So, in the #BozTrial, what happened to Jeff Beck?

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As we’re in Lunch mode in the middle of Annette Bosworth’s testimony, I’m a bit confused. Maybe I’m mistaken, but I was under the impression that Bosworth would be the last one to testify for the defense, as she’s the accused.

So, what happened to attorney Jeff Beck?

In his opening statement, Bosworth legal team member Dana Hanna had promised the Jury that Jeff Beck would be testifying. Then, this morning, we’re hearing about a missing witness.

Next thing you know, when it comes time for the defense to present their case, they put up the employee as a witness and move straight to Annette herself. Wasn’t there someone supposed to come in the middle of that, who was promised to back up their side of the tale?

Maybe he’ll pop up this afternoon, but this seems odd to me.

The “Continueing” Story of Dr. Annette Bosworth. And the never ending campaign of disinformation.

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My head hurts from all “the stupid” out there on this case.

And it’s all coming as part of a campaign of disinformation on the part of Bosworth associates who if not are stretching the truth are offering utter fabrications in defense of Annette Bosworth, or in attacking the prosecution. And there’s been a flurry of activity as the trial has gotten underway.

Today’s dose of stupid is coming from Peter Waldron who has set up the “No Compromise group” in a Sioux Falls Post Office Box. We’re not sure if it’s a political group (which would require filing with the Secretary of State as a political organization) or a private business (which would require a fictitious name filing). Regardless, here’s the latest stretching of the truth from he and his allies:

I’m hearing ominous music, lots of innuendo, and the inability to spell “continuing.” The is noted as coming from the “No Compromise Group.” But, I’m also noticing that it’s posted on YouTube by a Jake Baker from Texas, who is also posting the releases from Peter Waldron on his web site.

The “Texas attack” on the Bosworth prosecution also coincides with someone we all know (and are repulsed by) returning to that state – former S&M Pornographer Lee “Pornahan” Stranahan returning home.

Stranahan may have claimed to some that he’s cut ties with Bosworth, but his disinformation machine cranked up again as soon as the trial started with a post on his Dakota Reporter web site, and on his other web site, where he talks about the “Bryan Gortmaker Testomony,” as well as other posts.

All of this begs the question – why? What do these outsiders have to gain by their extensive and unusual interest in perpetrating a campaign of over the top fabrications in the matter? Peter Waldron’s complaint to the FEC and Department of Justice was easily demonstrated to be extreme puffery at best, and a fabrication at worst.

Any guesses? My thought is that afterwards there will be some significant fundraising attempts from the donor list Bosworth has left over from the campaign. And that there’s a group of people lining up at the trough.

Capital Journal Coverage of Bosworth Trial. And are Bosworth’s parents footing the bill for rooms?

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The Pierre Capital Journal has a good synopsis of yesterday’s Bosworth trial coverage, and hits the high points (without you having to sit through the hours-long cross examination:

It wasn’t his job as a notary public to review the contents of each petition or each voter signature, but merely to attest that Bosworth’s own signature actually was hers and that he witnessed it, Arends said.

 But at one point Bosworth showed him a petition, he said. “Dr. Bosworth asked me, ‘Can I sign this?’ I said ‘No, you can’t, because you didn’t circulate it.’”

and…

Screen Cap from KELOland streaming Coverage
I shouldn’t submit that petition? La la la I’m not listening to Joel. (Screen Cap from KELOland streaming Coverage)

Bosworth told a radio talk show host last year she thought because the signature collection was done under her direction, she was the circulator even though she didn’t witness every signature. It’s one of the mistakes she made as a rookie candidate, Hanna told the jury. The bigger mistake was relying on Arends’ touted expertise on petitions, Hanna said.

But Arends said he saw Bosworth demonstrate impressive knowledge of petition-gathering rules at a Lincoln Day dinner for Republicans in Pierre in February 2014. As early as January 2014, Bosworth was able to explain the rule that the person collecting signatures has to witness each signature, under South Dakota law, Arends said.

and…

Supporters for Bosworth in court Thursday include some from Iowa and a Chicago cabdriver.

