Recall the Rick Santorum visit to Pierre a month ago to promote the Convention of States measure they keep trying to push in South Dakota? No. I didn’t either since it received little to no notice in the media. However, I had a reader who went through a video on his speech, as well as some supplemental materials, and noticed some interesting things about the Convention of States messaging.
Such as that at times, their deeds do not match their words. And that it’s their intention to spend 10 times in races what they spent in 2022.
According to Santorum at the press conference…
Passing the Convention of States Resolution will NOT Stop the Annual Debate at the State Capitol
23:33 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=1413 “I really believe we need to institute [the Article V Constitutional Convention] as a normal thing that the legislatures do, that every 5 or 10 years, they have a convention…”
28:01 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=1681 “Once you get in a convention, … you might see some… changes that will hopefully encourage folks to say… ‘hey, let’s do this again in 5 years'”
Note: this would imply that even if a convention does happen, lobbyists pushing for another convention would descend up on Pierre almost immediately.
36:37 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=2197 Texas Governor “Gregg Abbott called a special session to do this [apply for Article V Convention] in Texas and we’re gonna run another bill in Texas this year, and he’s gonna be very helpful in supporting it.”
Note: The TX Legislature passed the Convention of States Action model resolution in 2017. Why are the COS Lobbyists returning to the TX Legislature? Also, see HJR9 https://le.utah.gov/~2022/bills/static/HJR009.html from Utah in 2022. Big COS proponent, Rep. Ken Ivory, introduced a resolution to demand a Convention be called by Congress, by adding up Article V Convention applications on unrelated subjects from 34 or more states—a thing lobbyists specifically reassured legislators could not and would not be done since it would open up a convention to an unintended agenda (a “runaway” convention). Utah had passed the COS resolution in 2019, but 3 years later, convention proponents came back.
Even if they pass a Convention of States resolution.. they’re telling us up front that they’re going to keep coming back to do another one.
Here’s a big point from Santorum’s speech: They’re coming back in 2022, and according to Mark Meckler, they plan to spend 10x as much:
Convention of States Project Plans to Continue Involvement in Legislative Races
43:11 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=2591 “We got involved in elections [in 2022], we’ll get involved in elections again in 2 more years”
Note: Also see recent quote from Mark Meckler that COS plans to do “a lot more” political involvement, increasing it TEN-FOLD in 2024 compared to 2022. COS to increase Political Activity TEN-FOLD in 2024: Meckler – YouTube
Some estimates had them dropping up to 200 to 500k into South Dakota. Now they’re intimating them may spend millions in out of state funds to defeat legislative candidates?
And more noticeably, Santorum declares that “In South Dakota, we need to take out Republicans.” Followed by Convention of States (COS) Project Regional Director, David Schneider, talking about how they’re happy to support Independents or Libertarians. Underlining that they’re not about electing the GOP. It’s all about them.
Santorum called out legislators who oppose a Convention of States measure,and did some trash talking:
Legislators who Oppose an Article V Convention are FRAUDS
11:41 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=701 “when you talk to one of your state legislators who complains about Washington, … you ask them where they are with Convention of States, ’cause if they say they’re against it, then they’re a FRAUD. They are a FRAUD…if they really believed that Washington was the problem, they’d all vote for this…maybe they don’t want the power. Maybe they want Washington to actually do all these things and just complain about it when it happens. We know people like that. We all do. And you have a bunch of ’em over here in South Dakota.”
Obviously, they’re kind of big babies about people being opposed to opening up the Constitution for amending in this manner:
COS Does Not Like being Defeated by Organized Opposition, Especially in “Red” States
7:25 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=445 “So here I am in South Dakota, a state that you would think would be one of the first states that would say, ‘Hey, we want to have this power here in the states; we don’t want California telling us how to do our business in South Dakota…’ and you would think that conservatives in a super-red state like South Dakota would be one of the first, but we’re not.”
8:04 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=484 “it just bothers me that a state this red with people who are overwhelmingly supportive of this concept don’t have legislators that reflect that.”
14:02 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=842 “We hope to get 4 or 5 more states next year. I’d love South Dakota to be one. There’s no reason…I mean, it’s just, it’s, it’s, it doesn’t make any sense.”
And if they fail again, they plan on coming back, even if they have to wait out conservatives who oppose their plan to amend the constitution every 5 years:
…and Waiting for Opponents to be Termed out…
17:11 https://youtu.be/a6xbgJrUsOM?t=1031 “And with term limits, a lot of these guys are gonna be gone; we’ll have a chance to do it when they’re not there. Whatever it takes, that’s what’s gonna happen.”
