Sibby Online

Enters Tony Dean on guns

Before going to the Democrat convention in support of Barack Obama, Tony Dean sent me some emails:

According to the NRA's American Hunter magazine, they have placed Tim Johnson in a group of Senators who have earned their support. Do you suppose that's why they contributed to his campaign?

And then this:

Steve:

As you are probably aware, the NRA has contributed to Sen. Tim Johnson's campaign...and American Hunter listed him among a group of incumbents who have earned the support of the NRA and gun owners.

Recognizing your past views of Sen. Johnson on the subject of guns, plus the face you often took me to task for supporting him and even suggested I wasn't pro-gun, what do you make of all of this?

Tony Dean

Those are some great questions. I would hope that Tony Dean now understands that the NRA is not just a bunch of pro-Republican Kool-Aid drinkers. Since 2002, Senator Tim Johnson has a very pro-gun voting record. And that is what the NRA cares about, not partisan politics. Prior to Senator Johnson’s inability to debate becoming known, his re-election was in little doubt. So I am not surprised that the NRA would contribute to a likely Senator.

But I consider that a huge mistake. First we must not forget that in the wake of Columbine shootings, Senator Johnson turned his back on gun owners in order to keep his appropriations position with the Democrat controlled Senate chamber and voted in favor of President Clinton’s anti-gun legislation. A voting record that Tony Dean refused to acknowledge during the 2002 Senate race. And I will also point to the recent 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court to overturn the DC gun ban. The Second Amendment’s survival from the radical activist judges will depend on a Republican Senate controlling the future makeup of that Court. The NRA should understand that Joel Dykstra has a solid pro-gun state level voting record. They would be wise to endorse Joel Dykstra.

And in regard to Tony Dean’s status on gun rights, supporting Barack Obama will not convince me that he is pro-Second Amendment. In fact just the opposite as this column shows:

Barack Obama has a liberal problem. To be specific, he’s too liberal for the general American public. He’s got a radical leftist background, complete with a twenty year relationship to Rev. Jeremiah "God Damn America" Wright and a former Weather Underground terrorist as a political mentor, and a voting record that puts him to the left of Ted Kennedy in the Senate

So to offset that Obama’s been trying to convince voters that he appeals to both Democrats and Republicans. He illustrated this broad base of appeal by starting a group called "Republicans for Obama" that featured former Senator Lincoln Chaffee. Who, ironically enough, also happens to be a former Republican

Because nothing says "Republicans for Obama" like politicians who quit the Republican party

Anyway, Obama is pulling this same stunt again in South Dakota where he has "life long Republican" and sportsman Tony Dean backing his campaign. The problem? Dean, who was considered for the Democrat ticket for Congress at one point and who is an active backer of Democrat Senator Tim Johnson, isn’t even really a Republican

[F]ormer Joyce Foundation board member Barack Obama has secured yet another faux Second Amendment supporter in "lifelong Republican" Tony Dean, a long-time host of hunting and fishing television shows in South Dakota. Dean told the Dallas News he’s switching parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group

A "lifelong Republican" that is "switching parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group"?

This is an interesting claim, given that Dean was mentioned by the Rapid City Journal in 2003 as a "possible Democratic candidate for Congress" who endorsed Democrat Senator Tim Johnson for reelection just a year earlier. Dean’s efforts to draw gun owners to Johnson weren’t enough, and Johnson’s Republican challenger, John Thune, became a U.S. Senator from South Dakota. According to public records, Dean donated money to another anti-gun South Dakota Democrat, Tom Daschle, also in 2003

For Tony Dean to have "switch[ed] parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group" he would have to have done so at least two years before Obama was even elected to Senate, and five years prior to he announced his presidential bid. Indeed, it appears the word ‘lifelong’ is as difficult for Dean and the Obama campaign to define as the word ‘is’ is to Bill Clinton

Dean is quoted by the Dallas News as saying he’s "99 percent sure a President Obama isn’t going to infringe on gun rights." But seeing as Mr. Dean, who at least one blogger has been dubbed "South Dakota’s Al Gore" because of his fervent belief in human-cause global warming, describes himself as a "moderate on the gun issue" who "opposes the NRA on most gun issues," his assurances about Obama aren?t likely to be much consolation to pro-gun voters.

