Category: Political News

Butte County GOP chairman demanding “Public Official Loyalty Pledge.” Is that supposed to somehow help?

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This newspaper ad appeared in the Faith Independent newspaper as an advertisement on January 7th from James Pietila, Chairman of the Butte County Republican Central Committee.

In this ad, the county party notes Senator Betty Olson and Representative Sam Marty signed the pledge. It holds out Speaker of the House Dean Wink for declining to sign, and notes no response from Representative Tom Brunner, nor Senator Gary Cammack for the groups’ “Public Officials Loyalty Pledge.”

party_loyalty_OathAm I the only one who remembers those days of yore when Republican party organizations worked to get Republicans elected? Instead of beating them up, and trying to throw them to the wolves?

And, who benefits from the action taken by this county chair?  Possible primary campaign opponents? Possibly?  Democrat challengers who might try to take an opportunity to further the dis-unity? More likely.

The fact is that at the extremes, there are those in the party who demand blind subservience to how they individually interpret the GOP Platform. And there are elected officials who believe their loyalty is solely to the broad base of voters (on any side of the aisle) who cast a ballot for them, and not a political organization.

Except for his last campaign against Tim Johnson, Larry Pressler was an example of the latter, and often spent his time fighting with the party leaders. The dwindling number of Gordon Howie-ites would be an example of those who interpret and dispense their pronouncements on who is and is not following the platform.  As they run as independents against Republicans, and try to re-register as Republicans when the election is over.

In either extreme, I’m not sure how any of them build the Republican party and pay it forward – to further the goal of electing all Republicans to office. Because what Mr. Pietila did failed to manage anything close to that. And isn’t what he was supposedly elected to be chairman for?

In this case, I don’t think I can point out any instance of the people Mr. Pietila called out for not signing his “Public Official Loyalty Pledge” for any non-Republican behavior. None at all.  So, I’m not sure why this ad needed to be placed? In case Obamacare suddenly breaks out all over?

If you look at this, “the loyalty pledge” was adopted back in July! So what purpose did it serve to run in January, other than to take a backhanded slap at people?

Leading up to the general election, according to pre-general and year end reports, the Butte County GOP raised $300 and didn’t report spending any of it to elect the candidates to office that they’re now demanding a loyalty oath of. Yet, I’m sure this advertisement cost the county party money (despite the fact it illegally lacks a disclaimer).

So, at least to this outsider across the state, on the surface, it looks like the Butte County Chairman spent more of the County GOP’s bank account to call out and attempt to embarrass Republican office holders after the election than they did to elect them in the election.

Maybe it’s just me, I’m not sure how this promotes a stronger Republican party in South Dakota.

Senate Candidate Howie supported by liberal Democrat PAC cash, including Soros money.

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League of Conservation voters. International Brotherhood of Teamsters. MoveOn. The Democrat’s House Majority PAC. AFSCME.   Sounds like a list of the people who were donating money to support RIck Weiland’s campaign, doesn’t it?  And they did. But they also spent over $100,000 to support another person running. The self-anointed ‘most conservative’ candidate in South Dakota’s race for US Senate, Gordon Howie.

This past year, a PAC was formed to support the candidacy of Gordon Howie, ran by Howie confederate Gary Coe, called “Many True Conservatives.” And if you look at their expenditures, in the FEC Report below, Many True Conservatives spent nearly every dime to promote the candidacy of Gordon Kenneth Howie.

Many True Conservatives 2014 4q FEC

Where did this PAC get their money? Well, if you look at the report, they took in nearly all of their money (Over $108,000 total) from a single source – Every Voice Action.

Don’t remember them? They came in late in the game, and were reported on briefly by David Montgomery at the Argus Leader. In reference to their support of Rick Weiland:

Every Voice Action received $1.58 million through Sept. 30. It’s received another $665,000 in the past two weeks.

Who are these donors? The biggest ones are other groups.

For example, the better-funded Mayday PAC gave $458,000 to its comrade in the fight against Mike Rounds.

Another group, “Friends of Democracy IE,” was even more generous. It gave $1.15 million to Every Voice. Donnelly is the treasurer of Friends of Democracy, another Super PAC founded “to end Super PACs.” Hopping over to Friends of Democracy’s FEC page, we can see it’s been primarily funded by a famous name: Soros.

In particular, it’s been given most of its money by Jonathan Soros, son of the famous financier (and liberal donor) George Soros. This election cycle, Jonathan Soros gave Friends of Democracy $1.5 million. George Soros gave it another $250,000; other George Soros children Andrea Soros and Alex Soros gave $250,000 and $375,000. It also got a lot of money from Napster founder and Facebook investor Sean Parker ($245,000), Google engineer Matt Cutts ($285,000), Kathleen McGrath of Encino, Calif. ($100,000), and John Pritzker of the Pritzker family.

Back to Every Voice Action. It’s also received $100,000 from CWA Working Voices, the independent expenditure arm of the Communication Workers of America; $100,000 from former Stride Rite president Arnold Hiatt; $50,000 from Cutts; $50,000 from private equity billionaire Jerome Kohlberg; and $50,000 from early Google employee David DesJardins. Other donors gave it less than $50,000; I’ll list them all at the bottom.

