Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Rounds Introduces Legislation to Protect B-1 Bombers at Ellsworth from Premature Retirement

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Rounds Introduces Legislation to Protect B-1 Bombers
at Ellsworth from Premature Retirement


WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today introduced bipartisan legislation that would add congressional oversight of any decision to retire the B-1, B-2 or B-52 bomber aircraft. The Long Range Bomber Sustainment Act of 2015 prevents the retirement of aircraft in the current bomber force unless the Department of Defense certifies that it would not result in a loss of operational capability. There are currently 27 B-1 bombers located at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Box Elder, South Dakota.

“Long-range bombers play an important role in our national defense strategy,” said Rounds. “The current fleet, which is wisely stationed throughout the country, enables the United States to project military power to distant locations around the world. While we can expect some bomber retirements as we develop the new Long Range Strike Bomber, it is critical the turnover does not lead to an insufficient number of bombers in our fleet. Our Air Force must remain the most capable in the world. A strong, properly-supported bomber force will help make that happen.”

Original cosponsors of the Long Range Bomber Sustainment Act of 2015 include Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

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Bosworth allies claiming GOP war against Christians, and that Jackley prosecuted at Rounds’ behest.

@SoDakCampaigns

As we inch closer and closer to the day Annette Bosworth is going to have to explain in a court of law how she certified, under oath, that she collected petition signatures in South Dakota while she was overseas, the level of rhetoric from her allies continues to rise from silly to the level of unbelievable bullsh*t.

This past weekend, we had 2 articles written on the topic. One, an error filled missive from Constitution Party regular Lori Stacey (who thinks HIV is a hoax, and the Government is purposefully killing bees to replace them with robots) spews forth a bunch of words, some she read on the Internet:

One of the ridiculous aspects for any charges being filed against her was actually pointed out by one of her former primary election opponents, Gordon Howie, on his blog “The Right Side Blog”.  (WRONG, he ran in the general as an indy – PP)

and…

In fact, a far greater violation of law regarding petition gathering and a much more unusual violation was claimed to be committed previously by a Republican Speaker of the House when it was alleged that he acted as his own official notary on his own candidate petitions. Not only were there no criminal charges ever filed against him by the same state officials involved in this case against Dr. Bosworth, instead, the would-be candidate and whistleblower who made the allegations was sued and eventually slapped with a $40,000 judgement against her for speaking out.  (WRONG AGAIN, Read here. These were court costs awarded against her for a lawsuit she lost. badly. -PP )

With her trial date looming near and scheduled to begin on May 18, 2015, an article recently published on Christian Newswire titled, “South Dakota GOP’s Secret War Against Christians” reveals some breaking newsworthy developments regarding this case. This article states in part:

The abundance of documented evidence collected during a three-week investigation alleges that South Dakota’s Division of Criminal Investigation (“DCI”) agents stalked, surveilled and visited Christian families at their homes before the all-in-important June 2014 Primary.

The full story on Christian Newswire can be found here. This breaking story could vindicate Dr. Bosworth’s numerous references during her campaign regarding supporters complaining that they felt they were being watched by “black vans”. These statements were used to smear her as “crazy”, a “nut job” and “mentally ill” by political bloggers in the state and she was berated by many in the official press. So was Bosworth acting crazy and criminal or has this state’s government become crazed with bold criminality?

Read it here.

Looking at the Lori Stacey article, which are typically over the top, I had to go check out her sources to see if they were equally as silly. And of course, they didn’t disappoint. here we have an article from robocaller Peter Waldron, who seems to spout the same BS we’d read about in Annette Bosworth fundraising letters about “black vans.”  Which the state doesn’t own:

Dr. Peter Waldron states, “If South Dakota is an example of Establishment Republican rule, then I fear for the nation if a Republican-in-name-only (“RINO”) is elected president in 2016.”

The abundance of documented evidence collected during a three-week investigation alleges that South Dakota’s Division of Criminal Investigation (“DCI”) agents stalked, surveilled and visited Christian families at their homes before the all-in-important June 2014 Primary.

Such tactics achieved its apparent goal – it scared voters away from the polls.

The anecdotal evidence points to possible coordination between the eventual winner, former governor, now US Senator Mike Rounds (SD-R) and the man he handpicked to be Attorney General, Marty Jackley.

Furthermore, the sequence of events and circumstances surrounding the pre-primary state prosecution of Republican candidate Dr. Annette Bosworth, a popular Christian missionary and physician, are suspicious.

Read this silliness here.

