It’s a little (or a lot) spotty, but I’m especially pleased with my latest political acquisition – Coe Crawford for US Senator:

Every once in a while you get little reminders that sometimes things happen for the best. Such as when outlier candidate Terry Lee LeFleur did not obtain sufficient signatures to make the Republican Primary ballot, and announced he’s running for the Constitution Party nomination instead:

Oookay. When candidates for Governor post memes like this, we can be glad they want to represent a different political party.

After taking a few days to bash me after failing to make the ballot for Governor and opting to run for State Senate instead, it took Good Friday to bring the Christian in Lora Hubbel out. In the middle of her wishing I would choke. From the comment section:

Read her prayer here.

Someone explain something to me. How exactly is it evil when I point out a person’s own words and statements? Wouldn’t that make the person who uttered them the evil one, and myself a humble seeker of truth? (Emphasis on the humility).

Sorry. Gotta ask.

From a release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement on Candidate’s Planned Flag Burning Event

Contact Info:
– Aaron Aykward, LPSD Chairman, info@lpsouthdakota.org
– Richard Shelatz, LPSD Vice-Chairman, vicechair@lpsouthdakota.org

The Libertarian Party of South Dakota wishes to clarify that CJ Abernathey’s planned event on July 17 is an independent demonstration, and it is neither sponsored by nor associated with the LPSD. Furthermore, the executive board hereby releases this statement on the matter:

The LPSD has always respected and fought for the individual right of free speech and expression. The founders of our country saw fit to place freedom of speech at the very top of the Bill of Rights, and something which separates us from many other countries is that this freedom extends to those who use their voice to disagree with the government. We support the right of all citizens to free speech, even for those who feel the need to demonstrate by burning the flag.

But now it’s time for the LPSD Executive Board to use our own freedom of speech. As Libertarians, we love and cherish the United States of America, the U.S. Constitution, and the symbols and emblems which represent them. We understand that Mr. Abernathey is attempting to differentiate between “Old Glory” and gold-fringed flags which supposedly represent admiralty law and a suspension of constitutional freedoms. To this end, we respect his right to hold this opinion and bring it to the public’s attention, but we condemn the manner of expressing it.

To burn a flag — gold-fringed or not — dredges up many painful images of those who hate America and seek its destruction. We’re relatively certain that Mr. Abernathey, a former U.S. Marine, does not hate our country. But by throwing an emblem with 50 stars and 13 stripes into a burn barrel, one cannot help but feel a grin of satisfaction from those who do.

In America, your free speech is guaranteed. But you are not free from criticism and disagreement. And on this matter, we disagree.

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From our friends at Dakota Posts (this made me chuckle):

The latest edition of the tale of the tape is out, freshly updated from the fallout of this weeks’ candidate petitioning:

It would appear that CJ Abernathey, who has been a Libertarian for about a week now, and is the only Libertarian currently announced as running for Governor, has an event planned for this summer:

Yes, he’s planning on burning the flag. And according to Abernathey, it’s ok, because the constitution doesn’t really exist. From Facebook:

Ooookay.

The Libertarian State convention is April 14th. There are indications another challenger may emerge to run for the party nomination. It is unknown whether there will be any serious candidates running for the office of Governor on the Libertarian ticket.

From my e-mail box, here’s what’s coming up this week from the Jackley for Governor Campaign:

Marty Jackley will be available to the press at the following upcoming events.

Apr 3   Brookings Economic Development Round Table
Jackley will hold an economic development round table in Brookings at noon at the Research Park.

Apr 5   Miller Economic Development Roundtable
Jackley will hold an economic development round table discussion in Miller at noon.

Apr 5   Redfield Economic Development Round Table
Jackley will host his second economic development round table of the day in Redfield at 2:30 p.m.

Apr 5   Brown County Lincoln Day Dinner
Jackley will be a featured speaker at the Brown County Lincoln Day Dinner in Aberdeen at 5:00 p.m.

Apr 6   State Veterans Home Tour
Jackley will tour the Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home in Hot Springs.

Apr 6   Fall River County Lincoln Day Dinner
Jackley will be a featured speaker at the Fall River County Lincoln Day Dinner at 5:00 p.m.

Apr 7   Custer County Lincoln Day Dinner
Jackley will be a featured speaker at the Custer County Lincoln Day Dinner at 5:00 p.m.

From my e-mail box:

A Race We Can and Should Win
By Sen. John Thune

The United States has experienced numerous technological revolutions throughout its relatively short history that have been so monumental that life as Americans knew it would never be the same. Henry Ford made automobiles and the assembly line a reality. Scientists helped American astronauts take “one giant leap for mankind.” And U.S. innovators and academics played a pivotal role in making the internet as integral to our day-to-day lives as it is today.

It was Americans’ desire to ask “what’s next?” that led to each of these technological revolutions in the past, and it’s already leading to those of the future. An easy example of this is the evolution in how we’ve consumed media over the last century and the technology that has allowed us to do it. We had books and newspapers, then radio and television, then color television, then VHS and VCRs, then DVDs and Blu-ray, and now with a few quick clicks, you can watch a movie from a wireless tablet on a chair in your backyard or on an internet-connected airplane at 30,000 feet.

When it comes to mobile broadband technology, in particular, of which media consumption is only one small part, I believe American innovators and entrepreneurs are at the doorstep of another “what’s next?” moment. I’m hopeful that lawmakers in Washington can help these new American pioneers cross the finish line faster and more efficiently, because if we don’t win this race, another country will.

In early 2016, I introduced the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (MOBILE NOW) Act, bipartisan legislation that would lay critical groundwork for the next generation in wireless broadband technology. At the time, I said the MOBILE NOW Act would be our passport to a 5G future of gigabit wireless connectivity, and I believe it now more than ever.

While the Senate Commerce Committee, which I chair, easily approved this common-sense legislation a few months later, it unfortunately didn’t make it to the Senate floor before the end of the year. We were close, though, which is why I reintroduced the bill on the very first day of the 115^th Congress in 2017. Our hard work and persistence paid off. The committee passed it again, and, as part of a larger legislative package, so did the full House and Senate. Our multi-year effort culminated with the president recently signing it into law.

Now that it’s the law of the land, I hope we can move quickly to cut unnecessary and overly burdensome red tape so U.S. innovators can continue to move the ball down the field. By deploying newer, modernized infrastructure, like small cell technology, and making more of it available for broadband, including inefficiently used government spectrum, the airwaves over which mobile communications travel, we can achieve these goals.

My hope is that as this new technological revolution continues to take shape, states like South Dakota can play a leading role in making it a reality. Some might say, “why South Dakota?” And to them, I say, why not? It’s within reach.

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