I’m hearing reliable rumors out of Sioux Falls this afternoon that the Democrat’s loss leader, 3-time candidate Rick Weiland, is supposedly teaming up with former Tim Johnson Chief of Staff Drey Samuelson to form a new liberal attack dog group.
Word is that Weiland is pushing the story this afternoon with reporters about his new liberal group.
I suspect he’s forming this group in an attempt to remain nominally relevant. The outlook on it is somewhat doubtful, given his complete implosion at the end of his ill-fated US Senate campaign where he went on the attack against the DSCC.
No word on what Democratic US Senate Leader Harry Reid thinks about this latest Weiland effort. Although, I suspect it would go along these lines:
“Desperation is an ugly thing, and it’s sad to see Rick Weiland ending his ill-advised campaign and brief political career by attacking fellow Democrats,” said Adam Jentleson, a spokesman for Reid.
Update – Yep. Scooped them again.
After I pointed out that Weiland was shopping the story, a rushed press release was dropped about his takeitback.org website. And once you look past his barfy platitudes, it looks like he’s setting up an organization to channel money to candidates through:
So, just like when he was campaigning, he’s once again demanding that people send him money to ‘take it back’ from special interest groups….
Just like the one he’s forming.
He would say the same think we do “Rick who?…oh that guy who is too extreme in South Dakota”
Good for them! It’s pretty bad to have a Daschle law and then repeal it which is an obvious abuse of power, go against a ballot initiative voted overwhelmingly by the people and then turn around and try to restrict the democratic process for 3rd parties and make it difficult for anything but the ruling party.
Like Dick waddams said nice things about Daschle ,But wait I can do more for South Dakota were still waiting.
This could be a big deal. Weiland is a Daschle and Johnson loyalist and Drey is also.
These guys might be really bad front men as candidates but they are manipulative and shrewd behind the scenes as operatives.
Weiland might have been a D- on the candidate recruitment scale but he still raised $2.4 million dollars and had the mayday pac saying they would spend an additional $1 million on his behalf not to mention a few other outside groups. The guy is on a mission to take down the GOP in this state and I don’t see any Republican operatives who are on his level behind the scenes. These Daschle and Johnson guys are ruthless.
These behind the scenes guys are why everyone is afraid of the day Brendan Johnson will run for office because he will look like the nice guy while his thugs take his competition out at the knees.
You might think Weiland is a joke but he made the NRSC come in and spend money to salvage the race for MMR. I have no doubt Weiland was going to lose but the NRSC had to spend money helping MMR instead of spending that money in NH or VA. Weiland is a character assassin and he does it well because he doesn’t care how dirty his hands get.
I’d wait to see the results from the federal investigation before you accuse anyone of character assassination. A number of negative things happened here in the state under Round’s watch as Governor. It could of been just plain incompetence from a management point of view or more but we will need to wait to see what is revealed from the long awaited federal investigation since GOAC made no effort to find the truth.
blah blah fricken blah
What do you mean by “on his level”? If you’re referring to his ruthlessness as a character assassin than I would agree. But if you don’t think Republicans have operatives on his level as far as skill than you’re blind. There are probably too many to name but the 4 Chiefs of Staff for Thune, Noem, Rounds, and Daugaard, plus Jon Lauck, are a good place to start.
Do you honestly think Jordan Stoick, Rob Skjonsberg and Tony Venhuizen are top political operatives? WOW! Now when you said Jon Lauck you got my attention – he is the best in the GOP in SD but Ryan Nelson is also a darn good strategist.
I’ll admit some of those 4 are better than some of the others. I agree with your assessment of Lauck and Nelson. But my main point is that Republicans in SD have plenty of good operatives. They are after all in control of every statewide office.
I think Jordan Stoick is pretty top notch. He’s not as well known in SD as some other operatives because a lot of his experience has been out of state but he’s a pro and has been a real asset to Noem. I’m not saying he’s on Nelson or Lauck’s level, but I’d take him over pretty much any other operative in the state.
Stoick doesn’t spend two weeks a year in SD and hasn’t since he went to DC in ’03. His strength in SD is a reflection of Noem. Her donors, her volunteers, her networks. Not saying he isn’t skilled but just because someone works for a politician doesn’t make them a political tactician.
Had he been in state he might have been able to guide Noem through her publicity with attendance issues better in ’12. I don’t give the Noem staff big props because they have never been through a grinder.
Lauck and Nelson are the real deal and let’s not forget they lost to Johnson in ’02. Nobody in SD is on their level. Nelson has been with Thune since day one.
You might say Glodt at the GOTV level.
Like I said, I’m not saying he’s on Nelson or Lauck’s level but I do think he’s pretty good.
And your point about his strength being a reflection of Noem, I would agree to a certain extent. I think you could also make an argument that Lauck and Nelson’s strength is a reflection of Thune. Good politicians make their staff look good. It’s a two-way street.
And finally, I would agree that Glodt is a top operative.
RNC came in to make sure we weren’t talking about Senator Pressler today. Weiland was an after thought.
Weiland was the reason Pressler was rising.
Lauck would be able to get another Republican elected and so would glodt – at least they would try. Stoick would be in dc with clean hands and apply for a job once the campaign was over.
So if u put your money on a guy who doesn’t get involved in a campaign it’s your mistake.
Haha he wants to replace Reid with Warren??
Have you heard? There’s been so much snow in Boston she’s now claiming she’s an Eskimo.
did you hang with Prof Warren when you resided in Mass?
probably not. are you making a serious point?
I have to laugh about these top GOP operatives. The RSC had to come in and rescue the campaign from Rob and his minions when Weiland got it to single digits. Of course the $2 million in soft money from the RNC and the Koch Brothers took care of the race for Rounds. Embarrassing it got this close in red, red South Dakota
and where were the top Democrats to ever get Weiland closer than 9 points???? in a 4 person race.
yeah, i guess a nine-point lead at the closest point qualifies as ‘single digits.’ nine single digits.
Wax Zippo,
You are a typical homer. Remind me of myself with regard to my alma mater against a top 25 team. They were big underdogs and didn’t cover the spread. My only consolation is mid-way in the second half they had closed within the spread. Granted, they got slaughtered in the end and when it counted. But, they got inside the spread for a possession.
Its all I have to hang onto as I wait for next year when, if I take off my homer hat, in reality little will change.
Troy you are absolutely right. Rare instance where we will have to agree to agree. The reality in a post Citizen’s United, post McCutcheon world is big money buys our Congress. It buys plenty of Democrats off as well, but not close to the number of GOPers it buys. My bet is Thune’s donor list is full of Bi Money groups who hate the net neutrality proposal. John’s opposition to the new policy on concerns about “rural” America are laughably transparent and sad. Even more sad, my party and my state will let him run unopposed.
yeah i guess it’s impossible that someone would actually dislike net neutrality, ahca, and the carbon tax for the loudly stated reason that they’re bad for the u.s. hey, also don’t underestimate the amount flowing to democrats from dark money and big money. that would be naive.