It also got an in-kind donation of $11,427.42 from the House Majority PAC, a PAC devoted to helping House Democrats. That was listed as being shared polling costs in districts where Every Voice Action is backing Democratic congressional candidates.

Read that here.

And if you’re interested in seeing where this liberal Democratic PAC spent their money, you can read at least one of the Every Voice Action FEC reports here. And I’d draw your particular attention to pages 24, 25, etc., where it says “Many True Conservatives:”

Every Voice Action FEC

What makes this even more bizarre is the rhetoric that came from Coe in his support of Howie:

South Dakota is a pivotal state in the US Senate race due to a need to defeat the liberal agenda. We must topple the Harry Reid empire before he totally destroys all our Judeo-Christian values and assists President Obama in plunging our nation into total financial ruin.

There is only one true conservative in the South Dakota Senate race. Gordon Howie, running as an independent, a man of no compromise, is that man. Gordon has continued to work for smaller government, fiscal responsibility, high moral values and has been a leader for many years in the fight to stop killing the unborn.

and..

The Democrat Rick Weiland is very liberal and totally aligned with the Obama-Reid ideology. Larry Pressler, a one time liberal republican, based on his record and press releases, is now an Obama/Obamacare endorsing socialist.

Read that note from Gary Coe here at the Gordon Howie for Senate web site.

So, Gordon Howie and Gary Coe were deathly concerned about Liberals. Yet Coe’s “Many True Conservatives” were all about sucking up as much cash as they could collect from the liberal left. Somehow Gary Coe had no problem soliciting and spending Soros family money. And Union Money. And money from a PAC devoted to elect House Democrats.

All to get Gordon Howie elected.

Kind of makes you wonder who the true conservatives are. Because we sure know who they aren’t.

Tyler fired because she was Democrats’ illegal hire

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I don’t think I can relate it better than Bob Mercer does this afternoon. But today, Kathy Tyler was fired as an illegal hire by the Democrats. Unless, she wants to work for free.

Why? Because she approved the budget she’s attempting to draw a paycheck from:

Now former Rep. Kathy Tyler also has been shown the door, or at least refused a state paycheck, as the House Democrats’ caucus secretary. The Republican leadership had strong grounds for that decision, however, because there is a ban in the state constitution against state contracts for legislators while they are in office and for one year after.

And…

Tyler’s hiring by the Democrats appears clearly illegal if she was to be paid with state funds.

Read it here.

You would have thought Tyler should have known about the legal prohibition as to the fact it is a conflict to draw a paycheck from the state within a year of departing office as a legislator.

Annette Bosworth’s Latest fundraising plea. Marty Jackley runs DSS with his minions, Annette is 100% innocent, and other tall tales.

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Is it February yet? I’m not sure it can’t come too soon, so the Bosworth circus can finally pack their tents up and break camp.

I was mentioning ‘Bosworthian’ fundraising pleas yesterday, when I was talking about Rick Weiland’s latest cash beg. Coincidentally, today brings us an ACTUAL new Bosworth fundraising plea.

Although it was dated for December, my correspondent received in the last few days. And as you might expect, it’s a bit much:

New Boz Letter

“That 8-page letter made it into the hands of Attorney General Marty Jackley as well as several of the other establishment politicians in South Dakota.

Well, no kidding. When you send out thousands of letters, a few are going to come back to SD for episodes of eye-rolling.   And people wondering exactly when all this alleged “preacher interrogation” took place that she keeps bringing up.  And if you thought that claim continues to be a stretch……..:

The Department of Social Services, run by AG Marty Jackley, receives hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money to care for them .

Did I miss it when the Governor handed over the Department of Social Services to the Attorney General?  No? Then I guess the letter would be lying here.

Which has an effect of impeaching it’s testimony in other places, such as where it claims – I AM 100 PERCENT INNOCENT.

The problem with this claim is that Bosworth has publicly admitted the conduct for which she’s been charged with. I’m not sure how that makes her 100% innocent.  Or even 75%.

Anyway, according to the letter, you can donate $500, $1000, or $2500 to Annette’s legal fund.  And even better, the donation form has a place for you to put all your credit card information on the donation form, including the CVV number for your card.

Oddly enough, much like many of the claims she makes in the letter, I’m not sure that I would be comfortable with that.

I’ve seen this before. Weiland sends post-election plea for money.

@SoDakCampaigns

Apparently, Rick Weiland sent a message out this morning via e-mail blast. And the message was “send him money, despite being crushed in the election several months ago.”

Haven’t we seen someone else do the desperate “send me money after the election letter” recently?  Because Rick’s appeal does seem very “Bosworthian.”

 ———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Rick Weiland <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 8:04 AM
Subject: We Sent a Message
To:

The U.S. Senate advanced legislation on Monday night to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and begin debate on the bill, by a vote of 63 to 32. The House passed the bill last week by a vote of 266 to 153. The final vote on the bill is expected to come in the last of week of January, so time is running out.

