GOP calls on Johnson campaign to call off the Stalkerazzi
From my e-mail box:
Johnson campaign’s stalking of Steve Kirby must stop
PIERRE – South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Karl Adam today called on Tim Johnson’s senate campaign to stop stalking and monitoring Steve Kirby’s personal life. It was reported today that the Johnson campaign has been surveilling Steve Kirby’s private home in Sioux Falls and calling it “fun.” (Argus Leader, March 5, 2008)
“This is South Dakota , not Soviet Russia,” said Adam. “We do not spy on private citizens and try to intimidate them into remaining silent. The constant wave of smears, personal attacks, and stalking directed against a private citizen must end.”
Earlier this week, Tim Johnson himself endorsed the anti-Kirby smear campaign and called it an effective way to “fire up my donors.”
“If Tim Johnson believes that smearing and stalking a private citizen is ‘fair game,’ then he has truly lost touch and needs to retire,” Adam said.
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Comments
Tim Johnson needs to speak out (if he can) and denounce these tactics. Then again, Johnson authorized these attacks. So i guess he’d be denouncing himself.
Where was Karl Adam when Thune Staffers John Lauck and Jason Van Beek were posting photos of the INSIDE of Tom Daschle’s house? Where was Karl Adam when the GOP was sending direct mail with picutres of Tom Daschle’s house?
I don’t remember him speaking out against those tactics…
The difference is that Daschle was a Senator, candidate and obviously public domain. This was used to combat Daschle’s claims that he was the “working mans” senator, which was found to be complete B.S. Kirby hasn’t even declared and moreover hasn’t denied that he’s been successful.
Johnson isn’t mentally there and never will be and he should retire. There is no way that Johnson can do his elected duties and chances are, his job will be performed by his staff, those parasitic individuals that the state didn’t even elect. Kirby’s well-publicized dogs could out-debate Timmy at this point. No wonder he’s 90/100 in the Senate and falling like a rock.
Typical liberals….the smear and attack and monitor and surveil and spy and intimidate someone and then the blame the Republicans!!!
Daschle had his house in prominent magazines and the photos were from his real estate agent’s website, you morons. noboday was stalking him to take them…
Andy,
Which prominent magazines? Can you provide a link or a list of the prominent magazines Daschle put his house in?
I think you’re making that up (much like the outrage over these pictures) – prove me wrong.
Just link to the magazines that Daschle put the photos in…
I want to see Johnson ON TV discussing these smear tactics. WE NEED TO HEAR FROM JOHNSON and the local press need to quit licking his boots and demand access to him.
p.s. can Kirby get a restraining order against the Johnson stalking machine?
I see SDP, the site that originally posted pictures of Tom Daschle’s house, is now outraged over the Kirby house photos.
Typical.
Steve Kirby was elected statewide in South Dakota, just like Tom Daschle. He was a candidate for Governor and is publicly saying he’s considering a run against Tim Johnson.
He’s been elected, been a statewide candidate, and is talking about running again.
The attacks on Tom Daschle did not stop after he left public office, and many of those attacks have been leveled by the very same GOP websites now claiming outrage that anyone dare question Steve Kirby, as he is no longer in elective office.
Will someone explain this to me. Those “photos” your ref came from a realator’s website (anybody can get those). Nobody stalked the family our tried to harass ,intimidate or otherwise. To compare is beyond political hackery. I have voted for both parties and the hacks on the left need to seriously take a step back and re-think there position on this. Tactics on the east coast are not well received here.
Andy,
Any luck with the list of prominent magazines Tom Daschle submitted photos of his home to?
I’d hate to see you lose credibility because you can’t back up your claims…
Quit invoking the Daschle stuff. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because the Republicans allegedly did something doesn’t mean the Dems should. Thought you guys and the sainted Senator Johnson were above that. Ha.
Steve Kirby has never been elected statewide. He was appointed Lt. Governor after the Mickelson crash.
10:25 just to clarify…
Steve Kirby was not elected to a statewide office. He was appointed Lt. Gov. under Walter Dale Miller after George Mickelson was killed in the plane crash.
I may be wrong here, but I don’t believe he was ever elected.
John Thune’s campaign hired someone to follow Tom Daschle (and Tim Johnson), and the Democrats hired someone to follow John Thune. They recorded the speeches, videotaped them, and photographed them.
This is what happens in modern day campaigns. I’m sure Steve Kirby will hire someone to follow Tim Johnson around the state, and no one around here will accuse him of being sleazy. That’s the way the game is played, here and elsewhere…
sleaze merchants! why would anybody in their right mind want to run for office, these days? who wants wierdos sitting outside your house taking pictures of who pulls up in your driveway?
and if repubs did it to daschle in 2004, then they were wrong. but from what i know of it, those photos were taken from the realtors’ website.
if not, then you’re actually asking us to believe that someone actually broke into daschle’s house to take those pictures. if so, why didn’t daschle ever call the police?
