You know what they say about payback. And it looks like that’s what IM10 could be.
You know what they say about payback. And simply, it looks like that’s what the entire thrust of Initiated Measure 10 could be about.
I’ve come to learn about an e-mail floating around out there which seems to raise serious questions about the motives of the South Dakota Conservative Action Council, as well as Initiated Measure 10. And if you follow the chain of events, it might just lead you to some interesting conclusions.
Going back to the 2006 Campaign, Lee Breard was not having a winning season. His handling of the Bruce Whalen campaign left Bruce in the unenviable position of having to explain the conduct of his campaign manager who among other things asked reporters about their opponent Herseth allegedly being impregnated by her chief of staff, and alternately calling her “a Home Wrecker with a Texas Congressman.“ In other words, he was coming off a failed campaign, and without a stellar reputation.
With that as the set up, several months later Lee’s lovely wife was offered a position in Pierre with the South Dakota GOP, which she accepted. And this was about the point that Lee’s relationship with those in the GOP and the statehouse started to head down an interesting path.
What brings this all together is that I’ve been told about an e-mail from June of 2007 from Breard to the public E-mail address for the Governor’s Chief of Staff. What was Breard asking of the government he now infers is corrupted by money from various sources? Well, before he came to this conclusion of big money corrupting government, he wanted to be part of it.
Yes, Lee Breard was sniffing around state government looking for a special favor in the form of a job. What I’m told it said was:
My wife and I are moving back to South Dakota and moving directly to Pierre. She has taken the Finance Director Position with the SDGOP and get started last week in her new endeavor. I wanted to inquire about any possibilities with the governor, his staff, or state government that are available.
and…
I have attached my resume for your review and reference. Please drop a line or give me a call at your earliest convenience to discuss options.
Lee Breard.
What? Yes, you’re reading it here. The head of the SDCAC which has been trying to tell us that State Government is all about special favors was asking for one himself. Obviously, Lee was rebuffed in his efforts to seek employment with the State of South Dakota. (So much for the “special favor” theory).
Now, fast forward several weeks… The SDCAC files letters of incorporation in October of 2007.
Again, consider the date that Lee wanted to be part of state government - June 2007, but was rejected. Three months later, the SDCAC forms. The other people he’s recruited for his group are equally outsiders for state government, such as Steve Sibson, a radical blogger who has found nothing but rejection at the hands of South Dakota media and most involved with the GOP. And Lora Hubbel, who lost a bid for Sioux Falls mayor with a platform that mandated the construction of emergency shelters in all new homes. I know of others, including a personal friend, who were also asked to participate, but they kept the fledgeling group at arms length because of the people involved.
A group formed of those few disaffected from the process. And what’s their first major act? A major salvo fired at state government and political parties.
Where’s the connection? Not that we have to tell any regular readers, but the “Open and Clean Government act” is filed by people, such as Charlie Droz, who indicate that they’ve been recruited for the purposes by Breard himself.
Droz said in an interview that Breard contacted him and asked him to be on the ballot committee’s board of directors.
Droz, who last served as a legislator in 1969 and now is 83, said he didn’t know why Breard approached him.
In the interim, Breard continues to go on the attack against the GOP, after his measure is resoundingly rejected at the State Republican convention, in both the media, and in fundraising letters. And the rhetoric has continued to ratchet up through the election. But we never had a clue why. We never had a hint of as to why Breard felt the need to take up the banner of smashing state government and the GOP. Until now.
Reviewing the course of events, it’s possible that all these events might be unrelated. It’s entirely possible that they’re all sheer coincidence.
- Lee is rejected for a state job. (June 07)
- Lee forms SDCAC, and recruits others who are disaffected from the process. (October 07)
- Lee then recruits people and forms the “Open and Clean” ballot measure attacking state government and crippling the ability of political parties to accept donations. (November 07)
It’s possible. But, I leave it to your own thoughts to decide.
And here we are, less than a week before the election finally able to peer between the lines.
You know what they say about payback.
It could be many things. Even a ballot measure.
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Comments
Should have seen problems on the horizon when the GOP offered Leroy’s wife a job in Pierre. PP, while you mentioned the failed campaign, you forgot to mention the GOP pretty much literally left Whalen flapping in the wind. That, more than the loss, probably got Leopold worked up. Then the snub by the Smiling M job factory? Before the day’s out I bet Leonard will come out and say he wanted the job to try and change the culture of corruption from within.
Maybe I’m missing something here, but just what is Lee “paying back”?
Unless the way jobs and contracts are handed out is somehow corrupt and the “open government” stops the process which apparently kept him from getting a job, where is the payback?
If it is payback, it seems there is a problem which needs a solution.
Always nice to see conservatives and Republicans trying to decide which of their side is the most corrupt.
Wow. SD’s initative process once again gets turned into a forum for personal vendettas. JAIL now this which from PP’s reporting appears to actually be a personal, not political, deal completely. Breard has tried and failed to blow apart the GOP, state government, and now the entire political process. And if you dare to disagree they’ll sue you (Brown County) or try to shut you down (government generally).
