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I’m going through what I’ve got on the closed door 2017 SDDP McGovern Day Dinner, specifically, the podium time given to 2016 Democrat Sacrificial Lamb for Congress Paula Hawks.

And unless my ears deceive me, did she just take a dig at SDDP Chair Ann Tornberg about not having a plan?   She had sent out an e-mail to Democrats in the run up to the dinner offering to take over as chair, and lamenting Ann Tornberg’s lack of a plan and noted “We haven’t seen a strategic plan from the state office telling us what the plan is for the next five years, the next year, or even the next six months.”

The attempted coup against Tornberg failed. But in Hawks’ speech to the crowd there was this interesting tidbit:

“We need some folks in this room tonight to form a plan… if you don’t already have one in place…”

Ouch.

South Dakota Democrats shut their day’s events coinciding with their 2017 McGovern Day Dinner to the media, and closed the doors.

And in the aftermath, even their sycophants won’t talk about it, as if some magical gag order is being enforced on what Democrats were doing on the other side of the Ramkota this past Saturday night.

So what’s a political observer to do?  What are the curious and those plain interested in what went on in the tent show after the carnival barkers closed the tent?  Of course, we have the coverage here at the SDWC!  And I’ll be bringing you parts of the event as I sift through them.

And to start – here’s the program from the event, including who helped sponsor it:

2017 SDDP McGovern Day Dinner Program by Pat Powers on Scribd

Stay tuned, as I’m just getting started.

Hot off of my e-mail.. – PP

Dear Friends,

A lot has happened since my last message to you two weeks ago.  You know you have been traveling a lot when the gas station attendants in faraway places know you by name when you walk in in the middle of the night!  Since I last wrote you I have traveled over 3,700 miles across our great state!

I spoke at the Sheriff’s conference in Deadwood to the hardworking men and women of law enforcement and then traveled to all five Lincoln Day Dinners in Watertown, Aberdeen, Brookings, Spearfish, and Rapid City.  Some people have asked how I can drive all day, go to an event or two and then drive back all night. Well, in each place I have so many friends who treat me like family and I look forward to seeing them.  Like our President, all of you give me energy, so I try to be high energy in return.

As you know, last year I fought a number of ballot issues, and while together we beat most of them, a number of them are coming again, which are bad for our state.  As I travel around this year, I speak about how we need to encourage people not to sign the petitions to “just let it on the ballot.”  Remember, DON’T SIGN IT!

The first two ballot issues I have spoken out against are MEDICAL MARIJUANA and RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA.  What other drug seeks to fit into both of these categories at the same time?  Next, Rick Weiland is at it again and now is bringing a Constitutional Amendment Version of IM 22.  He again seeks to limit your first amendment rights through the ballot measure process.  Last year, millions of dollars poured in to support the measures he wanted passed, so let’s encourage people DON’T SIGN IT!  All 3 of these measures need to be defeated!

In order to continue the momentum I am building to become South Dakota’s next Attorney General, I need your help.  Please consider contributing today to my campaign and allowing me the opportunity to continue to meet with voters.  I encourage you to go online to donate here. Please let me know if you are interested in discussing your financial support by phone, I would be happy to give you a call to give you more details.

You can follow my campaign on Facebook and Twitter or check out my website.

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers!

Best,
Jason Ravnsborg
Candidate for South Dakota Attorney General

Let’s see… Westerhuis family, abortion, reporter, Trump, license plates, event, payday lenders, global warming, Trump, Trump, and more Trump.  Dakota Free Press’ liberal Democrat mouthpiece Cory Heidelberger has had a lot to talk about over the last couple of days, except arguably the biggest political event of the season; the South Dakota Democrat Central Committee meeting where an attempt was made to oust SDDP Chair Ann Tornberg, as well as the closed door event with Keith Ellison.

Since Heidelberger was one of those trumpeting the vote that would have triggered Tornberg’s ouster…. his silence speaks volumes.  But like I said, he’s not talking. In fact, he didn’t even attend the revolution he was promoting.

Since Cory’s avoiding the topic of the Democrats’ epic fail, So, let’s go to what the media – specifically KELO AM’s Todd Epp – has to say about it:

The Night of Long Knives Saturday turned into The Night of Short Sporks. The revolutionaries either didn’t have the votes or the ya-yas to get the state party Central Committee  to vote on changing the election of the chair and officers to the spring, so Chair Ann Tornberg gets to keep her job—and lead the party further into obscurity.

and..

How sad is it that my party can’t even conduct a proper revolt?

There could not be a worse result. Everyone is mad. The status quo remains. The party chair is mortally wounded. And another election looms with still no plan of how to raise money or register voters. The state Democratic Party doesn’t even have an executive director right now.

And what else did my party elders do? They kept the media out from their McGovern Day events. So they lost out on free, positive media. Instead, what was the narrative? The party is in disarray and will stay that way for the foreseeable future.

Read it all here.

I have the feeling that the ripples from this attempted coup are just beginning.

