From the Argus Leader/Associated Press, it looks like the other petition scofflaw got probation as well:

Former South Dakota U.S. Senate candidate Clayton Walker has avoided jail time for election law violations, instead being sentenced Tuesday to two years of probation.

State Judge John Brown also ordered Walker to complete 200 hours of community service and told him to get a mental health evaluation within 30 days.

Walker declined comment after the sentencing, but previously said he believes the charges against him were politically motivated.

and….

Authorities indicted Walker in June 2014 for submitting nominating petitions that included names of dead people, fictitious people and Hollywood celebrities, and for falsely swearing that he witnessed signatures on his petitions. Authorities later accused him of making repeated phone calls to several state offices, harassing and threatening employees.

Read it all here.

It’s interesting that the post I did on what could shake out for 2018 rocketed up to be one of the more popular posts of the last 30 days. And it bears out what one of my correspondents was noting this evening.

The question was “Everyone still talking 2018 out there?”  And I truthfully had to respond – “Yep. 2016 is over already.”  And that seems to be the general mood.  The 2016 election is just a minor speed bump towards the next big election.  Some people are folding up the chairs, and have started putting them away when it comes to state elections.

Democrats have practically run out of time to find (a) a credible candidate, and (b) someone who could raise anything close to what Senator Thune has in the bank already.  In everyone’s minds, for all practical purposes. It’s done.

In Congress, they’re putting state income tax loving, pro-planned parenthood, only won her last election by 9 votes, Paula Hawks up against Congresswoman Kristi Noem who is literally at the height of her game, still riding the crest of her huge win on the farm bill, and now serves on the ways and means committee.  In everyone’s minds, for all practical purposes. check that race off the list too. It’s also done.

What does that leave Dems?  Chris Nelson for PUC. (What was I saying about this election being done?), and the state legislature where Republicans have a built in expectation we’re going to lose a couple, because the numbers are already impossibly and un-naturally high.  The bigger shock is that the electorate keeps giving us Republicans those kind of numbers.

It’s not like Democrats disagree. They spend their time on ballot measures instead of candidates. They know they’ve already lost those races. Maybe they can pass a law or two by circumventing the legislative process.  (Yay, self-back slapping by the activists, while they wonder why their registration numbers keep cratering, and question why no one wants to be a Democrat.)

So no wonder everyone keep talking about 2018. People are looking for some speculation. Some gamesmanship, and wrangling. Some good, old-fashioned politicking. We enjoy that. It’s a pastime of many in the state. So, when we talk about it, it piques people’s interest because it represents the unknown – the future that keeps evolving and changing with every little twist and turn.

But not 2016. Shoot – The 2016 election is already over in people’s eyes.   Thune, Noem, Nelson, and a Republican Supermajority. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to call that one.  Everyone agrees, and they’re already moving on to the big show in ’18.

From the Washington Post, John Thune has one of the most consumer friendly bills I’ve ever seen – AND it has the added bonus of protecting freedom of speech in our free market society:

Should people who criticize companies on sites like Yelp be forced to pay exorbitant punitive fees to the firms they review, just because of a small clause buried in the companies’ terms and conditions?

Some lawmakers don’t think so. The head of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee, John Thune (R-S.D.), is expected to introduce a new bill Thursday that targets that practice, along with Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

The legislation, known as the Consumer Review Freedom Act, would ban businesses from bullying their customers as a way of insulating themselves from public criticism.

and…

“Online customer reviews have become an integral part of not just e-commerce but consumer choice everywhere,” Thune said in a statement. “This free market system, which empowers customers, cannot thrive if reviewers face intimidation against airing truthful criticisms.”

Read it all here.

Good job Senator Thune!  No, strike that. GREAT job!

Rounds Statement on Democrat Filibuster on Iran Deal Provisions

“Protecting Americans’ lives should not be a partisan issue, nor should
supporting our longstanding friend and ally, Israel.”    

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today made the following statement after Senate Democrats again blocked consideration of legislation related to the Iran deal, denying the American people a voice on the president’s nuclear concession deal with Iran:

“Once again, a minority of Senators are denying the elected representatives of the American people an opportunity to vote on one of the most consequential issues of our time,” said Rounds. “In doing so, they are putting the President’s legacy ahead of the lives of the Americans who are currently being held hostage in Iran and threatening our national security here at home. Protecting Americans’ lives should not be a partisan issue, nor should supporting our longstanding friend and ally, Israel. Yet our president and a minority of his party in Congress are insistent on dealing with an Iranian regime which continues to call for “Death to Israel” and describes the U.S. as the Great Satan. It is politics at its worst.”