“She’s a ‘super tremendo’, fantastic leader,” said Fred London, who said he took time off from driving a taxi in Chicago to attend the trial Thursday and Friday. He learned about Bosworth from radio talk shows, London said.

“She’s everything a person could want in a U.S. Senator.”

When asked if anyone from Bosworth’s camp was paying his expenses, London, who said he’s staying at the Super 8 motel, referred questions to Bosworth’s parents.

Read it here.

So, we learned that the prosecution and the defense disagree. And that Bosworth’s parents might be footing the bill at the Super 8 for those easily swayed by what they hear on the radio or internet broadcasts.

Noem Aims to Prevent Wanted Felons From Receiving Taxpayer-Funded Benefits

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Noem, Johnson Aim to Prevent Wanted Felons From Receiving Taxpayer-Funded Benefits

Newly introduced CUFF Act could save as much as $4.8 billion

kristi noem headshot May 21 2014Washington, D.C. – Reps. Kristi Noem (SD-At Large) and Sam Johnson (TX-3) today introduced H.R. 2504, the Control Unlawful Fugitive Felon Act of 2015 (CUFF Act), which would prohibit wanted felons from receiving Social Security disability or retirement payments. If passed, the legislation is expected to save taxpayers as much as $4.8 billion over 10 years, according to preliminary Congressional Budget Office estimates.

“It’s almost unbelievable that a wanted felon can evade prosecution for months or even years, but somehow still receive checks from the government every 30 days or so,” said Noem.  “I am proud to join Chairman Johnson in introducing legislation that would finally end this practice.  Hardworking taxpayers should never be asked to make disability or retirement payments to folks who are running from the law.  It has to stop now.”

The CUFF Act discontinues benefits for those who are the subject of an arrest warrant.  The legislation only applies to felony charges, or a crime carrying a minimum term of one or more years in prison.  Benefits can be restored once the individual resolves any outstanding issues.

“Individuals running from the law or violating their parole or probation shouldn’t be supported with taxpayer dollars,” said Johnson, who serves as Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security.  “That’s why I’m pleased to join Congresswoman Noem in reintroducing this commonsense Law and Order bill.  Not only would it help law enforcement, but it is the right thing to do on behalf of hardworking American taxpayers!”

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5 questions with ……Republican State Senator Bill Shorma

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In response to the resignation of State Senator Dan Lederman, Governor Dennis Daugaard recently made an appointment for State Senate, naming William “Bill” Shorma to the position. According to the press release from the Governor:

IMG_1405.PNGShorma grew up farming and ranching and working in his family’s businesses in Wahpeton, N.D. He was president and part owner of the Shorma family-owned Shur-Co and Truxedo, both of Yankton, S.D. Currently Shorma is CEO of Rush-Co, another Shorma family-owned company located in Springfield, S.D., that manufactures and combines metal and industrial fabric products.

and…

Shorma is a former director of the Board of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. He has served as chair of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, chair of the Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce, president of the Prairie Family Business Association and a member of the South Dakota Junior Achievement Board of Directors.

Shorma and his wife of 39 years, Marcie, have three grown daughters and eight grandchildren. They are members of Morningside Lutheran Church in Sioux City.

Read that here.

But a press release only scratches the surface. I wanted to know who was going to represent the Republican Party in the state senate from that area of the state, so I dug a little further. And tonight, we have 5 questions with Republican State Senator Bill Shorma:

1. Can you give us a brief rundown of what in your background you believe has prepared you best for serving in the state legislature?

To be honest no one can be completely prepared for an upcoming legislative session. I feel that my business career, serving on private company boards, family business boards, and non –profit boards with fiduciary responsibility along with running companies, have be prepared to listen, learn and keep an open mind to issues that will be discussed and considered during the session and looking for sound ways to deal with the challenges presented.

2. With your appointment to the office by the Governor, you were quickly thrown into elections for caucus leadership. Was the process anything like you’d would have anticipated?

To be honest it was pretty much as I had hoped for… collegial, informative and each member had the freedom to vote the way that they felt was best.