It gets worse. Dean’s endorsement of Obama is supposed to help shore up Obama’s problem with gun-owning Americans (read: most Americans) despite Dean’s own decidedly mixed record on guns. But it’s all just deception, as Obama’s gun record (something the Obama campaign has been less than truthful about) is about as anti-gun as you can get:

A candidate questionnaire shows that Mr. Obama supported a ban on handguns in 1996. In 1998, he backed a ban on the sale of all semiautomatic guns (a ban that would encompass the vast majority of guns sold in the U.S.) In 2004, he advocated banning gun sales within five miles of a school or park (essentially a ban on all guns sold in almost all the states). Possibly, even more importantly, he served on the board of the Joyce Foundation, probably the largest private funder of anti-gun and pro-ban groups and research in the country

The Obama campaign "flatly denied" the 1996 statement supporting a ban on handguns, blaming it instead on a staffer from his state senate race who they said had incorrectly filled out the candidate questionnaire. But the Politico obtained a copy of the statement and found Mr. Obama’s own handwritten notes on it indicating that he had personally checked and corrected answers.

This is the problem with Obama. He’s campaigning as a change candidate. A candidate whose authenticity is above reproach. But in order to appeal to a wide swath of Americans, and not just the uber-liberal enclaves in places like San Francisco and Chicago, Obama can’t be who he really is. He has to hide behind deceptive answers to gun issue questions, and faux Republicans like Tony Dean and Lincoln Chaffee.

That’s not change we can believe in.

Obama’s rural strategy includes Tony Dean

The Dallas Morning News did an analysis of Obama’s rural strategy (remember, those of us who gling to our guns and religion):

Barack Obama, after losing most of the rural South to Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries, will stress pocketbook issues this week to woo voters in the wide open spaces.

If recent elections are any guide, the Democratic convention may be Mr. Obama’s last shot at building rural support.

A lifelong city dweller, Mr. Obama is tugged in opposite directions on whether to stick with — or scale back — his campaign’s springtime swagger that it would "expand the map," challenging John McCain in reliably red states where rural voters may be key.

And Obama’s big white hope…none other than Tony Dean:

Outdoors TV show host Tony Dean, a lifelong Republican, said he’s switching parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group. Mr. Dean said he’s "99 percent sure a President Obama isn’t going to infringe on gun rights."

Well Mr. Dean, I am 100% that a far-left elitist mocking rural folks who cling to their guns and religious cannot be trusted with our gun rights. And now I understand why Tony Dean and Pat Powers hate Rush Limbaugh:

Mr. Laney, though, says rural voters don’t necessarily have to identify with Mr. Obama.

"They’re not looking for a tribe, they’re looking for somebody to represent their issues very well. And if they’ll just look, instead of listening to Rush Limbaugh, they’ll find out that in most cases, the Democrats are much more in tune."

What a laugh that one is. ANd now for the werious, no one should follow a man who mocks the Bible.

Obama interest groups: Gays, lesbians, Bisexuals, and Tony Dean

The Rocky Mountain News has a report titled "Interest groups get fired up for Obama". Excerpt:

• Rural America: Crops, environment

The first-ever meeting of the Democratic National Convention's Rural Council focused on McCain's no votes on farm bills authorizing subsidies and loans to U.S. farmers.

Audience members got copies of McCain's voting record to pass out at "the booths you're manning at county fairs."

Tony Dean, host of the TV series Tony Dean Outdoors, said Obama is the better choice for the environment.

"As a sportsman, I consider this election the most important in my lifetime," he said. "Can't you see the very clear connection between good fishing and clean water? Clearly, they can't."

• Gays: Local, state activism

This week's focus may be national - but their fight is local, members of the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender Americans caucus were told.

Colorado philanthropist Tim Gill, whose political bankrolling aided the Democratic takeover of the state legislature in 2004, said Democrats need to identify a few legislative or city council seats in each state held by anti-gay Republicans and put their effort into knocking them off.