(i do believe, though, that it all went too far. it went beyond trying to prove daschle’s resident status to merely showing that he’s wealthy. on that point, i say good for him.)
Obviously the “10th Choice” has the Dems shaking in their boots. I don’t recall hearing about any of the smears or any of these tactics when the candidates were Sam Kephart and Joel Dykstra.
They know they’re in t-r-o-u-b-l-e.
I wish people would stop justifying some sick action by pointing a finger and saying that the other side is just as guilty. Nobody wants somebody watching/photographing their house.
I’m a simpleton and if somebody was doing this to me, they’d have a mouth of knuckles.
bf, for someone who stresses the importance of communication, you sure don’t communicate yourself that well. what are you talking about — “on the same page?” i think you’re in a whole other chapter … in another book … in a different library … on another planet.
the only way we’re on the same page is if you think what johnson and the dems are doing to kirby is wrong. but obviously you don’t.
bf, i’m dense and have a hard time reading into things. do you think it’s okay for political operatives to sit outside of mr.kirby’s house and photograph him and his family, regardless of what republicans did to tom daschle?
in order for me to understand, please keep your answer simple and clear.
Your opening sentence was to the effect that they were sleaze merchants and why would anybody in their right mind want to run for office in an environment like this.
That’s the “page”.
The opening sentence.
The lead (some reporters spell it “lede”)
The first line of type. I’m telling you I agree with your general thought.
See what I said about you literalists not understanding metaphors?
Man, do I have to teach you everything, lr??
I have never understood bf. What is a meta for? Comparing the campaign tactics of a previous campaign to what is going on here with the staking out/stalking of Steve Kirby is comparing apples to oranges. Bill, this means it is comparing two things that are not comparable. I know they are both fruit, but this is a saying often used. But I digress.
I believe Senator Johnson’s campaign is worried. Senator Johnson appears to fear being in live situations. He does not mind talking to print media, but audio and video appear to scare him. An well funded, articulate opponent could cause him a lot of problems. So, rather than plan a campaign, they do their best to smear a person who at this time is still a private citizen.
then the proper communication, bf, would’ve been to say “i agree with your opening comment about running for office in this sleazy environment.”
i’m sorry that i’m not brilliant enough to figure out which of my several points you agreed with. i should’ve taken that mind-reading class in college.
bottom line is that we are, indeed, on two different pages, because i disapprove of johnson’s recent tactics and you approve.
Whatever you say, lr. I was just seeking common ground. If you’re not interested then don’t be surprised or offended when I mercellessly kneecap you at my first opportunity (which I’m starting to think many of you would happily do to me if only you knew how.)
Lexrex – are you sure that you are the best person to set the standards of political decency? You, after all, ran ads comparing Tom Daschle to Saddam Hussein.
…in other words, boys. If we lay out the olive branch and you all decide to piss on it, then get ready to rumble.
Now that I see everyone recognizes Billy’s empty but overly complicated rantings.
Johnson has no where to go but down and his supporters and the Dems are hanging on him tightly, keeping him out of the limelight in order to keep the public from seeing how bad off Johnson is. I’m not condemning the man for his medical tragedy, but condemning him and his posse for not realizing when it’s time to call it quits. A decision that, if not taken, will surely hurt SD. The Dems know that if Johnson is forced into a debate, SD will surely see that there’s nothing there also. That is exactly why the Dems are taking this stalking approach with Kirby, i.e. instigating outrageous tactics to smear/intimidate a valuable asset of this state.
Good grief, this discussion is hard to follow and going nowhere. Simply put, stalking is wrong and there is a law against it actually, unless you are a Britney Spears type person. Johnson should publicly himself either explain why his staffers are doing this or denounce it as wrong (which it is). But this will never happen. If Johnson can’t or won’t appear publicly, then he should retire. That’s not too vague and hard to understand.
From a comment above: “bottom line is that we are, indeed, on two different pages”
Who wrote this? Sutton or Klaudt?
you’re a funny guy, bf. a funny guy.
to 1:31, i never compared daschle to hussein. that’s a lazy assertion.
Goodbye kids. It’s been fun. But I’m not going to post here any more for a while. I have things to do that preclude my participation here. Thanks sincerely for putting up with me. Maybe later, but no more for now. XXXOOO, BF
Bummer, Billy leaving. Probably went out to buy more complex web blog colloquialism software. Still trying to figure out where this conversation started. Oh yea, Johnson’s done, a 90/100 loser and he’ll get his one way or another.
Lexrex – you didn’t, in your role as director of the family policy council, run an add with a photo of Tom Daschle next to a photo of Saddam Hussein? Do you know what the bible says about lying? It is against it.
3:27, i didn’t run an “add”, but i did run an “ad” with those two photos.
the issue was about our dependence on foreign oil and daschle’s obstruction of domestic oil production. but in no way did i, as you claimed, compare daschle to hussein.
OUCH…Adam is totally correct. Johnson is acting like the KGB with its spying and intimidation…UGLY.