3. A lot of times, people have an opinion of GOP State Senators, that they can check off a list of where they stand on certain issues, and anticipate how they’ll vote. Are there any issues where you might stand apart from a majority, or that people might be surprised to learn?

It will likely be no surprise to most that I am fiscally conservative and my personal belief system will weigh in on my votes.

One area of interest that I have been working on is born out of my Manufacturing background. Workforce development has been a growing hot topic that the state, educators, tech schools, manufacturers and others must join forces on to be certain that new folks entering the workforce understand that manufacturing offers a wide range of great jobs to choose from. While production workers will always be needed, front line managers, production schedulers, expediters, engineers, drafters, accountants, marketing specialists, sales people, human resource leaders, and maintenance mechanics are very shorter supply as well. Manufacturing jobs pay very will compared with many other employment sectors and most are willing to offer on the job training for many of the positions. However, I am not convinced that it is necessary to legislate solutions to this issue as much as it is to influence and grow awareness, I will do my best to do so.

4. Are there any specific issues or areas that you anticipate focusing your energies on during the upcoming legislative session? What committees are you hoping to serve on?

I will make a significant personal effort to add value to any committee that I am assigned. I will not find out which committee I will be serving on for a while yet, but I have the most experience as it relates to Business and Agriculture. So the Commerce and Energy, and the Agriculture and Natural Resources committees would be my first choices but I will serve at the pleasure of the Leadership.

5. If it’s not referred by the voters, a change in state law this year could have you collecting petition signatures in December, and starting out your 2016 political campaign before you travel to Pierre for your first session. How are you preparing your first race as a Republican candidate for State Senate?

While I do need to collect signatures, I will not be starting a campaign effort until after the 2016 legislative session. However, in preparation for my first session it is only 7 to 8 months away, I will visit with as many folks in the district as I can about their wishes, thoughts and interests. I will be reaching out to Small and Medium sized manufacturers and listen to their employee’s about their thoughts on issues that affect them and their families. I will be visiting with Agricultural producers to understand the challenges that they are facing or support that they may need.

If anyone wishes to contact me please do so by sending me an email at [email protected]

 

And thank you very much to Senator Shorma for participating!. (Coming soon – 5 Questions with Senator Scott Fiegen)

Day 2 of the Annette Bosworth Trial (#BozTrial) – Thoughts, Winners & Losers.

@SoDakCampaigns

Ohhh my god…. will it never end?  Day 2 was marked with boredom. From the audience.

It was great through the examination of Sioux Falls Attorney Joel Arends. Then everyone left as soon as the painful cross examination slogged on. And on. And on.  By the time Italia Frederici took the stand to corroborate much of what Arends said, and fill us in on juicy details including that it sounded like Bosworth was having a book ghost written, everyone was out working on their lawns.

Again, KELOland did a bang up job & set the standard for media coverage for providing the video that most everyone else was watching. But… KSFY and KDLT joined in with KELO via twitter. The Argus is still spending it’s time with the Associated Press’ sloppy seconds in terms of coverage.

Tomorrow? I suspect we’ll hear from Pat Davis. Not sure if we can wrap this up by this weekend though.

Winner: KELO again for superior coverage. Honorable mention for KSFY and KDLT.

Loser: Accomplishing anything today. This was boring. Nothing like Law & Order. (bum bum).

Senators Thune and Stabenow Reintroduce Bill to Advance Agricultural Research

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Senators Thune and Stabenow Reintroduce Bill to Advance Agricultural Research

Legislation Invests in New and Innovative Agricultural Research

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Agriculture Committee, today reintroduced legislation to support agricultural research. The Charitable Agricultural Research Act encourages the creation of public-private partnerships to boost funding and spur innovation for agricultural research. Thune and Stabenow, members of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced this legislation last Congress and co-led the passage of a similar bipartisan measure out the Finance Committee in February.

“The Charitable Agricultural Research Act would help facilitate the transfer of much-needed private investment to agricultural research, which would better equip our producers with the tools they need in order to meet the demands of a 21st century global marketplace,” said Thune. “This common-sense legislation creates a new means for generous Americans who wish to dedicate their own financial resources to agricultural research to do so more easily.”