"The Republican Party is controlled by a bunch of bigots, and the only way we can take control from those bigots is to take their power away from them," Gill said.

Tony Dean makes Roll Call

I now can say I was right this morning, about Tony Dean being in Denver pusing the global warming agenda. Roll Call has the proof:

The décor looked like something straight out of the redneck wing of the Republican Party. Instead, the camouflage posters and videos of snapping trout and big game being stalked by hunters was right smack in the middle of the Democratic National Convention.

The National Wildlife Federation Action Fund had a point to all this: Gun-loving hunters and conservative anglers don’t necessarily support the GOP agenda lock, stock and barrel. And when it comes to energy policy and global warming, that constituency is up for grabs in November.

The event’s title states, "I Fish, I Hunt, I Vote Conservation."

"You better look at what the candidates really stand for," said Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), a sportsman and wildlife enthusiast who denounced Republican attacks on such laws as the Clean Water Act.

Tony Dean of the sports show "Tony Dean Outdoors" admitted that his presence at the convention in Denver might seem a little odd. "I’m a lifelong Teddy Roosevelt Republican, and I’m still a Republican," he said.

But, he added, the past eight years during the Bush administration and its conservation policies have hurt the environment that hunters and fishermen cherish. "I have seen so many significant changes in water fowl," he said.

The popular view of anglers and sportsmen is one of "a bunch of beer swilling nuts on guns," Dean said.

But his decision in November will be based on which candidate has a solution to global warming.

Tony Dean makes The Nation

Tony Dean is now a star for the far left "The Nation":

But the next speaker, Tony Dean of Sportsmen for Obama, is riveting. Dean is short, white-haired, rotund and he has one of the great old radio voices-- rich, warm, genial, friendly--which is not surprising, because he is a radio announcer, formerly of stock-car and Nascar racing, more recently of Dakota Back Roads, a popular and much-honored show about fishing and hunting.

"I used to be a conservative Republican," he begins, and swiftly moves on his support for South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson, his father's love of quail hunting and his mother's passion for fishing (every Saturday and Sunday!), and his long and interesting life in radio. I'm not sure where all this is going, but I could listen to him all day. And sure enough, there's a point: "This is the most important election of my lifetime. I'm not sure fish and wildlife can survive eight more years of George Bush." Dean talks about the ongoing destruction of the regulatory system that protects forests and water: "There's a clear connection between fishing and clean water." He talks about the reliance of small rural Dakota towns on the tourist dollars from hunters and fishermen and winds up with global warming: "It's real." Mallards that used to appear in vast numbers in South Dakota by October 1, the day the hunting season starts, now stay in Canada till January.

What a terrific speech! I not only want to vote for Obama more than ever, I want to go fishing too. In South Dakota. While it still has fish.

UPDATE: I see the SD Wingnuts found this a couple of days ago.

Tony Dean switching Parties?

{Editor's note: I have received word from Tony Dean that he has not switched Parties yet. 8/29/20080)

OK Pat Powers, what to you have to say about Tony Dean becoming a pro-Obama Democrat:

[F]ormer Joyce Foundation board member Barack Obama has secured yet another faux Second Amendment supporter in "lifelong Republican" Tony Dean, a long-time host of hunting and fishing television shows in South Dakota. Dean told the Dallas News he’s switching parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group.

A "lifelong Republican" that is "switching parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group"?

This is an interesting claim, given that Dean was mentioned by the Rapid City Journal in 2003 as a "possible Democratic candidate for Congress" who endorsed Democrat Senator Tim Johnson for reelection just a year earlier. Dean’s efforts to draw gun owners to Johnson weren’t enough, and Johnson’s Republican challenger, John Thune, became a U.S. Senator from South Dakota. According to public records, Dean donated money to another anti-gun South Dakota Democrat, Tom Daschle, also in 2003.

