pointing fingers at some dancing magicmans who wear different hats.
Gosh. Gosh Darn. This is why the Conservatives for Common Sense have not yet selected who we will back, and the rest of you should probably just calm down a bit too.
You know what I’m thinking by reading this? Chris Nelson is too good to be true! I bet that guy has at least jay walked.
Every single one of these candidates will beat Herseth. Chris Nelson comes off as strong in recent polling. Curd has the cash to raise his name id soon. and Noem has all the enthusiasm.
I put me money on Noem though because you can’t buy enthusiasm. Nelson and Curd won’t be able to generate that until Noem is out of the way. She peaks people’s interest!
Female version of John Thune!
ok – everybody fess up to any Democrats you have ever known – apparently it is nearly a criminal act. Guess I better stay off the ballot – both of my parents are Democrats and I was frequently seen socializing with them (until Dad died – then just Mom).
Personally, the only thing that gets my craw is when people do the “Republicans for (insert Dem name)…” thing – otherwise, they are interacting with their elected representatives, which is what we all should do.
And Lee, bravo for using your name like PP challenged!
I’ve told you before I’m related to Federal Judge Miles Lord. Not through bloodlines……
Lee, are you saying that if you voted for someone in the Democratic party, it would be as a matter of personal conscience, not as a Republican. ;^)
I hope Lee knows I’m just kidding. I actually agree with him — if I’m reading him correctly. The purpose of a political party is to win elections. The idea of “Democrats for (insert Republican name)” doesn’t make any sense either.
I make no judgments on which political party one wants to belong to, but if Kristi Noem went to the Daschle Camp 10 years ago, that means she had her mitts deep enough into SD Dem politics to get noticed. I went there in 2004 I believe it was. A bi-partisan event it was most certainly not. Giving money is one thing, but she most likely gave a fair amount of her time to be invited to go to the retreat. Just sayin……
Does it really matter if Noem received an appointment because of Daschle? At the time South Dakota would have had 2 Democrat Senators. Are Republicans suppose to avoid trying to serve on these types of boards simply because they would have to be nominated by a DEMOCRAT? Who cares!? I do think that giving money, on the other hand, is a much stronger association. I personally do not care who Blake Curd gave money to, I don’t support his candidacy either way. But to make a big deal out of a personal meeting Noem had with Daschle is a bit ridiculous.
Take a look at some of the comments on your own site, PP….
Woster’s help is not needed in instigating a party litmus test dust-up. There are more than enough of your own to do that and to do it at every level of office-seeking.
Please don’t drag out the old “blame the media” trope. There’s a lot to loathe the media about, but the sudden discovery of fiscal responsibility religion and the application/claiming of “Tea Party” political correctness belongs to your own political fellowship.
I wholeheartedly agree that their records should speak for themselves. And if any kind of Daschle association is assumed by the PC crowd to be some sort of devil worship, I suggest you keep your cars off a number of recently expanded highways around the state. His voodoo was instrumental in bringing them here. I speak as someone greatly disappointed in his career post-Senate.
Nice picture by the way.