Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Bad Reputation
By Rep. Dusty Johnson

People like to compare the U.S. and China, so much so I think many people have forgotten a key point – our values are not the same, not even close. Large economies, yes, but China is a communist, authoritarian nation with a state-run media and a government obsessed with surveillance and control.

China’s handling of this worldwide pandemic has brought these differences to the forefront once again. For weeks, China covered up the COVID-19 outbreak and continued to allow travel from Wuhan to other parts of the world. China kicked out foreign journalists and they hid valuable information from the rest of the world. These actions will be a blood-red stain on China’s reputation for generations to come.

For years, the United States and China have developed an increasingly interdependent economic relationship, and it’s put us in a position where we excuse and accept their behavior out of convenience. It’s time for change.

Republicans in the House have established a task force aimed at combating threats posed by China. This is a good starting point, but now – more than ever – we need actions, not political theater or words without consequences.

While we still need a comprehensive investigation on the spread of the coronavirus from China, as leaders, we must be forward thinking. How does the U.S. ensure we are never in the same position again? How does the U.S. better prepare for future pandemics? How does the U.S. stockpile and develop an industrial base for supplies moving forward?

The U.S. is in an unstable relationship with China – every time they tell us they will change their ways, we see the same irresponsible behavior. This pandemic has exposed flaws in our supply chain, both domestic and abroad. More than 72% of active pharmaceutical ingredients are manufactured abroad.

Government should stay out of the business of private enterprise. At the same time, our nation’s leaders have an obligation to protect the American people. These values are in tension with each other. With that said, I find it unwise to watch a majority of our pharmaceuticals, processing plants and personal protective equipment become increasingly dependent on a good-standing relationship with China.

America needs to do better. We need to rely on companies here at home, like 3M, to produce our PPE stockpile. We need to ensure bad actors aren’t investing in our food supply chain. That’s why I signed onto the Agricultural Security Risk Review Act to allow USDA to analyze any foreign investment into our nation’s food supply. COVID-19 has reminded America that our food security and our ability to quickly produce supplies are vital.

Most of all, we need to hold China accountable. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to make sure this accountability happens.

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Our Plan to Ramp Up Testing
By Governor Kristi Noem 

As communities work their way back to normal, one of the tools in our fight against COVID-19 that we will continue to ramp up is mass testing. Earlier this week, Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon laid out our plan to conduct testing events over the next four weeks.

First, we’ll test our most vulnerable population: residents and staff at nursing homes and connected assisted living centers. The first week will focus on the approximately 7,400 individuals at nursing homes in counties with substantial community spread. Week two will be nursing homes in all other counties, roughly another 10,200 South Dakotans.  Then, weeks 3 and 4 will focus on the remaining assisted living centers, approximately 4,300 folks for each of those weeks.

Though we still have some finalizing to do, none of this could be possible without the nursing home and assisted living industry. I want to thank them; they have been fantastic in helping with the planning for this testing. We expect these next four weeks will be a heavy lift, but it’s important that we try and identify whether the virus has found its way into these vulnerable facilities, so we can work to slow its spread.

Second, we’ll also conduct mass testing in some of our tribal communities. For a variety of reasons, these folks could also be among the most vulnerable population as well, and we want to do everything we can to inhibit the spread in tribal communities. Our first event will be on the Lake Traverse Reservation with the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe, and this will be conducted jointly with North Dakota.

Third, we’ll also continue to work with employers of essential and critical infrastructure.  As a reminder, South Dakota first conducted mass testing in connection to the reopening of the Smithfield Foods facility in Sioux Falls – a critical infrastructure business. Thanks to the tremendous collaboration between the State Department of Health and Avera Health, we were able to test roughly 3,700 Smithfield employees and their families over a four-day period. This testing did produce an uptick in positive cases this week, but that was expected. Finding these positives is a good thing because it means that we can isolate these individuals, get them home, and get them healthy.

Please know that this testing will not replace the testing of symptomatic individuals—that will continue without interruption. Also, it’s important to remember that mass testing is point-in-time specific—that means it’s a snapshot of the situation at a given moment. If someone tests negative today, they may still contract the virus tomorrow. Because of this, testing is not a silver bullet in the fight against COVID-19, but it does help us understand the situation at a given time and isolate those who test positive.

With the science, facts, and data driving our decision-making, we will continue to adapt to this virus and the threat it brings to our state. Thank you, South Dakotans, for your continued diligence in this effort. Together, we will get through this.

