Before I say what is basically trivial and maybe not even interesting, I pause in prayer for the health of former President James Earl Carter.

With the news of former President Jimmy Carter’s cancer diagnosis, I got to thinking of something:  It seems we have a lot of former Presidents living.  Somethings I uncovered with a quick review of the list of former Presidents:

1)  In general, most Presidents serve with one or two predecessors alive during their Presidency with a few occasions of three predecessors for awhile.  As this is possibly sometimes the loneliest job in the world, knowing there are “others” who have been there must be comforting, knowing they are available for advice during difficult and dark moments.

2)  Except during the Presidency’s of George Washington and John Adams, after LBJ’s death, Richard Nixon was the only President to serve without a predecessor being alive.

3)  While many Presidents served with three predecessors alive, until the Presidency of George Herbert Walker Bush, we had never had four former Presidents (Nixon, Ford, Carter & Reagan) alive at the same time.

4)  For fourteen months of the Presidency of Bill Clinton, we actually had five former Presidents alive at the same time (Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, GHWB).  With the death of Nixon, we fell back to four former Presidents alive.  And then for almost 30 months during the start of the Presidency of GWB, we again had five former Presidents alive (Ford, Carter, Reagan, GHWB, Clinton) but by the time his term ended, we were back to a more normal three former Presidents alive.

5) Having again five living former Presidents is possible if Carter and GHWB are still alive at the end of the Presidency of Barack Obama (Carter, GHWB, Clinton, GWB, Obama).  I end this post as I began:

I pause in prayer for the health of former Presidents Carter and GHWB to stay with us and enjoy good health as the world is better with them in it.  While I’m in this mode of reflection, I too pray for our living former Governors Frank Farrar, Harvey Wollman, Walter Dale Miller (I am so embarrassed I forgot Walt.  I truly love this man) and Mike Rounds.

I’m quick dashing this one out before I hop in the car to head to the Airport. Today is the day to head to Columbus, Ohio for the AFP Defending the American Dream Summit.

You can watch it streaming live at the above link at the following times:

Friday 8/21: 1:45pm-4:45pm
Saturday 8/22: 2:00pm-5:00pm

See you there!

From Fox News, it appears an Australian company is violating the spirit, if not the letter of South Dakota law and obtaining information on South Dakota drivers for purposes of issuing red light camera tickets:

Without South Dakota’s official help in matching license plates to owners and addresses, Redflex Traffic Systems is still managing to track down violators and send them tickets, according to TheNewspaper.com, an online publication that covers driving-related news. The company has managed to issue more than 2,000 photo tickets to South Dakota residents since the beginning of the year using unspecified “alternative methods” to match up plates with car owners, the website reported.

“This is a real red flag,” South Dakota State Rep. Arch Beal told FoxNews.com Tuesday. “They’re accessing people’s private records in a back entry way.”

And…

Lt. Kevin Heineman, also of the Sioux City Police Department, told the TheNewspaper.com last week that Redflex has issued 2,640 photo tickets to South Dakota residents since the beginning of 2015. Cedar Rapids said its camera vendor issued two tickets to vehicles registered in South Dakota, according to the website, and Davenport’s camera vendor issued nine citations.

Read it all here.

So, what’s South Dakota’s next step? Closing the border?

On September 16, CNN will host the second major GOP Presidential Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library hosted by Nancy Reagan.  Similar to the debates on Fox, there will be a “prime-time” debate consisting of the “top 10” candidates and an “under-card” debate consisting of the remaining candidates who are polling above 1%.  Seems clear enough.

According to realclearpolitics.com (an average of recent polls), the top seven are:  Trump, Bush, Carson, Walker, Rubio, Cruz & Fiorina with Fiorina at 6.3%.  Clearly, if you were to draw a line, this is the top tier candidates.

The next three are Paul, Kasich & Huckabee all at 4.3% and Christie is outside looking in at 3.3%.

The next tier begins with Perry (1.3%), Santorum, Jindal, Graham, & Pataki.  However, only Perry & Santorum are at 1% or higher.  The rest barely register making the under-card a group whose total support is less than 3.3% (lower Christie who is the first candidate above this group).  In fact, if they all dropped out, the movement of support to the other candidates wouldn’t even be noticed in the polls.

But it is what it is.  Or is it?

Then when you read the selection criteria of CNN, Fiorina is out of the “prime-time” debate and Christie is in.  What the heck?

1. How can the #7 person in the polls be out and a person with half her support be in (Christie)?
2. More importantly, how can the person who has jumped the most in the polls since the last debate and arguably the winner of both debates (only Carson & Rubio can make a case if considering movement in the polls)?

CNN’s selection criteria includes debates which go back to July 15th (a month before the Fox debate) when Fiorina was registering 0% and 1% in the polls.  Since the debate, she has been polled 5%, 5% and 9% beating Paul, Kasich, Huckabee, & Christie all scheduled to be in the next debate.  

In fact, when you realize that the criteria includes three polls with Fiorina at 0% and one at 1% (all from July), mathematically Fiorina would have to poll in the top 4 (8-9%) from now until the poll deadline of September 10th to beat out one of the candidates polling at 3-4%.

Yes, I feel sorry for Rick Perry being designated to the “under-card” debate but hopefully it will give him a chance to shine and maybe bust into the top tier.  In my mind, Rick Perry is the star in this group and has run a good campaign especially relative to those in his “tier.”  Similarly, Chris Christie is statistically tied with Paul, Kasich, Huckabee and maybe doesn’t deserve to be bumped down as Fiorina bumps him to 11th place.

But, if Carly Fiorina is denied the “prime-time” stage, that is a travesty.   Mrs. Reagan, how about giving Carly a “sponsor’s exemption?”  Channel a bit of your husband!!