Stay tuned.

My wife and I stepped out 11:30 to try to catch a quick bite of lunch, hoping that George’s pizza was serving soup on this cold and wintry May 1.  No such luck, but still, the food is always good at his Brookings institution.

And as we were walking out, apparently someone else had the same idea.

Attorney General Marty Jackley is in Brookings today for work, specifically law enforcement activities, and apparently this Gubernatorial hopeful knows where you can find one of the best lunches in town.

Marty noted that his activities here today are strictly non-campaign related, but a blogger can’t help but snap a photo on the way out the door.

Todd Epp, a.k.a. “Token Liberal” of the Greg Belfrage show is chiming in about yesterday’s dueling events, where he sees the SDGOP coming out on top, and the SDDP taking a major hit in how people view them:

When I look at our Republican brothers and sisters, they have had great leaders as chairpeople. Craig Lawrence and Joel Rosenthal especially come to mind, but also people like Pam Roberts and Dan Lederman. While we may disagree with their positions on the issues, they knew or know how to lead. For example, Lederman holding the rally at the same venue as the Democrats’ McGovern Day was diabolically brilliant. It took attention away from the Democrats, who also shot themselves in the feet but not opening our event to the media.

With yesterday’s events, not only do we still have a poor leader in charge of our party, but a mortally wounded one going into the 2018 election. I’m not sure how things could get any worse but we are set up for such an eventuality. To wait for Trump to implode is not a strategy but a wish. Politics is an elbows out sport and hard work that depends on planning and money. Until we Democrats figure that out, we will continue to bleed market share–i.e. voters, to the Republicans and Independents. And even fewer Democrats in Pierre.

Maybe it is time for a new party. I’m not sure this one is salvageable. We can’t even stage a propper (sic) revolt.

Read that here.

This comment comes under a post at Cory Heidelberger’s Dakota Free Press, where Heidelberger fanned the flames and promoted the revolt against Tornberg, but didn’t bother to drive to Sioux Falls to participate nor cover the vote to replace Tornberg or to attend Democrat’s big annual dinner. (Al Novstrup was at the GOP event, BTW).

It was a good event for Lederman, who despite having no major statewide candidates or officeholders who were available to attend, managed to pack the place with activists who were willing to take the fight to the doorstep of Democrats.

And as Epp notes, “not only do we still have a poor leader in charge of our party, but a mortally wounded one going into the 2018 election. I’m not sure how things could get any worse but we are set up for such an eventuality.”

As I’ve said, Dems, just keep doing your thing.

A Bright Forecast
By Sen. John Thune

If you live in South Dakota, you know how quickly the weather can change. One minute it’s warm and sunny, and in the blink of an eye, you’re in the middle of a torrential downpour. From harsh winters to hot summers, we get a little of everything. And as folks in some parts of South Dakota recently discovered, it doesn’t matter what the calendar says, winter will end when it’s good and ready.

Accurately forecasted weather is important for a lot of reasons. There’s the obvious, like whether or not you’ll need an umbrella before you head to work. There’s the not-so-obvious, like the fact that South Dakota farmers depend on long-term weather forecasts to help determine when they’ll need to plant crops each spring. Perhaps most importantly, though, when it comes to extreme weather, like severe thunderstorms or tornadoes, timely and accurate weather forecasts can help save lives.

The National Weather Service (NWS) recently held a statewide tornado drill in South Dakota, so no matter what it looked like outside, most folks throughout the state probably heard the ominous howl of local tornado sirens. While these sirens are integral tools that help keep people safe, consumers can now have severe weather alerts sent directly to mobile devices, like cell phones or even smart watches – an idea hardly imaginable when I was a kid.

I’ve seen South Dakota weather – the good, the bad, and the ugly – which is why I’ve spent months working with a bipartisan group of senators to pass sweeping weather research and forecasting legislation, which was recently signed into law. The new law encompasses numerous ideas authored by Republicans and Democrats from both the House and Senate. A writer for the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang called these reforms, collectively, “the first major piece of weather legislation adopted since the 1990s.”

I authored several provisions of the new law, including one that will improve seasonal and subseasonal forecasts, which will help farmers make more informed decisions about when it’s the most opportune time to plant certain crops. I also authored a provision that will require the NWS to designate at least one warning coordination meteorologist at each of the 122 weather forecasting offices throughout the country. These NWS employees will collaborate with local officials, including the media, to increase the usefulness of emergency weather communication.

The new law also takes several meaningful steps toward improving tornado forecasting and accuracy. It tasks the NWS with improving its watches and warning system, which would make these alerts easier to understand and hopefully give individuals additional time to take necessary safety steps. The law will also require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study and identify radar coverage gaps to help determine ways to better protect communities throughout the country.

There are few issues that affect every single American. Weather is one of them. So, it’s no coincidence that our bill was one of the first to make it to the president’s desk this year. It’s a good, common-sense law and one that will hopefully have a positive and lasting effect on the American people for years to come.

