From KSFY, the Hawks campaign is claiming they’ve raised about 1/4 of what the Noem campaign managed to bring in during the same period:

Democratic state Rep. Paula Hawks has raised about $63,400 since launching her campaign to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem.

Federal reports released by Hawks’ campaign Thursday show the representative from Hartford had about $45,600 on hand at the end of this fundraising quarter, which ran from July through September.

and…

Campaign manager Zach Nistler says the campaign is pleased and will build on the numbers.

Read it here.

We don’t have the filing in hand yet, so there’s still a lot of questions. Arguably, it’s better than Corinna Robinson managed during her campaign, but it’s still less than 2/3 of what Matt Varilek was able to raise against Noem in his first quarter during Noem’s first contest as an incumbent.

What do you think?

As the Associated Press catches up with my reporting yesterday on this, from KELO:

Federal reports released by Noem’s campaign show the three-term Republican congresswoman raised more than $260,000 in the third fundraising quarter, which ran from July through September.

and..

Hawks is a two-term state representative from Hartford. So far she’s the only Democrat running. Her campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read it here.

“didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment”  is kind of the campaign equivalent of “mumble.. mumble…”   For someone who needs free press as much as Hawks does, I’m surprised she isn’t returning phone calls on this one.

That is, unless her fundraising is as disastrous as we expect it to be.

(Remember – “Corinna Light.”  We yet may be using that term.)

As I’d noted earlier, I’m speaking with the campaigns about their FEC Reports due today.

While Senator Thune is gearing up for 2016, Senator Rounds is spending more time establishing himself and building ties than staying in campaign mode.  I spoke with Rob Skjonsberg of the Senator’s staff, also who doubles as Senator Rounds’ assistant campaign treasurer. And Rob offered that they’re not being aggressive at this point, as they frankly needed a bit of a break:

Between the campaign and new leadership PAC – revenue was about $60,000 and we paid off the remaining campaign debt.  We’re thankful because we’ve been able to do that without being real aggressive.

We actually talked about this at the beginning of the summer – the constant political pressure to raise campaign contributions despite just getting hired and the critical work that needs to get done in the senate.

We’ve been in campaign mode for almost three years. I think all of us, including those who have been so generous to Mike over the years, appreciate the break.

Regardless of the office, we have the history and the network to be well funded when the time comes. Between now and then, he’s focused on this job not necessarily the next.

And there you have it.

Stay tuned. Still coming up, we’re still wondering if Paula Hawks has what it takes to be a real candidate.

Apparently there’s a war over Hospitals – specifically community Hospitals being waged in Congress right now.  H.R. 976 and H.R. 2513 are currently being floated, which would significantly modify current law with respect to self-referrals to physician-owned hospitals.

Under most laws and regulations in our health care system, physician self-referral is banned, but physician owners were using an exception (known commonly as the “whole hospital” exception), to get around these conflict of interest rules. The issue of self-referral to physician-owned hospitals, and the inherent conflict of interest it presents, is not a new issue.

These arrangements have been the subject of numerous bipartisan congressional hearings and analyses by independent and government researchers. In fact, the issue was first addressed by a statutory moratorium passed by Republican majorities, and enacted by President Bush, first in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 and then in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.

The data gathered over the last decade clearly showed that self-referral was creating an unlevel playing field, and threatened patient safety, as well as the health care safety net provided by full-service community hospitals, such as those found in many communities across the state.

These measures could potentially put hospitals in towns like Vermillion, Gettysburg, or Mobridge out of business, simply because it could break the back of the larger hospitals that own them.

In 2010, Congress passed a permanent but prospective ban on self-referral to physician-owned hospitals, providing grandfathered status for those existing hospitals with physician ownership or investment and a Medicare provider agreement in place as of December 31, 2010. Current law represents a compromise, which protects current physician ownership of hospital arrangements and allows these arrangements to grow where needed.

But now, opponents of this provision are seeking to repeal or amend this policy, despite the US Chamber of Commerce taking a strong position against the bills:

US Chamber 141121 Self-Referral Reid McConnell Boehner Pelosi

What do you think? Should physician owned hospitals be able to self-refer and cherry-pick patients? Or does that create an un-level playing field?

I’ve been pinging the campaigns over the FEC Reports that are due today. And while they’re still figuring up the rest, they were able to tell me that Senator Thune currently has 11.2 Million cash on hand for his upcoming election battle.

That’s an increase of $300,000 cash on hand over his last report of 10.9 million COH, but Thune is also running a campaign office at this point, so there is a slight drain on his finances as he’s accruing cash for a battle which increasingly looks as if it may never happen.

Here’s some nice props from Buzzfeed for our State’s Capital City. The popular website is featuring cities that made it on the list of locations in Monopoly’s “Here and Now” edition.