“We need to invest in agricultural research if we want to have a strong agricultural industry in America,” Stabenow said. “Farmers and ranchers face extraordinary challenges every day, from pests and diseases to droughts and severe weather. Our bill builds on decades of success, giving incentives to new and creative partnerships to fund research into some of agriculture’s most pressing challenges.”

Over the last 60 years, agricultural research has significantly expanded crop, livestock, and food production. In South Dakota, agriculture contributes more than $25 billion to the state’s economy and generates nearly $4 billion in exports. Michigan agriculture contributes over $100 billion to the state’s economy and exports $3 billion in farm goods annually. However, agricultural scientists warn that failing to invest in agricultural research could spell disaster for the future safety and security of American food. The Charitable Agricultural Research Act seeks to address these challenges by creating agricultural research organizations (AROs) that would work in conjunction with agricultural and land-grant colleges and universities to conduct research in the field of agriculture. The legislation is modeled on medical research organizations (MROs), which were created by Congress in 1956 and have successfully generated billions of dollars of new investment in medical research.

The Thune-Stabenow Charitable Agricultural Research Act is cosponsored by Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Ron Wyden (D-Wyo.).

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Rounds Applauds Banking Committee Passage of Regulatory Reform Bill

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Rounds Applauds Banking Committee Passage of Regulatory Reform Bill

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, applauded today’s passage of “The Financial Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015” out of committee.

“I am pleased to see this important legislation move forward,” said Rounds. “The bill passed through committee today will provide much-needed regulatory relief to the financial services industry and the consumers they serve. South Dakota’s banking industry has been hit hard by rules stemming from Dodd-Frank, spending too much time and money on regulatory compliance. Our bill seeks to roll back of some of the ‘one-size-fits-all’ regulations within Dodd-Frank – a major win for South Dakota’s financial institutions. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will work together to pass this important legislation when it comes to the floor later this year.”

The Financial Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015 would mark the biggest reform of the Dodd-Frank Act since its enactment in 2010. It includes changes to federal mortgage rules to improve borrowers’ access to credit, particularly in rural areas, and will reduce the level of risk in the financial system.

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Howie back making excuses for Bosworth, but proves he just doesn’t bother to read.

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This morning, Gordon Howie, who might just have schlepped himself out to Pierre for one of Bosworth’s free hotel rooms that she was offering is writing this morning without the benefit of information, accuracy, or a brain to guide him as he makes his daily excuse for Annette Bosworth’s poor judgement:

As I sat watching, it was hard not to wonder about the intensity with which the Jackley team attacked Bosworth in their attempt to convict her of 12 felony charges over petition errors which her defense maintain were “honest mistakes”.

It was also hard to wonder where Jackley was when then Republican Speaker of the House Brian Gosh purposely violated the law by notarizing his own signatures on his own petitions. Nothing. No consequence. The Attorney General did not marshal a team of lawyers and engage the director of the DCI to launch an investigation. There was no consequence whatsoever, even though Gosh is an attorney himself and should reasonably have known better.

Why this obvious double standard?

Read it here.

First off, as Howie should have noticed by the testimony yesterday, there are distinct and separate parts of the petition. The Declaration of candidacy. The portion where voters sign, and the attestment of the circulator (The part Bosworth is in trouble for).

Howie is mewling & trying to say “but..but…but… Brian Gosch did it too” – a statement which is completely and utterly false.

For the petitions that Brian Gosch had circulated on his behalf, he had filled out the top portion, where he declared his candidacy. Someone else circulated the petitions, and returned them to Gosch, signing in his presence. What Gosch did was to notarize the petitions, which is an attestment to the fact that the person signing the oath that they were circulator appeared in his presence, which he confirmed.

A completely, and utterly legal act…. as Stephanie Strong found out to her detriment when she tried to use the court system to gin up the issue.  It had been legal, and was quite legal at the time when he did it. The legislature has changed the law since, but at the time, it was just fine.

But, don’t bother getting Gordon Howie to try to accept troubling little things like facts.