If Santorum made the argument for anything with the Convention of States group and their measure, it’s that before legislators sign on to their radical plan to try to do surgery on the US Constitution every 4 or 5 years, they need to think hard.
And make sure they get the hint that their measure, their candidates, and amending the US Constitution every 5 years is not welcome in South Dakota.
Hard pass. Rick needs to stick with his CNN gig and leave his poison out of South Dakota.
in 2009, a huge taxed-enough-already movement swept the country, a moment of national unity that rivaled the way this nation came together after 9/11 for a brief time.
for some unfathomable reason, the nation’s wingnuts, in their various enclaves, looked out upon this 2009 movement, and said ‘the people have moved to us. we shall rise to lead the teeming millions who are now rallying to us.’
as the hard right fringe rose to leadership, the millions not only drifted away, they ran for the door, shrinking the movement to the thousands and hundreds who were there before in the ranks.
i’m amazed when a person like santorum, who served with tom daschle and tim johnson, gushes about what a vastly “red” state we are – as if all the residents are hard right EXCEPT FOR the people who mysteriously get elected to public office of course by the vast red electorate.
there is no mystery here, and no vast red wave either. that’s what i love about this state.
Conventions should be reserved to Legislative Districts, County and Precinct Committeemen and Women to discuss within the State” by holding regional forums, and meetings around the State. IF these people want us to adopt a COS, then they first should petition the voters to request a State Convention held in South Dakota, of which our Delegates, County, and Precinct Committees run the show… I am NOT open to the COS at this time, But I would to hold a S.D Convention to discuss the Federal or State Constitutions as a “State Republic”. There are things we do need to address, such as repealing Amendments 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17, let alone we should always be holding “State Constitution Revision Commission” meetings every other year in odd # years.
I think as a Free and Sovereign State – “WE” the People should be holding these Commission like forums in odd numbered years to discuss potential “revisions” to the Federal or State Constitutions.
IF the CITY OF SIOUX FALLS an hold a Charter Revision Commission in odd numbered years why cant ‘we’ do so as a State to do the same in terms of the Federal and State Constitutions.
I would much rather discuss amending our constitution in a Commission like forum, than simply going to the polls every other year to vote on a possible amendment that I know has never been debated by anyone but the “Nomination Committee”
But, as for supporting some “Foreign Think Tank” – No Thank You IF the WE THE PEOPLE of South Dakota wish to engage with each other that is fine, and if WE adopt any such Amendment Concepts for the U.S Constitution, then by our own state constitution, then I propose ordering the Governor to promote our concepts to all 50 states herself, thats her job, to represent the State in foreign affairs, speaking to other States, creating coalitions.
“Conventions should be reserved to Legislative Districts, County and Precinct Committeemen and Women to discuss within the State”…Precinct committeemen and women are not legislators and are elected by their party during the primary which has extremely low turnout, especially if there is no competition. I would venture guess the “precinct committeeman/woman” are the most “under voted” section on the primary ballot.
If the precinct committeemen/women were in charge of or participating in and updating the state or federal constitution, that would defeat the purpose of a state legislature.
I think it’s best to leave this sort of decision to the legislature as they were chosen by all the people, not the primary voters.
I understand the purpose of IMs — they give the voters a direct voice in government. But I don’t understand why they’re able to run the same defeated IM over and over and over as they try beat us into submission. It seems like there should be a cooling off period: if your IM doesn’t pass, you have to wait X number of years to try again.
Good..keep up the good work of eliminating these establishment types like Mary Duvall
LOL, it is often funny to witness the DWC carry the water for the DNC in South Dakota. Never mentioned are that EVERY Democrat in SD has voted against Convention of States ever single vote, otherwise it would of passed years ago.
Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold recent book highlights the DNC’s fear of this effort, and the DWC is here to help them stop it.
The endorsers of the effort are from every spectrum of the GOP from Rand Paul, to DeSantis, all the way to Huckabee and Jeb Bush… Seems like North Dakota didn’t listen to their minority party on this issue, nor Nebraska, but in South Dakota… LOL Oh wait… TEXAS and OKLAHOMA passed this so it must be some leftist thing. You guys are a joke.
Anyone for Term Limits, a reduction in the size and power of the federal government, and real fiscal reforms in DC supports this, as they know that Congress will never be able to police themselves in these matters. Keep bashing real South Dakotans supporting this effort and spreading the DNC talking points as much as you want, but WE THE PEOPLE are waking up.