Nearly 1,600 people, in a matter of a just a few hours, agreed that building the Keystone pipeline is more about “big oil” and their “big money” influence over our Congress and elected leaders than it is about jobs or energy security, and signed our petition. You can view the signatures by clicking the button below:

Because of your support, our petition has been sent to President Obama, Senators McConnell and Reid, Speaker Boehner and Congresswoman Pelosi urging them to consider all the facts and environmental impacts of the Keystone XL pipeline.

We are continuing to make South Dakota a demonstration project and a nationwide beacon for the fight against big money.  Thank you for your standing up and for your help at this critical time.

Rick Weiland

Paid for by People for Rick Weiland

People for Rick Weiland
PO Box 1488
Sioux Falls SD 57105 United States

Democrat Chairwoman: “It’s been worse.” Reality: No. It really hasn’t been.

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From the Capitol Journal comes an almost bizarre line of propaganda out of Democrat Chairwoman Ann Tornberg to the coffee clutch size gathering of Democrats she was able to entice to listen:

Ann Tornberg, elected last month as chairwoman of the South Dakota Democratic Party, told the group of 17 that in this new year, when there are only 20 Democrats among the 105 legislators meeting in the Capitol in Pierre, it will take grassroots organizing by everyone to bring the party back to relevance.

It’s been worse, and the same things that worked for the party back then can again, said Tornberg, who is 59 and from Beresford.

and…

Of the 17 who met at the Long Branch saloon downtown on Pierre Street on Monday evening to hold the regular meeting of the Hughes and Stanley counties’ Democrats and to hear Tornberg, two were men and four were college women working as interns in the Legislature.

and…

Tornberg ran for the state Senate from District 16 near Sioux Falls, losing to Republican incumbent Dan Lederman, despite touting herself as pro-life, pro-family, pro-agriculture and pro-education.

She got nearly 45 percent of the vote and forced Lederman to spend $75,000, Tornberg said. And she can relate to many Democrats in the state in knowing the bad feeling of losing an election, she said.

Read it here.

Where do I start?   Tornberg tries to turn the Democrat frowns upside down by telling them “It’s been worse.”  Reality to Anne: No, it hasn’t. It really hasn’t been worse.  If it has been worse, it hasn’t been in our lifetimes.

obamas_allyThe even funnier part was the line where she claimed “She…. forced Lederman to spend $75,000.”  Another dose of reality to Tornberg: How did she force him to do this? With psychic ability?

Dan didn’t spend it out of his own pocket. He didn’t write the check from personal funds. Lederman was able to raise $75,000 to beat Tornberg because people didn’t want a hyper-political Obama sycophant in office.

The voters in District 16 had rejected Tornberg for office several times already, and made the 2014 election an exclamation point after she’d wrapped her arms around Obama in the previous cycle, hosting events for his re-election.

And serving as the Democrats’ convention chairwoman didn’t help much either.

So, as Tornberg spouts this message of Democrat hope across the State, she should keep those things in mind, lest her nose start growing like Pinocchio’s . This IS the low point for Democrats, and whatever she did in the last election, as far as Republicans are concerned, she can keep doing it.

Long-time State Employee, former Dept. Secretary and Chief of Operations Pam Roberts tapped to lead SDGOP as next chair.

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I’d heard rumblings that someone out of Pierre was looking at serving as the SDGOP’s next chair.

And those rumors are confirmed tonight as a group letter has been issued from the top of the party’s ticket endorsing former SD Secretary of Labor Pam Roberts as their candidate of choice for Republican State Party chairwoman.  Roberts had also served in other roles including Chief of Operations under Governor Janklow.

roberts1 roberts2Joining Pam on the endorsed slate of candidates includes Drake Olson as vice chair, Sara Frankenstein Hoyt as Secretary, and Justin Bell as treasurer.

Pam’s a sharp, and well organized person, and brings a slightly different dynamic to the SDGOP than that of ad man Craig Lawrence. But she’s no less experienced, and should not disappoint.

Pam’s not the first woman to serve as GOP chair. If memory serves, Pat Adam of Pierre, and Arlene Ham of Rapid City had previously served in the role in the 70’s/80’s.

Candidates will be voted on at an upcoming Republican Central Committee Meeting.

New legislator Josh Klumb profiled in Mitchell Republic

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From the Mitchell Daily Republic, newly elected Republican legislator Josh Klumb is profiled as he prepares to go to Pierre:

Joshua Klumb, of Mount Vernon, will enter the Capitol as one of two House representatives for Davison, Aurora and Jerauld counties. He said agricultural issues will be his main concerns as he is a farmer and was named vice-chair of the House Ag and Natural Resources Committee.

He said water mitigation issues in the state will likely be points of discussion. He’ll also keep his eyes on pheasant habitat, and work between farmers and the state to keep the popular birds at healthy numbers.

“I haven’t heard a lot that’s coming down the pipeline,” Klumb said. “I’ll wait and see what people drop in the hopper when I get there. I know people have ideas, but I haven’t heard a whole lot yet.”

Read it all here.