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Paris Climate Agreement Another Misguided Step That Puts U.S. At Competitive Disadvantage
By Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.)

Last year, President Obama entered into a radical climate agreement called the Paris Agreement with other global leaders in an attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas. Unfortunately, it is a bad deal for America. We all want to pass on a clean, safe environment to future generations, but the Paris Agreement was made without the support of Congress or the American people. The new energy restrictions outlined in the Paris Agreement will lead to higher electricity rates and regulatory costs for U.S. producers and manufacturers, which are passed onto us in the form of higher prices. This puts our country at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world as we compete for new markets to sell our goods and services.  Simply put, the Paris Agreement is a bad deal for the United States’ economy.  It shackles our economy and raises electricity costs without even meeting the agreement’s goal of having an effect on climate change.

Currently under the agreement, the United States is obligated to cut our greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by the year 2025, or about 1.1 billion tons. That’s in addition to the more than 820 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions we’ve already cut over the past decade. Meanwhile, other signers, including Russia, India and Iran, are allowed to actually increase or have no cap on their emissions output. Crazier yet, China, the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, has no emissions cap. So, while we increase our costs of production, the rest of the world continues to produce greenhouse gases and grow their economies which explains why research has shown the agreement has no measurable effect on the environment.

Cutting emissions comes at a big cost to our economy. According to a March 2017 study by NERA Economic Consulting, the Paris Agreement will cost the United States $3 trillion and cut 6.5 million jobs by 2040. Industry in the United States has already been stymied by the countless regulations imposed throughout President Obama’s tenure in office. It’s time that we allow industry to grow and create more jobs for our citizens. They should not have to leave the U.S. to competitively produce their products. The Paris Agreement is a bad deal, one which impacts our economy while allowing other countries to continue producing greenhouse gas emissions.

Good energy policies include an ‘all of the above’ approach that will strengthen our economy, create jobs and enhance our energy independence.  While we only have one clean coal power plant located at Big Stone in South Dakota, we still rely on electricity produced at clean coal fired plants in other states.

In South Dakota, we have clean air and water. We intend to keep it that way. We also intend to have a strong economy that creates jobs for our citizens. These are not mutually exclusive. Let’s do both. Let’s not destroy our economy by adhering to the Paris Agreement, an agreement which clearly allows for the production of greenhouse gases by most of the rest of the world.

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100 Days of Giving Control Back to You
By Rep. Kristi Noem

We’ve just passed President Trump’s 100-day mark.  While that is a relatively short amount of time, it does make for a good opportunity to reflect on the progress so far.

A lot has changed since President Trump moved into the White House.  For one, we’re finally seeing the legislation conservatives have long fought for become law.  Already, I’ve helped pass 29 bills that President Trump has signed – the most for a president’s first 100 days since Truman was elected.

While President Obama used his executive authorities to expand government’s influence over our lives, President Trump has worked with me and other members of Congress to return power to the American people.  For instance, nearly half of the new laws peeled back harmful Obama-era regulations.  Under the previous administration, new regulations promised to increase household costs by thousands of dollars. But through the work we’ve done this year alone, families and businesses are expected to save $67 billion.  This is a new era.

We’ve done much of this through the Congressional Review Act.  While this provision has been used successfully only one time before, I’ve now helped pass more than a dozen Congressional Review Act resolutions that have landed on President Trump’s desk and earned his signature.

In some cases, these regulatory repeals have provided relief for small businesses, energy workers, and retirees.  In others, we’ve protected the most vulnerable among us: the unborn.  One provision in particular gave states the ability to defund abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood.  With President Trump’s signature in mid-April, it’s now the law of the land.  This, along with the successful confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, has offered long-awaited victories for the pro-life movement.

I’ve also been pleased to see some of the efforts that have come directly from the White House. In a state like South Dakota, families earning less than $50,000 per year already spend one-fifth of their after-tax income on energy. Along with other measures, I’ve supported the Keystone Pipeline’s construction to help drive these costs down and promote greater energy independence.  But the Obama administration vetoed our efforts. I was thrilled, however, to see President Trump pick up the mantle and approve the pipeline’s construction.

And much more is in the works.

We’ve gotten further on tax reform in the last few months than others have gotten in the last 30 years.  While we continue to debate smaller details, Congress and the White House are united behind a few key principles: folks ought to be paying less, the tax code needs to be made simpler, and we have to incentivize growth again.

We’ve also made more progress on health care reform in 100 days than President Obama made in 400 days. I remain committed to repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a plan that gives you more freedom and flexibility.

As all this is taking place, we’ve been able to strengthen America’s global posture and better secure our borders.  In fact, in President Trump’s first month alone, illegal border crossings decreased by 40 percent, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.

Once again, we’re only 100 days in and already we’ve seen the tides change.  Whether we’re talking about deregulation, energy security, tax reform or health care reform, we’re seeing power flow away from Washington, navigating its way back to the people – where it should have been all along.