Historical background:  In a 1980 Presidential primary debate moderated by a local New Hampshire paper because federal campaign law at the time prevented newspapers from paying for the venue, the Reagan campaign paid all the debate expenses (including the microphones). The paper wanted the debate to be limited to Reagan and Bush because they were the “favorites.”  Reagan thought denying Howard Baker, John Anderson, Bob Dole et. al. a chance to participate was unfair and thus what you see on the attached YouTube video.

Ronald Reagan in New Hampshire, 1980

Any GOP operatives out there looking for a paid short term project? 

If so, drop me a note.

The Capital Journal has more on the odd story about the woman charged in the nearly 2-decade old petition fraud trial.

And there’s far more to the story, as you might have assumed:

Howe pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of perjury for vouching before a notary public that she witnessed signatures on petitions she gathered in 1999. In exchange for her guilty plea, prosecutors from the attorney general’s office dropped seven other similar counts.

Howe was hired by a Libertarian group, “Justice Unlimited,” in 1999 to gather signatures to pass an amendment to the South Dakota constitution to protect the “rights of accused persons,” according to the affidavit of probable cause by investigators in 2002 when she was charged by the attorney general’s office.

and…

Sara Rabern, spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office, said the statute of limitations on prosecuting a crime doesn’t apply once someone is charged.

and…

Howe does have a history of other criminal charges for which she hadn’t been made to answer until this summer.

She also pleaded guilty Tuesday during the same hearing, in a deal with the Hughes County prosecutor, to one count of forging checks in 2000 while working as a nurse for a Texas company in Pierre.

and…

Hughes County State’s Attorney Wendy Kloeppner asked Judge Brown not to allow Howe to be released from jail unless she posted $13,000, about what she owes from the 2001 forgery case.

“The most egregious thing is the fact that Ms. Howe was on probation and didn’t do anything on her probation,” Kloeppner said, citing the fact Howe didn’t pay any of her required monthly restitution checks of $250, didn’t stay employed and quit checking in with her probation office.

“Her track record . . . with the court would indicate if she were to get released, she would abscond,” Kloeppner said.

Read it here

I’m working on getting motivated this AM, while lying in bed at a friend’s place high above the town of Summerset, SD. I’ve been here for the last two days as I’ve been getting oriented in working for a new employer.

Most of my other “jobs” are freelance or as an independent contrsctor, and the opportunity came up for a regular ‘corporate’ gig that would allow me to do all my other stuff. And that’s kind of hard to pass up.

Something that will allow me to do blogging and social media, and my print work? What is that?

Actually, a majority of the job is actually going to BE blogging, social media, and marketing materials including print work. And except for the occasional meeting or conference, I get to do it from home.

Oh darn, right?

Despite wanting to hit the fair, I’ve been going dawn to dusk, and today I head home, and should be there for about 12 hours – long enough to wash my jeans, repack, and fly out to the AFP Defending the American Dream conference Thursday AM, where I’ll be attending as press, covering the gathering of presidential hopefuls.

Once home next week, I think I can find time between blogging and social media to bring you more blogging and social media.

And all I’ll have to worry about is carpal tunnel.

Harrold Woman Pleads Guilty to Perjury for Election Law Violations

PIERRE, S.D – Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that Janice Howe, Harrold, 54, has pled guilty to one count of perjury.

Perjury, at the time of the allegations occurred, was a class 5 felony, punishable by up to five years in the state penitentiary and or $5,000 fine.
Charges stem from the circulation and attempted filing of petition sheets on a petition to amend the Constitution. Howe was charged by Complaint on January 31, 2002. The charges allege that Howe verified under oath that she had personally witnessed signatures on the petition sheets when she had not. Howe was arrested in July 2015 on an arrest warrant issued after the filing of the complaint. Two other individuals were charged with similar offenses relating to the same petition. Their cases have been resolved through the judicial system.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2015 at 1:15 p.m. at the Hughes County Courthouse.

The case was investigated by the Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Gov. Daugaard Appoints Jon Sogn As Second Circuit Judge

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced today that he will appoint Jon Sogn (SONG) of Sioux Falls as a circuit court judge in South Dakota’s Second Judicial Circuit.

“I thank Jon Sogn for accepting this appointment,” said the Governor. “Jon has earned the respect of his peers over a long legal career, and he will be an excellent judge.”

Sogn will fill a new judgeship in the Second Circuit that was created by the 2015 State Legislature. The Second Circuit includes Lincoln and Minnehaha counties.

Sogn has practiced with the firm of Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun since 1986. He is a Canton native and a 1983 graduate of Augustana College. Sogn earned his law degree with honors from The University of South Dakota School of Law in 1986.

“I am grateful for the trust Gov. Daugaard has placed in me with this appointment,” said Sogn. “I will do my best each and every day to serve the people of South Dakota.”

Sogn has served as an adjunct lecturer in trial techniques at the USD School of Law, and has regularly been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Great Plains Super Lawyers and Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. He is an active volunteer in many church, school and charitable organizations, and was the Second Circuit Bar Association’s Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year in 2010.

Sogn and his wife, Kristy, have three children.

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I’m sure it’s a kick in the teeth to South Dakota Democrats, but what are you going to do? Kevin Woster isn’t saying anything that isn’t true:

Let’s be honest. The Democrats can’t win that seat in 2016 — not unless Thune gets caught crossing the Jones County Line to poach Lyman County pheasants (or he falls to the unlikely, for a man of his West River sensibilities, whimsy of a presidential run), he’s pretty much a lock for reelection next year.

So, what to do, if you’re the Democrats?

Read it all here.