I’m not sure what to say about this silliness, except “Show me.”  Show everyone the evidence collected in this so-called ‘investigation.’   Show us the “evidence” of “coordination between Rounds & Jackley.”

Somehow, I don’t think it will ever happen. Why? because it doesn’t exist. The only thing that we’ve been shown is a ridiculous media effort by Bosworth allies to attack the prosecution, obfuscate very simple facts in the matter, and attempt to sway public opinion.

Truth doesn’t need a robocall campaign.

Ballot Measures, and the death rattle of Democrats in South Dakota.

@SoDakCampaigns

Maybe I’m jaded, having gone through some of the goofiest measures on the ballot over the past couple of decades; Jury nullification. JAIL for Judges. IM 10 for open and clean government.. But after seeing this filing, I’m left wondering why people think we need MORE measures on the ballot?

Yes, it appears that yet another ballot measure is coming, based on the ballot question statement of organization filed this past week. Douglas Kronaizl, who was last seen trafficking with the Matt Varilek and Rick Weiland campaigns, filed a new ballot question organization whose primary interest is to “Amend the Constitution to broaden and protect the initiative and referendum process,” and whose statement of purpose & goals is to “enable voters to responsibly refer any laws passed by the legislature and limit legislative overreach…”

RespectTheVoteSD_Page_1

While a ballot measure has not shown it’s head yet, given the sponsor’s history with him, I’m guessing this is connected with the Rick Weiland political organization that sends out all the fundraising beg e-mails, which have claimed they’re going to be submitting a measure.

Although, there’s nothing here that talks about his proposed “anti-corruption/big money’ initiative.”

(Update – Doug tells me that “while I helped out with the Weiland camp last summer, neither he nor his new organization have been involved with this measure.”   Now I’m really curious as to the “why.”)

South Dakota has been a pioneer in the initiative and referendum movement; to allow citizens the ability to directly propose and refer laws to a vote of the people. Various states have adopted the model, although in some the process has run wild.

Consider California, which has become the poster child for crazy initiatives, and whose most recent proposed initiated measure is the Sodomite Suppression Act, which advocates for the shooting of homosexuals:

Now to the opinion of one Huntington Beach lawyer who’s proposed an initiative that’s causing a stir in California. Officially, it is called the Sodomite Suppression Act, and it allows for gays and lesbians to, and this is a quote, “to be put to death by bullets to the head or by any other convenient method.” It calls for killing people. The lawyer, Matthew McLaughlin, now needs more than 365,000 signatures to get his proposal on the ballot. And while it’s highly unlikely that will ever happen, it has raised questions about California’s referendum system.

and..

SIEGEL: You said recently, speaking of this Sodomite Suppression Act, this is a nut job and an illegal proposition. I understand that we can’t prevent nut jobs, but if it were demonstrably illegal, wouldn’t there be some mechanism to keep it off the ballot?

AMAR: Well, there might be. What California law says is that the attorney general, a political elected official, cannot by herself exclude a measure from the signature-gathering process because we don’t trust elected political officials to make judgments about what is necessarily legal or not, especially in closed cases. But if she were to go to a court and ask a court to declare this proposal patently unconstitutional and could never go into effect even if enacted, the court might feel comfortable prohibiting it from going any farther. But we have a strong preference in California for judges making these determinations rather than elected political officials.

Read it here at NPR.

South Dakota is already viewed as one of the easiest states to get a measure on the ballot. Does anyone think we need to make it easier, as this organization is proposing?

Having abandoned it’s status as an organization that runs candidates for office several years ago, the only group who benefits from making the initiative process easier would be the South Dakota Democrat Party. Why do I think this? Well, they spend an inordinate amount of effort to place measures on the ballot that they are otherwise unable to get through the legislature as legislative proposals, due to more than anemic numbers.

But, does substituting ballot measures for party building represent good politics? Not really. If anything, its a quick feel-good fix for a long term problem of party identity.

They seem to think that going around the system to try to pass or protest measures is accomplishing something. But in the process, by ignoring their need to recruit and run candidates, they’re running off the cliff like a line of lemmings.

If Democrats are perceived as perennial losers who can’t win elections in this state (as they are), no one will want to be a Democrat, or run as a Democrat. Because no one wants to be on a perennially losing side.

Look at the example of Dale Hargens, House Democratic Minority Whip from 2003-2004, and House Minority Leader from 2005-2008. When he looked at running in 2014, it wasn’t as a Democrat:

Hargens was an interesting entry into the Republican primary because he is a legislator that already served for a number of years as  Democrat; and he was a Democrat Minority Whip and Democrat Minority Leader during that time.