Bonus – it even slips a mention of the Cattleman’s Club in (the standard by which all state steakhouses are judged):

Read it all here.

I heard a rumor today that there’s talk that Paula Hawks may possibly be resigning from the State Legislature to free herself up for campaigning. Consider it no more than a wild rumor at this point.

I’m trying to pin it down a bit further.  But it would make sense, and there is precedent.

It was suggested to Larry Diedrich to get out when he became a candidate, otherwise your time and your votes get to be a problem with campaigning. $6000 or so for a session is a pittance compared to what you need to be raising if you’re a serious candidate.  You should be doing that or more at each event.

If you look at the headaches that Stace Nelson went through while serving in the legislature and running as a candidate for the US Senate, it illustrates the disadvantages that can pop up for a candidate at a moment’s notice. And there’s little doubt there would be some things directly brought up for a vote that Hawks would prefer to not be on the record over in the next session.

So, if the rumor bears out to be true, I wouldn’t be shocked.  But as I said, it’s still just a passing rumor at this point.

*UPDATE*   –  I did hear from a member that she is not, so the rumor could be just chatter. There’s lots of that that goes on. But, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Tomorrow – October 15th – fundraising reports for the third quarter are due for federal candidates to be sent in to the Federal Election’s Commission (the FEC). And the world will know if Paula Hawks is a nominally serious candidate, or if her fundraising total will be more like a re-run of Corinna Robinson’s effort. Like Corinna 2.0, or as we might call her “Corinna Light”

I bring it up, because I got a preview this morning of what Kristi Noem is going to report.  What am I hearing? I’m hearing that Congresswoman Kristi Noem continues her solid, steady pace and is building an intimidating war chest.

Although intimidating might not be strong enough an adjective. Bone-crushing? Campaign-ending-for -Hawks?

I’m told that Noem raised $260,000 for July, August & September, giving her an incredible $1,345,000 cash on hand.  (Take that, Paula Hawks!)

The $260k raised includes $50,000 that was raised at a Sioux Falls fundraiser in August with Congressman Paul Ryan who is Kristi’s committee chairman on the ways and means committee, and quite possibly the next speaker of the House.

There’s no indication that Kristi is slowing down, or taking things for granted.

On the opposite hand, this is the time when Hawks should be able to show what she was able to collect from friends, family, and the Democrat faithful as she gears up for running a campaign.  A bad showing here is going to set the pace for the rest of the campaign cycle.

Should Hawks come up short…  well, let’s just say it’s not going to reflect well on her ability to convince others that she could be in Congress, or that she’s worth investing in as a candidate.

Rounds Calls on VA Secretary to Hold Benefits Bureaucrats Accountable for ‘Shockingly Unethical’ Misuse of Funds

“Now more than ever, VA needs leaders committed to changing the culture and old way of doing business.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), along with other members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert McDonald to hold accountable senior bureaucrats who participated in a “shockingly unethical” scheme at the Veterans Benefits Administration to increase pay for high-level employees by transferring them to other positions within the administration.

According to a VA Office of Inspector General investigation requested by the committee, the Veterans Benefits Administration, or VBA, spent nearly $2 million over the past three years to transfer 22 VBA employees to different positions, using the transfers as justification for increasing their pay and offering exorbitant relocation incentives. In one case, a VBA bureaucrat used her authority to create a position for herself that required less responsibilities and the VA paid $274,000 in relocation expenses in addition to retaining her previous salary.

Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey was aware of the scheme and allowed it to continue under her watch.

In a letter to McDonald, the committee members called on the secretary to hold all the senior-level bureaucrats involved accountable, noting that “there is no indication that these transfers were in any way based on merit or intended to serve the best interests of veterans.”

“Now more than ever, VA needs leaders committed to changing the culture and old way of doing business,” wrote the senators. “During your confirmation hearing, you told this Committee that ‘those employees that have violated the trust of the Department and of veterans must, and will be, held accountable.’ More recently, at a field hearing in Gainesville, Georgia, you testified that you have the tools you need to do just that.  So, we call on you now to live up to your commitment and to hold accountable those who orchestrated, participated in, or benefitted from the unethical practices outlined in this report, including but not limited to the Under Secretary for Benefits.”

In addition, the committee members asked that the secretary review all pending relocation efforts for senior level employees and provide a plan for reforming the approval and reimbursement of relocation expenses at the VA.

The letter was signed by U.S Senators Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, respectively, Dean Heller (R-Nev.), and committee members Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Jerry Moran, (R-Kan.), John Boozman, (R-Ark.), Bill Cassidy, (R-La.), Thom Tillis, (R-N.C.), Dan Sullivan, (R-Alaska), Patty Murray, (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown, (D-Ohio), Jon Tester, (D-Mont.), and Mazie Hirono, (D-Hawaii).

