I thought he just considered himself “a resource.” Tom Daschle finally registers to Lobby.

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Who was that who didn’t call himself a lobbyist?

“Daschle is not a registered lobbyist, but since leaving the Senate in 2005, he has been a policy adviser at large law firms”  – October 2014

Yes, it was former Democrat Senator Tom Daschle who did that. And you know, I think he’d mentioned it a time…

Lobbyists, after all, are required to register with Congress and file quarterly reports disclosing their actions on behalf of clients. The South Dakota Democrat, like a growing number of people in his line of work, has made sure he doesn’t have to do that.

“I’ve not made a call nor made a visit since I left the Senate on behalf of a client. And I don’t have any expectation that I’ll do that in the future,” Daschle told the New York Times recently.

and..

Craig Holman, a lobbyist with Public Citizen, tells HuffPost that while Daschle may not be violating the letter of the law, he’s certainly violating its spirit.

“He gets paid a fortune, he spends more than 20 percent of his time on lobbying activities and he’s regularly meeting with covered government officials,” Holman told the Huffington Post. “That guy is just flouting the law.”   – March 2010

or two…

Tom Daschle starts a new job today as a senior policy adviser in the government affairs division of DLA Piper. As he’s contemplating whether he needs a plant in his office and figuring out where to have lunch, he has already made one firm decision. Mr. Daschle won’t register as a lobbyist.

For anyone who might be unfamiliar with the term, “government affairs” is often a euphemism for “lobbying.”

Daschle has made the decision that he is not a lobbyist before. At his previous position at Alston & Bird, whose clients represent a who’s who of health care interests, Daschle acted as a “resource” to the President and high-level White House officials, and advised clients “about the personalities of his former colleagues, as well as strategies to achieve their policy goals.”   – December 2009

Or three…

“The message I deliver to labor unions and business leaders is the same one I share with doctors, hospitals and insurance companies,” Mr. Daschle wrote in a brief e-mailed statement. “I do not tailor my views to any specific group or client.”

Mr. Daschle is not registered as a lobbyist and recently told U.S. News and World Report that he preferred to describe himself as a “resource” to those in government and industry. – August 2009

But what happened today?

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who started a public policy practice at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz last year, said he will register with the federal government as a lobbyist for the first time in his career.

Read it here.

So, was this in honor of Sunshine Week? Because The Sunlight Foundation once noted of Daschle:

Until the 20 percent loophole in the LDA is closed, Daschle and untold numbers of former elected officials, corporate CEOs, and presidents of labor unions can act as stealth lobbyists—often with greater access and influence than the majority of registered lobbyists, and almost always without leaving a trace of what they are saying, who they are saying it to, and on who is paying them to say it.

Read that here.

Nice that he’s finally willing to disclose his activities.  Six or seven years later.

Thune: Democrats Choose Obstruction Over Progress on Human Trafficking Bill

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Democrats Choose Obstruction Over Progress on Human Trafficking Bill

“If ever there were an issue that should be above and beyond politics, protecting children from human trafficking is it.”

John_Thune,_official_portrait,_111th_CongressWASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement on Senate Democrats’ continued filibuster of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act:

“If ever there were an issue that should be above and beyond politics, protecting children from human trafficking is it. The fact that Senate Democrats are choosing to play partisan political games with such an important bill is unconscionable. My hope is that Senate Democrats will end their filibuster and see this bill for what it is – a bipartisan, common-sense approach to targeting human trafficking and protecting its victims.”

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Noem Applauds Decision to Continue Processing H-2B Applications

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noem press headerNoem Applauds Decision to Continue Processing H-2B Applications

Washington, D.C. – Representative Kristi Noem today applauded the Department of Labor’s decision to continue processing H-2B visa applications, after a temporary hold was placed on processing earlier this month.  These visas are used frequently in South Dakota’s tourism, construction, landscaping, and agronomy industries.

“Many South Dakota small businesses and road construction crews rely heavily on H-2B visa holders,” said Noem.  “Without the ability to hire seasonal workers as we approach the tourism- and construction-filled summer, many local businesses will suffer. I’m glad to see the Department of Labor’s decision to continue processing these critical applications, but we need to find a permanent solution. I will continue to keep in regular contact with the Department, as they prepare to issue their final rule on April 30.”