Hargens said he felt the Democrat party moved away from him in its surge to the left. He said the Democrat Party had “Turned the lights out”.

Read that here.

A Democrat Legislative Leader who took a look at what his party had to offer, consigned to say that the “Democrat party moved away from him in its surge to the left,” and that they’d “turned the lights out.”

If that’s not a party identity problem, I don’t know what is!

The focus on ballot issues by Democrats does not represent political progress or the exercise of political muscle in South Dakota. It’s a continued ignorance of their basic root problems. And it represents is the death rattle of a political party that once used to be able to compete on a larger stage in the state.

US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: Promoting South Dakota Tourism

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Promoting South Dakota Tourism
By Senator John Thune

John_Thune,_official_portrait,_111th_CongressMy work in the Senate requires me to spend most weeks commuting back and forth between South Dakota and Washington, D.C. While traveling, I’m fortunate to meet a wide range of people, some of whom are curious about South Dakota’s landmarks and history, while some are South Dakota enthusiasts having visited a number of the state’s great landmarks. Those who have visited speak highly of Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Deadwood, Sturgis, the Corn Palace, Sioux Falls, the Lewis and Clark Trail and many of the other great places and experiences South Dakota has to offer.

Yet it is the honest, kind, and generous disposition of South Dakotans that visitors seem to highlight most often when talking to me about our great state. I have been told a number of heartwarming stories about how South Dakotans were so kind during visits, providing tourists with a great experience and memories that last a lifetime.

Likewise, helping South Dakotans with their visits to our nation’s capital provides me with an opportunity to share so much of our nation’s rich history with our state’s residents. I have watched families light up when they see the Capitol for the first time, marvel at the Declaration of Independence, and get goosebumps from Arlington National Cemetery. Over 18 million American tourists visit D.C. each year, allowing people from around the globe to share in our symbols of freedom and democracy.

The first week of May is recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week. As our state’s second largest industry, tourism is critical to South Dakota’s economy, with domestic and foreign visitors greatly contributing to our state and local tax bases. In 2013, South Dakota saw nearly $2 billion in economic impact from tourism-related activities and collected $298 million in local tax revenue.

I’m pleased to advocate for an industry that contributes so much to our country and our state. I commend those who work tirelessly to provide services to travelers and provide opportunities for cultural and educational growth through travel.

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US Senator Mike Rounds’ Weekly Column: Giving Back

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Giving Back
By Senator Mike Rounds

MikeRounds official SenateWe are just a few weeks from Memorial Day, a federal holiday designated for honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice protecting our freedom. As we prepare to recognize the brave men and women in uniform, I am reminded just how fortunate we are for all those who answer the call to serve.

Our armed forces are the epitome of public servants, sacrificing everything to keep us free and safe. But there are many ways in which we give back to our communities to promote the greater good. For 30 years, the first week of May has been designated “Public Service Recognition Week” to recognize those who serve as federal, state, county and local government employees. These are the men and women that make sure our streets our safe, our veterans receive their benefits, our food is safe for consumption and our children are properly educated. Their work can be felt in nearly everything that we do.

Law enforcement officials and first responders also play a critical role in protecting our nation. They are on the front lines of crises and terror here at home. I recently cosponsored a resolution that continues our nation’s tradition of honoring our law enforcement annually. Our resolution designates May 10-16, 2015, as National Police Week, encouraging all Americans to show their appreciation for members of our law enforcement. Police officers put their lives on the line every day to pursue justice and keep our communities safe. I encourage you to take time to thank a law enforcement officer during National Police Week.

Giving back doesn’t have to be a full time job. Many of us donate our time in addition to family, school and career commitments. In 2014, South Dakota ranked 7th in the nation for volunteerism. That includes those who serve in all-volunteer fire departments, which protect many of our communities in South Dakota. I myself belong to the Elks Club in Pierre, as well as the Pierre-Fort Pierre Exchange Club, both of which promote fellowship and volunteerism. I find the work these organizations do to be extremely rewarding.

I recently met with two high school students from South Dakota who were visiting Washington, D.C., to celebrate their national awards for community involvement. One created a program to make, collect and distribute holiday cards to active military men and women and veterans. The other raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network. Neither of these students were required to volunteer for school credit. Rather, they saw a need in their communities and stepped in to fill it. Their leadership and compassion at such a young age is truly inspiring.