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This morning the Brookings County GOP had a candidate forum via zoom meeting.  And if that’s going to be the trend from here on out, I thought I’d offer a little help by way of custom zoom backgrounds for supporters of each of the two GOP congressional candidates in the primary election.

First, here’s a zoom sized background you can download and use for Congressman Dusty Johnson:

Just right click, and hit save as, and this custom JPG file is ready to roll as a custom background for when you are participating in Dusty Johnson/Liz May forums.

And don’t feel left out if you’re a supporter of Liz May, I’ve got your back(ground) here as well:

For all you Liz May supporters, here’s your custom Zoom background showing the Federal Elections Commission filing for Hillary Clinton for President specifically highlighting Liz May’s 2008 donation to Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

You’re welcome.

I think 5 or 6 people have sent this to me already.  And it’s funny every time I see it.

When State Representative Tom Pischke isn’t busy declaring that Hillary Clinton donating Congressional Candidate Liz May is the TRUE Republican in the Congressional race, he’s doing the on-line equivalent of standing at the entrance of an off ramp with a sign begging for cash.

Representative Pischke has taken to gofundme to beg for money to go to the National Republican Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. And he’s not just asking for the price of a coach seat on the plane – apparently he’s going for first class, and seeking $5000 to go to the GOP National Convention:

There’s just a few problems with Tom putting up a beg button.  $5000?  I mean, rooms aren’t cheap, but good lord. I’ve gone to two national conventions, and I don’t think I spent half of that much either time.  My first convention I spent several days in a car going to NYC with a number of people and we bunked several to a room – but that’s how lifetime memories are made.

Most delegates going to this voluntary convention volunteer to do so fully prepared to pay their own way.  Not to mention his attendance isn’t assured. Once you get past your county, it goes to a regional submission, and finally the State GOP’s executive board.  So, there’s the issue that he hasn’t actually been chosen yet.

I suppose if Representative Pischke can get other people to pay for him to go to a national political convention, he can certainly do that. But there are plenty of others who are willing to bear the cost themselves.

But, I guess that’s how TRUE Republicans roll..

From Twitter, US Senator Mike Rounds yesterday pointed out that 70 State Legislators are supporting his campaign to return to that body:

I am very proud to have the endorsement of 70 Republican state legislators from SD! Thank you for your support! #TeamRounds pic.twitter.com/h2FrPu6tfy

— Mike Rounds (@RoundsforSenate) May 13, 2020

The Scyller Borglum for US Senate campaign has uploaded a pair of professionally produced longer form campaign videos to YouTube in support of her candidacy.

The first goes into detail about her views on issues with the food supply and the Chinese government:

The second, posted 2 weeks ago, notes Borglum’s background, and the members of her family that have served in the Military:

Both are professional enough that Borglum might have plans to run portions as 30 second commercials, but I haven’t noted any ad buys for statewide races in the FCC public files of tv stations yet. So, we’ll see if any of these end up on the air.

During the candidate forum being put on by Elevate Rapid City, District 35 State Senate Candidate Kevin Quick – after mumbling “no new taxes” earlier in the podcasted candidate forum (around 12 minutes or so) made a quick reversal of whatever script he was handed to read by his handlers, and openly advocated for a tourism tax.

But don’t take my word for it. You can hear him say it (at about 25:30 on the YouTube show), when asked about raising revenues without raising taxes.

I think we have someone who actually has stolen the title of the 2020 Election season’s biggest dumpster fire of a campaign from Democrat Ellee Spawn, who at least knew when to get out of the race last year.

Because Kevin Quick is the amazing train wreck of a candidacy that keeps on giving. At least for as long as I could stand watching it,  Quick was a muttering, rambling mess. And that’s after clearly someone set him up in a studio with a microphone, notes, and put a sign on the wall.  …a sign that was washed out in portions by the light and illuminated as “Kevin Ick.”

It’s like watching an accident in slow motion at this point.  Albeit, one that’s going to take another two weeks for the collision to end.

From the Secretary of State’s Office, looks like I missed the Libertarian Congressional candidate, Randy “Uriah” Luallin.

But then again, most Libertarian Statewide candidates are easy to miss.

And it looks like Kurt Evans dropped out before he even started this time!

If you caught the post below, State Representative Tom Pischke was extolling the virtues of “TRUE Republican” Liz May…

Does Tom count among the TRUE Republican virtues… a history of donation to Hillary Clinton for President?  From the Federal Elections Commission, Item C on the page…

In case that’s tough to read, here’s a close-up:

Any more TRUE Republicans like Liz, and we might as well turn over the entire state to the socialists.

From facebook earlier today:

Just sayin.