I don’t know this guy so I’ll just take PP’s word that maybe this is payback. But that is not the case with everybody who is involved in this initiative. I have a friend who has been out working for IM10 because she truly believes in it. (We argue a lot. 
) No personal vendetta with her.
I guess I really don’t understand what sending your resume to the state asking for a job has to do with no-bid contracts awarded to campaign contributors (What IM10 is really about). And as for forming the SDCAC, it seems to me that Lee was looking for something to do after the state wouldn’t hire him. How is that payback? Though I don’t agree with Lee on many things, I really think this is a pretty sad example of a ‘bombshell’ more like a ‘firecracker dud’
Gawd, Pat, you should change this to a satirical site.
Detroit, because most people read the job openings and apply as the openings state to. Not to send personal notes in to the Chief of staff.
As I said, it might just be coincidence that after he didn’t get a job, he started an organization and a ballot measure that tries to infer the state is corrupt.
Just simple coincidence.
Despite some of these comments it seems highly relevent that an outfit that repeatedly alleges that government is corrupt is led by someone who wanted to work for government. Seems like one or the other.
My granddaughter said this practice is called a “do hire”. PP is probably more familiar with it than she is. But I guess it goes to show you that Mr. Breard isn’t able to be vetted. If he (Breard, who is weeard) was useful, PP would have appointed him to one of those memorial committees he used to run.
What is the shock here, PP? Lee and Jewell are an always have been in this for the money. Like in 2006, Whalen’s money began to run out. East River Director for Whalen Ben Zierke took no pay for the last four months of the campaign; Lee said pay me or I walk. Considering his performance I would have let him walk, but instead he was paid.
They came back here from Louisiana when Jewell was promised money by the state party, and he tried to get on the state tit. Lee, however, is too arrogant to just go on the state website and apply for available openings, he goes strait to the top. When that fails, he takes the first easy money that comes along the SDCAC. And he has little regard for what it will do to his or his wife’s reputation.
The two real headscratchers here are:
1. Why did the party hire Mrs. Breard without conducting one interview? Aren’t there enough qualified people in SD to at least offer the job around?
2. Why does no on care that a spouse of the Republican party is working for an issue the Republican party is so strongly against. Would we stand for Mrs. Max Wetz or Mrs. Jason Glodt working for the Johnson or Herseth campaign or the Democrat party. I think that these would be a conflict of interest; just as I think the Breard relationship is.
My predictiction, the SDCAC goes away on the day after the election; and Mr. and Mrs. Breard are soon to follow.
What do you say PP, can we put a dollar on it?
Rusty
How does the media not find out something like this? This initiative locks most of the world out of politics and government because somebody got their feelings hurt and nobody says a word. KELO and the Argus should be ashamed. Apparently they did no investigation on something that PP sniffed out without much trouble.
The media is ignoring it because there is no corruption - duh. As a freelance designer I work with many brokers, they’ll tell you the quickest way to get in the door is to go to the top first - that’s what Lee did, seems kind of smart to me, not corrupt.
Ahem…. Detroit, from their website:
VOTING YES on 10 will stop retiring politicians and bureaucrats from trading their political influence for high-paying jobs….
If Lee wasn’t trying to trade political influence (not that he had any) for a job, then what was he doing by trying to circumvent the state hiring process?
Detroit:
So, where’s SDCAC’s money coming from? Seems if we think Roger Hunt should divulge it for the abortion measure in 2006 the SDCACers should for this in 2008. That would be clean and open, no?
Todd Epp
http://www.southdakotawatch.net
Pat, mildly interesting conspiracy theory, but when are you gonna post the “bombshell” story that will “tear organizations apart”?
Right after you google Rasmussen?
Well, if you’re ok with The SDCAC/IM10 possibly being a revenge trip, then you’re a bit more ‘off’ than people have already assumed.
And if you’re referring to the technology your pollster licensed from Rasmussen.. Just because your pollster licensed a brand name doesn’t mean they know how to use it.
You know you’re getting less than “grade A” when an opinion polling form can’t spell “opinion” correctly on their website.
But that’s what we’ve all come to expect from the SDCAC/IM10. “Wikipedia” Lee Breard, Bomb Shelter Hubbel, “Leslee’s castoff” Dena, and the prince of the ozarks, Sibby. A ballot measure run by barely fourth-string political operatives.
Well for fourth-stringers they’ve certainly caused their share of grief for every county commission and city council and school board and bar association member in the state that had to take up time on their docket to deal with educating their members about the measure. Even taken their pound of flesh I’d say, even if it does go down in flames. Some people get their kicks in the strangest ways…Must be some way to turn all that energy to something useful…
Lee was unemployable before. Now, he is much, much more so. Who wants to hire a hothead with hundreds of axes to grind and a penchant for making up lies about the opposition (whether SHS or No on 10)?