This morning, Senate Democrats blocked consideration of legislation that would require Iran to recognize Israel as a state and release the Americans held hostage in Iran before any U.S. sanctions with Iran could be lifted. This comes after Senate Democrats twice blocked consideration of the Iran deal itself, despite overwhelmingly supporting the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act earlier this year, which is based on the principle that Congress should have a say on whether the U.S. should adopt the President’s nuclear deal with Iran.

# # #

 Thune: Senate Democrats Choose Partisan Politics Over National Security

“Instead of providing protection to our allies and freedom to U.S. citizens held by Iran, Senate Democrats are going to great lengths to protect this disastrous deal, which gives Iran billions of dollars to fund terrorism in the region.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after Senate Democrats again blocked an up-or-down vote on the president’s nuclear concession deal with Iran:

“It is disappointing that, given the opportunity to allow Americans to be heard on the deal with Iran, a majority of Senate Democrats have again blocked an up-or-down vote and silenced the voices of the American people, who overwhelmingly oppose this deal.

“In addition to supporting a deal that will result in a nuclear-armed Iran, Senate Democrats unconscionably rejected a common-sense measure that would prohibit the lifting of sanctions until the American hostages in Iran are released and Iran recognizes our ally Israel’s right to exist.

“Instead of providing protection to our allies and freedom to U.S. citizens held by Iran, Senate Democrats are going to great lengths to protect this disastrous deal, which gives Iran billions of dollars to fund terrorism in the region. Unfortunately, extreme party loyalty has once again prevailed over national security on an agreement that will have enormous repercussions for the safety and security of our nation and the stability of the Middle East.”

###

From my e-mail box:

Thank you to everyone who attended the GOP Debate Watch party at The District last night. Over 50 people attended and over 40 voted in the informal straw poll.

The Poll Results:
Ben Carson 19.4%
Carly Fiorina 19.4%…
Marco Rubio 13.2%
Donald Trump 10.6%
Ted Cruz 8.8%
Scott Walker 8.0%
John Kasich 5.3%
Jeb Bush 4.4%
Chris Christie 3.5%
Mike Huckabee 3.5%
Rand Paul 3.5%

Methodology: Participants were Republicans who attended the Debate watch party. Voters were asked to write down their top THREE candidates and place their ballot in an unsealed 5.56cal ammo can. The results were pooled to give a weighted impression of which candidates are trending. Percentages were rounded to the nearest tenth.

As a bit of an open topic – Your thoughts on who won the debate last night?

(Unfortunately, Rick Perry isn’t there anymore, so I’ve got to pick a new favorite.  You candidates – American Exceptionalism – it’s still important!)

I only watched it through the corner of my eye, as I was working. But Carly Fiorina seemed to set herself apart in a big way. And Chris Christie continues to impress.

Who did you like?

I’m getting the opportunity to take another excursion next month, and instead of going to Washington DC, my wife and I are taking a trip a little further north to another city teeming with history – Boston, Massachusetts.

A few of my relatives were prodding me to go to the land whence we came… which in this case is Newport, Rhode Island. That’s where my people landed after coming over from Ireland, and my grandmother was born and raised.  But we’re hitting Boston instead, and then working our way north & back.

I’ve been to a few places there, such as the incredible State Capitol when I had a chance to go a few years’ ago. But, since I often use SDWC readers as a travel guide, I’m wondering what jewels I missed. What are your favorite historic places around Boston to visit?

Salem, Mass is day 2 for a touristy stop, and Portland Maine is Day 3 before heading back to beantown on Day 4 Before flying home the next day.

So, give it to me straight – if you were heading there, what would be your “must see” stop?

I was glancing at the Capital Journal website this evening, and came across their calendar of events. And this item kind of jumped out at me:

The Senate Republican Golf Outing, which is a fundraising kind of thing, (and yes, Dems do those types of events too) is being advertised on the local newspaper community calendar?  That left me wondering, “so, who put that up there?”

And clicking on it, we find out:

So, we have the City of Pierre advertising the event, which pushes it out to the Cap Journal page.

Somehow, I don’t think Senate Republicans asked for the plug.