Amidst some of the partisanship in Washington and violence going on in places like Baltimore, it’s easy to get discouraged in today’s world. This makes it as important as ever to remember the good work being done by millions of Americans every day in all shapes and forms. From our men and women in uniform to ordinary citizens who volunteer to better their communities, we are incredibly fortunate to be amidst so many dedicated public servants. I’m grateful for everyone working to keep our communities, our state, our country and this world a better place than they left it.

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Congresswoman Noem’s Weekly Column: A Fitting Tribute to the Greatest Generation

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A Fitting Tribute to the Greatest Generation
By Rep. Kristi Noem

kristi noem headshot May 21 2014On May 8, 1945, Allied forces accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, ending World War II in Europe and claiming victory over one of history’s cruelest regimes. Seventy years later, we continue to remember the sacrifices made by the Greatest Generation that led to this incredible victory on what has become known as Victory in Europe Day – or VE Day.

It’s hard to imagine what it would have been like stepping into a soldier’s boots during World War II.  The fighting was gruesome, and while we know now that victory was ultimately achieved, these young Americans didn’t have that assurance 70-some years ago when they were leaving their families to head overseas. They were just ordinary folks – farmers, mechanics, students, and others – plunged into the uncertainty of a massive conflict poised to reset the course of human history. More than 68,000 South Dakotans enlisted in the armed services during World War II, according to the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs, while others stayed behind to work in supporting roles to ensure our military had the equipment and means to achieve victory.

 

Today, just over 2,500 World War II veterans remain in South Dakota, according to the National World War II Museum.  Each came from ordinary lives and rose to accomplish extraordinary things before returning to once again transform America from within.  My appreciation for these men and women runs deep.

 

I’ve had the opportunity to sit with a number of these veterans and their families. Time and again, their stories of bravery inspire me and help me see the power of the American spirit.  As the years go by, these stories are being transferred from generation to generation and it’s my hope that we never lose those accounts.  They are an American treasure.

 

The Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project has been established to help preserve these stories.  Through the project, the Library of Congress American Folklife Center is collecting first-hand documents and oral accounts from our veterans, preserving them for future generations to learn from.  It’s an incredible project that enables each of us to hear the stories of the Greatest Generation from the veterans themselves and better understand the realities of war.  You can learn more about this effort on the Veterans History Project website at www.loc.gov/vets.

 

Seventy years after claiming victory in Europe, we continue our fight for freedom in the world. It is my hope that this VE Day served to remind all of us that America can and will defeat evil and claim victory for liberty around the globe.

 

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Governor Daugaard’s Weekly Column: South Dakota’s Upgrade To AAA

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South Dakota’s Upgrade To AAA
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

DaugaardWe recently received word that Standard & Poor’s has upgraded South Dakota to a AAA credit rating. This is great news for South Dakota. By moving from AA+ to AAA, we join a very exclusive group of states to which Standard and Poor’s has given its highest credit rating.

It took a lot of effort for our state to earn this upgrade. The Lieutenant Governor and Chief Financial Officer met three times with S&P officials, in Pierre and in New York, to discuss South Dakota’s credit rating. Following their first meeting in 2012, we adopted a number of new financial practices, including the release of more financial information to the public and a new debt policy, to accompany the voters’ approval of a balanced budget amendment to our state constitution.

In large part, our new AAA status is the result of our budgetary practices. In 2011 we balanced the budget without raising taxes or spending reserve funds. Each year thereafter, we’ve continued that stewardship by projecting our revenues and expenses with caution, so if we err, we err on the side of a surplus not a deficit. A year ago, after receiving an unexpected windfall, we used the money to retire bonds early and to pay cash for our new veterans’ home rather than borrowing.

These practices along with the state’s fully funded pension system and lack of liabilities led S&P to award South Dakota the highest credit rating.

This upgrade is not just a symbolic victory for South Dakota. There are tangible benefits of having a AAA credit rating. Although our constitution prohibits debt, the South Dakota Building Authority and South Dakota Health and Educational Facilities Authority borrow to finance public construction projects like state park projects and public university projects. The upgrade of our bond rating will not only give the financial markets affirmation of our state’s exceptional credit worthiness, but also save substantial amounts in future interest payments. That means our AAA rating will bring savings for universities, state parks and, ultimately, taxpayers.

As the nation and some states have experienced downgrades, the AAA rating South Dakota has received from S&P is an indication that we’re on the right track. We don’t spend money we don’t have. We keep our budget in structural balance. We are frugal and seize opportunities to spend in the short term where it can lead to savings, efficiencies or better government in the long term.

