Kebhart officially announced for Senate. No, I didn’t see it anywhere either.

Posted by PP at the SDWC

May 26, 2007

Brandon Bennett of the Black Hills Pioneer had an interesting job the other day. Apparently, he’s one of the few people who covered “the official announcement” of Spearfish Republican Sam Kephart’s challenge of Tim Johnson for one of South Dakota’s seats in the US Senate. (Kephart had announced his intentions last week which got quite a bit of attention, but this is the official kickoff).

“This is like the last scene in Thelma and Louise,” he said. They have their foot on the gas, nothing is said, and they drive off a cliff. That’s the Congress. They just push ahead and don’t ask the American people what they want.”

Kephart went on to say the American people are being lied to when it comes to the war in Iraq.

“Why can’t the government tell us this was about oil all along? We have 120,000 troops watching oil wells and we keep getting told this isn’t about oil but democracy.”

and…

He had kind words about current South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson, saying he is a good man, but Kephart takes issue with the senator’s health problems. “He’s a good senator, but he also has some serious health issues that have precluded him from serving and that’s what we need right now.”

Read it all here.

I’m not sure if bashing the president is going to be an effective strategy in very Republican South Dakota, where he probably still enjoys some respect. But, I will begrudgingly admit that the president’s popularity is at an all time low.

That, and I’d say that taking on Tim Johnson’s health issues head on is untested and risky. Will people see it as kicking a man when he’s down, or will Sam find he’s tapped into a vein of discontent with the incumbent?

We shall see.

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