Earlier this month, the Department of Labor announced it planned to no longer accept or process requests for H-2B visas, which are used by temporary non-agriculture workers.  On March 16, after communications from Rep. Noem about the hardships resulting from their previous decision, the DOL filed a motion to once again continue processing H-2B applications.  As such, H-2B visas will continue to be processed with little or no disruption for businesses.  In the long term, DOL and DHS are expected to issue a joint Interim Final Rule by April 30, 2015.

Nearly 750 H-2B workers are expected to work in South Dakota throughout the summer.

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Thune names Josh Shields as manager for his 2016 re-election bid

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From Jon Ellis at the Argus Leader, US Senator John Thune has announced that he’s picked his next campaign manager, and it’s someone well known in Republican circles here in South Dakota – Josh Shields.

Sen. John Thune has taken a major step toward running for a third term by hiring a veteran campaign operative to manage his 2016 campaign.

Joshua Shields has taken the top job, which he started Monday. Thune has yet to officially announce a third term, but it’s really only a matter of time before that happens.

“I couldn’t be more pleased to have Joshua back on my team to manage the re-election campaign,” Thune said in a statement. “Joshua knows South Dakota, he knows how to organize and he knows how to win.”

and…

His crowning victory came in 2010, when he managed Kristi Noem’s campaign to victory over incumbent Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. He then joined Noem’s staff for a brief period before leaving politics to return to Rapid City, where he worked with Black Hills Corp.

Read it all here.

Big congratulations to Josh in his new position running the Thune campaign effort.

(Of course, that’s assuming Democrats manage to find an opponent.)

With session over, now it’s time to fight over new school standards for science. Here comes climate change and evolution!

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Bob Mercer is reporting today that now that the fight over common core standards for Math and English are over for the year with the departure of the legislators from Pierre, we get to start fighting over standards for science curriculum:

Osmundson described climate change and evolution as “fringe ideas” but suggested there could be ways to hold classroom discussions about them without the school system advocating for or against the

Another opponent, Catherine Billion, of Sioux Falls, tied the standards movement to UNESCO — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — and its Agenda 21 plan for sustainable development that was adopted at an international conference in 1992.

Billion said many South Dakota families have values that don’t match the school standards as proposed. “And that pits school against parents,” she said.

The state board could adopt the science standards at the May 18 meeting or direct the department to further revise them for possible final approval at the board’s July 27 meeting in Rapid City.

Read it all here.

Ugh. Why are they lumping ‘climate change,’ which isn’t settled by any means, with evolution, which has been accepted science for oh, over a century? Regardless, welcome to the next legislative session’s big fight, which could make the battle over algebra and diagramming sentences look tame.

What do you think?

Governor Daugaard on hand to welcome Black Hills Corp corporate HQ expansion in Rapid City.

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BOOM! And Governor Daugaard drops the microphone. Why? Because there’s not much to say after the Black Hills corporation announced their plan to invest over $70 Million into Rapid City via setting up their new corporate headquarters.

And once again, it’s proven that South Dakota IS one of the top places for business in these United States:

Among those present was Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who said the expansion is proof of what some national media and analysts have reported of late: that South Dakota is a top state for doing business. “What a great day for Rapid City and a great day for South Dakota,” Daugaard said. The company, he said, is “demonstrating their intent to be here for the long haul.”

Rapid City Mayor Sam Kooiker said the $70 million project equates to about 10 percent of the city’s overall development investment over the past three years. “This is a huge investment in our community,” Kooiker said.

Emery said later that no rate hike is expected to pay for the construction. Black Hills Power recently obtained state approval for a roughly 4.35 percent rate hike for about 65,000 South Dakota customers, the second price jump in less than two years. But, Emery said, “We don’t believe the (headquarters) facility is going to directly drive a rate increase.”

Read it here.

Opponent to Kooiker announces for Mayor. Mistakes already being made. 

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The man who is arguably the primary opponent to Mayor Sam Kooiker in this year’s’ Rapid City mayoral contest has made his announcement for mayor. And it seems that mistakes are already being made.

On his campaign page, former police chief Steve Allender notes the following:

“I intend to run a positive campaign because I believe the voters should be allowed to choose the best candidate, not the lesser of evils.”

But what’s the intro of the Rapid City Journal article announcing his candidacy?

