Argus trying to claim GOP disunity… except for the problem that there isn’t any.

Pat Powers

Jon Ellis at the Argus is out today with an opinion piece trying to claim there’s some big rift in the GOP titled “Ellis: Noem, Rounds, have spent a decade snubbing each other:”

Rounds and Noem are both Republicans. They’ve been together in politics for well over a decade. So why did Rounds undercut her with the picture of Don harvesting hemp in Beadle County?

Rounds had not innocently blundered into the debate. It was intentional. Truth is, they don’t really like each other.

and…

A few weeks earlier, during the annual Governor’s Hunt, Rounds supporters were angered to see state Rep. Scyller Borglum there. Borglum, a Republican from Rapid City, is challenging Rounds in next year’s primary.

Read it here.

So, because Mike Rounds tweeted a picture of his father, and Rep. Borglum was at the hunt, there’s some big rift in the GOP?  I suspect it’s more that the Argus Leader is trying to sell newspapers, because if there isn’t some conflict, who cares?

Ellis might not know that there are regular meetings between all of the statewide office holders and their teams.  They’re talking all the time, amongst themselves, as well as working with the State GOP.

When it comes to the Gov’s Hunt, it’s my understanding that Senator Rounds was in a prominent position at the Hunt this year, and hosting a team was filled with VIPs.   I kind of doubt there was some mysterious snub being engineered with Rep. Borglum’s invite.

Unless when Mike Huether was attending the Gov’s hunt under Governor Daugaard, Ellis thought that was a passive/aggressive attack on some Republican at the time.

Sometimes, an invitation is just an invitation.

And let’s not forget to mention the event the very next day where this photo was taken:

 

The above picture tweeted of Senator Rounds and Governor Noem? That was taken at the SDGOP hunt featuring Senator Rounds and Governor Noem – taken the very next day after the Governor’s Hunt, at the hunting operation owned in part by Rounds Chief of Staff Rob Skjonsberg.

The GOP Hunt event had been in the works for months.   If there was some big disagreement, I kind of doubt that they would have been doing that event together.

If anything – and pardon my french – I find it kind of sh*tty for the Argus to be trying to sling this kind of high school mean girl nonsense to gin up newspaper sales while Senator Rounds’ wife Jean is in the hospital after surgery. I know if I were attending to a family member in the hospital, the last thing I’d want to read about is a newspaper trying to manufacture drama where it doesn’t exist.

Bad show, Argus.

25 thoughts on “Argus trying to claim GOP disunity… except for the problem that there isn’t any.”

  1. I’ve heard these rumors before. Here’s the reality — they are two very successful politicians and will have different ideas and goals. Sometimes they may even get in each others way or disagree with each other publicly. I think that’s ok. Do they like each other? Who knows and who cares. But we shouldn’t read more into Facebook posts than what actually is being said. I like having leaders who don’t agree with everyone and everything all the time. Wish we saw more of it in DC.

    1. Ellis is a moron.

      If Jackley wouldn’t have sat down with Mike Rounds two weeks out there wouldn’t be a Governor Noem.

  2. Jonathan Ellis is the worst columnist in the history of the Argus Leader.

    He thinks he’s funny. He is not.
    He thinks he’s clever. He is not.
    He think he has insight. He does not.
    He thinks he’s effective. He is not.
    The thinks he is not a pro-pot activist. He is.

      1. Young Mr. Ellis is what they call, in the business, a self-promoting hack. That is all they grow at the Argus these days. The Argus will soon be more dead and even less relevant, which is almost impossible.

    1. I would agree to that. I dont know that it happens but those guys do get bored and like to meddle.

  5. Thune Noem

    Rounds Dusty

    Those are the 2 camps….if you don’t know so you are not in the know…

    2. All three have relied on Thune at some point or continue too. Spats between any of them on occasion? Sure. Lingering unanimous? No.

  7. Ellis really misses the fissure. Noem/Rounds, big whoop. The one to watch in Pierre will be Haugaard v. Greenfield v. Noem. We might see a militant legislature this year. To Noem’s credit and good luck, she already neutered seven seats due to resignations. Let’s see if she can buy a few more before January.

    1. Mr. Greenfield, bring me a dream
      Make him the cutest that I’ve ever seen
      Give him two lips like roses and clover
      Then tell Mr. Haugaard that his lonesome nights are over

    2. Greenfield is very level headed. The senate is more likely to go along with the governor. But he is his own man and not a rubber stamp. He is a solid leader for the senate. I’m glad he is running for the PUC.

      Haugaard definatley has the House on his side. Gosh with play a huge role. Qualm has done well threading the needle. I’d like to see him broker a compromise on hemp between the senate, house and Noem.

  9. The Argus LIAR is desperate to sell newspapers so they feel the need to create drama where there is none. How about they investigate something worthwhile?

  11. Mr. Ellis is not a journalist, he is a gossipy hack. Mr. Greenfield will run the world during these sessions, unless the Council of Legislatures staff overthrows him, as they are wont to do.

    1. It’s not even gossip. It’s just what he thinks happens. Is columns are nothing more than fan fiction.

  12. Isn’t it interesting that Round’s big donors told GOP donors not to support Noem which is exactly what Dusty told Borglum but gee, that couldn’t possibly be true ‘cause Rounds is such a stand-up guy right?

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