Full text of the letter appears below. A PDF of the signed letter is available here.

The Honorable Robert A. McDonald
Secretary of Veterans Affairs|
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20420

Dear Secretary McDonald:

As Members of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, we ask that you take urgent and immediate actions regarding the shockingly unethical practices described in the September 28, 2015, report from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General, entitled “Administrative Investigation: Inappropriate Use of Position and Misuse of Relocation Program and Incentives” at the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA).  Our Committee confirmed your nomination to fundamentally overhaul and reform this struggling agency, after VA faced a moment of crisis that resulted from failed leadership and a culture that in some cases led VA leaders and employees to act contrary to their core mission to serve veterans.  But, unfortunately, it is clear from this report that your well-intentioned and meaningful efforts to change the culture at VA have not yet taken hold.

As you are aware, the report outlines an orchestrated scheme – carried out by numerous senior executives at VBA – to skirt salary and bonus limitations for senior VBA leaders by unnecessarily relocating executives and using those moves to justify increases in their pay and relocation benefits.  In fact, VBA spent nearly $2 million on transferring 22 VBA leaders across the country over the past three years and offering generous pay increases and relocation perks to the relocating officials. There is no indication that these transfers were in any way based on merit or intended to serve the best interests of veterans. In fact, one VBA official confirmed that this was simply an effort to “get around pay freezes and bans on performance bonuses” for senior VBA leaders and the Under Secretary for Benefits, Allison Hickey, admitted that this scheme was an effort to make the pay of these VBA officials “more even” or to achieve “level-setting pay.”

In addition to that broader scheme, the Inspector General found that Ms. Diana Rubens used her position of authority within VBA to create a vacancy in Philadelphia that she later volunteered to fill.  This new position brought much less responsibility than her prior position, yet she retained the same Senior Executive Service pay, and VA paid a total of $274,000 for relocation expenses.  The Inspector General also found that Ms. Kimberly Graves created a vacancy in St. Paul – in part by forcing the transfer of the VA regional office Director to another city – so that she could then fill that vacancy.  This position change also resulted in fewer responsibilities, but she too maintained the same level of pay.  The Inspector General concluded that these officials inappropriately used their positions of authority for personal and financial benefit.  In addition, it is clear from the report that Ms. Hickey and her leadership team were aware of, assisted with, and authorized these actions.

Now more than ever, VA needs leaders committed to changing the culture and old way of doing business.  During your confirmation hearing, you told this Committee that “those employees that have violated the trust of the Department and of veterans must, and will be, held accountable.”  More recently, at a field hearing in Gainesville, Georgia, you testified that you have the tools you need to do just that.  So, we call on you now to live up to your commitment and to hold accountable those who orchestrated, participated in, or benefitted from the unethical practices outlined in this report, including but not limited to the Under Secretary for Benefits.

Moreover, we ask that you:

(1)   review all pending relocation efforts for Senior Executive Service employees to ensure staffing and salary adjustments would be in the best interests of veterans rather than VA officials

(2)   provide documentation of any actions you are taking to stop the practice of inappropriate relocations

(3)   provide a plan for reforming the approval and reimbursement of relocation expenses, including reforms to the Appraised Value Option program

(4)   identify any Office of Personnel Management requirements that might restrict your ability to lower compensation for Senior Executive Service employees who are transferred to match the requirements of their position and

(5)   update this Committee on steps you are taking to fill vacant and “acting” Senior Executive positions.

Given the seriousness of the issues identified in the Inspector General’s report, we would ask that you provide a response to this letter no later than October 23, 2015.  We thank you for your dedicated service on behalf of veterans across the nation and look forward to continuing to work with you to restore the integrity of the institution created to meet their needs.

Sincerely,

###

 

If you haven’t reached your BS quota today, it soon will be overflowing after you’ve read the latest fundraising appeal from Chad Haber, who is apparently trying to raise $100,000 for Annette’s appeal to the Supreme Court.

Annette Bosworth Legal Defense Fund Letter 9/15

“The smell of danger lurked in the air from the first day of jury selection. The extremes to which the State went to collude against my wife left me speechless…. But the state had what they wanted– a jury trial in the backyard of the corrupt Attorney General, Marty Jackley as well as the home town for Senator Mike Rounds.”

The letter is so overly dramatic, I’ve seen less ham at a Catholic funeral!  Seriously. It’s such a ridiculous distortion as well as being full of complete and utter BS, I’m not sure how someone could actually put it on paper.

But, then again, I forget who we’re talking about.

Chad will soon have his own day in court.  And he’ll have an opportunity to figure out which version of the truth the jury will believe.