 Now wholly committed to a bid for Rapid City mayor, former police chief Steve Allender said Monday that he will roll out his criticisms of incumbent Mayor Sam Kooiker slowly until the June 2 election.

Allender, who on Friday said he remained just 99 percent sure he would run, only alluded to his indifference with Kooiker during his formal campaign announcement Monday at the Adoba Hotel in downtown Rapid City.

“I am pacing myself a little bit,” he said. “I don’t intend to bring up the deepest and darkest issues here this morning, especially with such a friendly and good-looking crowd.”

Read it here.

“Criticisms,” and “I don’t intend to bring up the deepest and darkest issues here this morning.” Good grief. Cue Darth Vader’s theme.  So much for positive. It sounds like the only thing the campaign will be about are evils.

And then there’s the logo.


Is that swirly thing after “Allen” and before “er” supposed to constitute a letter in his name? Well, it really doesn’t. It just renders his name illegible at any speed.

Seriously? That’s something I’ve spoken about since year one of this web site, and was taught over 25 years ago. Never, ever substitute a graphic element for a letter of your name. Especially once like this, which is actually difficult to discern as a letter.

Supposedly, he’s going to be deploying that logo on yard signs, billboards and 4×8’s. If you can’t read the darn name quickly and clearly, that’s a waste of money. There’s a graphic designer out there who needs to return their fee, because this is not an asset to the campaign.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Mr. Allender (or Mr Allen-swirly-er) is a nice person. But for someone in a political campaign against Sam Kooiker, a tough, experienced campaigner – he’s not kicking things off on the right foot.

Tone deaf Obama administration canceling White House FOIA on National Freedom of Information Day.

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From USA Today:

The White House is removing a federal regulation that subjects its Office of Administration to the Freedom of Information Act, making official a policy under Presidents Bush and Obama to reject requests for records to that office.

and….

But the timing of the move raised eyebrows among transparency advocates, coming on National Freedom of Information Day and during a national debate over the preservation of Obama administration records. It’s also Sunshine Week, an effort by news organizations and watchdog groups to highlight issues of government transparency.

Read it here.

Former Senate Appropriations Chair Jerry Apa attacking GOP Leadership.

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Former Republican Legislator and Senate Appropriations Chair Jerry Apa has some harsh words for Republican Legislators, calling them greedy, lacking leadership, etc., and so on in a letter to the Editor in the Argus Leader:

The leadership, or lack thereof, of the House and Senate chambers of the state legislature has to be one of the most arrogant, tone deaf, greedy not needy groups to populate Pierre in a long time. Beginning with the majority leader in the Senate trying to subvert the initiative process to disregarding the voter’s directive on the minimum wage, the Republicans have said damn the voters full speed ahead.

Don’t forget the attempt to raise the legislative salary by 40 percent, while ignoring the plight of the average South Dakota teacher. This misbegotten bill was sponsored by the same senator who can’t eat lunch in an hour and expects the taxpayer to pay for a $23 catered lunch.

and..

The Republican super majority has shown that a majority corrupts and an absolute majority absolutely corrupts. The Republicans need to rebrand their party as the Taxandspendican Party.

Read it here.

“Taxandspendican Party?”  Well, that’s kind of harsh.  Especially since if memory serves, Jerry wasn’t immune to the temptations of proposing tax measures himself. From time to time. To time.

Jackley critical of Dept of Justice for lingering on EB-5

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This just popped up – The Argus is reporting that South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is unhappy with the US Department of Justice lingering on their investigation of the EB-5 matter, which remains open with no apparent activity, and possibly may be open simply for political reasons:

Jackley’s investigation was completed in about six months. The federal probe, however, is now at least two years old.

“That was a long time ago,” Jackley said. “So I guess it begs the question of what are they looking at.”

Although the department indicated that it remains open, there doesn’t appear to be activity.

and…

“I’ll tell you, I’m less than happy with them,” Jackley said.

Jackley says he hopes to talk more about the Department of Justice’s role in the investigation, but he’s waiting first on a ruling from the state Supreme Court. The attorney general’s office is defending itself from a lawsuit brought by journalist Bob Mercer, who is trying to force the office to release more information about the Benda investigation. The hearing is later this month.

Jackley said that local federal officials did a good job, but he has different feelings for federal officials in Washington.

“I had expressed during the process concerns of how the Department of Justice was handling matters,” he said.

Read it all here.