We work hard to keep our state on a firm financial footing, and this is just the latest example of how that stewardship is paying dividends.

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Happy Mother’s Day, and thanks mom for what you passed on.

@SoDakCampaigns

I’m rather proud of myself this weekend, as I’m finishing up a furniture project. But, if it hadn’t been for one of my long-time mentors, I wouldn’t have touched it with a ten foot pole.

In preparation of sprucing the house up for the graduation of our number three daughter this year, we had some painting done. And to make sure the wall behind our bed didn’t get scuzzy again we decided that after all of these years, we needed a headboard that matched our oak bedroom set.

IMG_1429The problem was, we couldn’t find one under $500.  So, I set out to build one using some oak table leaves salvaged from the oak table in my parents house. A dog had used the base of the table for a chew toy, so the table leaves were all that was left to salvage from the table I grew up with at the ancestral Powers home in Pierre.

So, I set about turning the table leaves with worn finish (pictured at the left) into something that my wife wouldn’t be embarrassed over if someone saw it in our home.

The process wasn’t terribly difficult, as my bedroom furniture is a fairly simple mission style design, so there’s not a lot of fancy work requiring routing. Just basic construction, with right angles, and simple joinery.  So, I IMG_1432made my cuts, added some oak plywood from the local lumber yard, stripped, sanded, stained and put polyurethane on.

And as I wait for the coat of polyurethane to dry to drill for the bed frame and add some final touches, I like to think I have a fairly decent looking product.

But, I have to give credit for where credit is due, as I would have none of those skills without my mother and being placed into forced parental servitude whenever she had a project.

Since I was the oldest, I was often ‘nominated,’ into assisting with my mom’s latest project she was working on. Long before she was an auctioneer, she was one of the few in town who would strip and refinish furniture. For a time, her business was operated as “the Strip Shop” out of Hayes, SD with her business partner at the time.  And yes, they played up the entendre’ advertising with a lady of the night saying “Give us your cold and tired furniture.”

I didn’t like the drive out into the boondocks, but when she worked at home, on the hot summer days in Pierre, I would be involuntarily inducted stripping, sanding, staining, applying sanding sealer, or whatever task she felt comfortable trusting me with, depending on my age at the time.

Oddly enough, I could never coerce my friends that it was fun, Tom Sawyer style.  “Hey, want to help me? All you have to do is to put on heavy long sleeves, gloves, and shop glasses to pour a caustic substance that will burn you like acid onto a painted dresser to remove paint? It’s only 102° out!”   “Uh, no. Bye.”

So, as we did in later years in the auction business, we slogged through it together.   My mom was never a woodworker, but I did learn some solid basics on refinishing furniture, such as if you have to repair or add wood to a piece to be refinished, repair it before stripping. Why? When you strip it, chemicals and finish from the old wood gets into the new and helps to make it look aged and match better when you go to apply a new finish. And if you fill holes, to mix sawdust from the piece with the wood filler, as it helps it take the stain closer to the rest of the piece.

Mom holding her first grandchild
Mom holding her first grandchild

Silly anecdotes? Sure. But this was part of the body of knowledge she passed on to me in working side by side with her over several decades. Along with many other things and life lessons delivered with the unconditional love and eternal patience of a mother.

She didn’t do a lot of furniture work in her later years, as she was too busy with being a school nurse and auctioneer, but she’d done it for too many years on the hot sidewalk out of our garage on North Central Avenue in Pierre wearing flannel shits and paint-stained sweat pants for people to ever forget it.

Upon her passing back about Thanksgiving in November 2000, in noting her natural oak coffin, I remarked “if she were here with us, she would study it for a moment, and say, “I could turn that into a great coffee table.”   And people who knew my mom laughed, and say “yes, she would.”

So, here’s to our moms today, present or remembered. Thank you for everything.

What happened with GOP Senate Leadership elections today? Here’s the list.

@SoDakCampaigns

While I’ve been in the garage building a piece of furniture to match my bedroom set today, the South Dakota Senate Republicans held caucus elections to determine who would lead the caucus this next legislative session.

So, who got what? Here’s my intel:

  • Gary Cammack of Union Center has been elected to be the new President Pro Tempore.
  • Corey Brown of Gettysburg is the new Majority Leader, moving down from President Pro Temp.
  • Jim White of Huron is the new Assistant Majority Leader
  • Existing Whips are Ernie Otten, Deb Soholt, and added to that list is new Majority Whip Alan Solano of Rapid City

What are your thoughts?