For Tony Dean to have "switch[ed] parties to head a Sportsmen for Obama group" he would have to have done so at least two years before Obama was even elected to Senate, and five years prior to he announced his presidential bid. Indeed, it appears the word "lifelong" is as difficult for Dean and the Obama campaign to define as the word "is" is to Bill Clinton.

Dean is quoted by the Dallas News as saying he’s "99 percent sure a President Obama isn’t going to infringe on gun rights." But seeing as Mr. Dean, who at least one blogger has been dubbed ‘South Dakota’s Al Gore’ because of his fervent belief in human-cause global warming, describes himself as a "moderate on the gun issue" who "opposes the NRA on most gun issues," his assurances about Obama aren’t likely to be much consolation to pro-gun voters.

I bet Tony Dean was there

Check this out:

A group of hunters and anglers called on the next president to tackle global climate change, saying the problem is the single biggest threat to America's dwindling fish and wildlife populations.

Speaking at a reception at a Denver hotel, members and supporters of the National Wildlife Federation said the nation needs an energy policy that emphasizes renewable, clean energy and that turns away from coal and petroleum products.

And remember this from a post I just put up a couble of minutes ago:

Conservation groups are worried.

"There is no question CRP is in jeopardy of heading down the Soil Bank path if we don't address the program's economic viability given the landscape of today's agricultural market," said Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever's vice president of government affairs.

The Soil Bank Conservation Reserve Program largely had been credited with creating the first era where wildlife flourished, Nomsen said. The program ended in 1962 and as contracts expired, millions of acres of critical wildlife habitat were plowed. Wildlife populations plummeted.

Environmental and conservation groups say the same thing will happen if farmers opt out early or simply let their CRP contracts end.

"Rules, regulations, appropriations and promotion of conservation programs are all critical to the magic of turning law into habitat on the land," Nomsen said.

In the 2008 farm bill, Congress decreased the number of acres allowed in the CRP program from 39.2 million acres to 32 million acres.

And farmers continue to take land out of the program, enticed by new global markets and federal mandates to turn more corn into ethanol.

Now they can’t have it both ways. I wonder what Tony Dean has to say about that?

UPDATE: I was right about Tony Dean being there. If you read further down the link at the top you will find this:

"Contrary to what may be the popular opinion, a growing number of sportsmen and sportswomen realize we need a real energy policy and a bold new energy policy," said wildlife columnist and TV host Tony Dean of Pierre, who attended the reception.

Tony Dean attacks Republican legislator

Tony Dean has a column in the Argus Leader that includes this attack on South Dakota Republican legislator Betty Olson:

Senate Bill 96 currently before the state Senate is legislation deserving of death. This idea, sponsored by a "who's who" of Game, Fish & Parks critics and anti-sportsmen lawmakers, would take South Dakota a giant step toward Texas-style, pay-for-play big game hunting by allowing the issuance of landowner-sponsored big game hunting licenses. But you should realize landowners already receive 50 percent of the licenses available in each county and these would come from deer licenses set aside for South Dakota residents. Sportsmen would lose, while a handful of ranchers would have the state helping them get into commercial big game hunting by assuring them of a customer base.

This horrendous idea is sponsored by senators Jule Bartling, D; Ryan Maher, D; Jim Lintz, R; and representatives Mark T. Devries, R; Thomas Brunner, R; Gordon Howie, R; and Betty Olson, R.

You'll find Olson's name on other absurd proposals, including another attempt to prevent conservation officers from entering private land without landowner permission; and another that would allow a daily bag limit of 25 pheasants on shooting preserves.

Shooting that many pheasants in a single day might satisfy a game hog with a fat wallet, but it wouldn't do much for the image of hunting. Rep.Olson was one of the leaders of the failed West River Lockout, which gives you an idea of where she's coming from. She's also the chief sponsor of legislation that would make mountain lions a varmint once they are seen outside the Black Hills. In another piece of legislation, the Game, Fish & Parks Department would be required to reimburse motorists whose vehicle hit a deer. Nonsense, sheer nonsense.

You can bet participating landowners would market those big game licenses for substantially more than they pay for them because, well, that's the whole idea. Big game licenses should not be sold by individual ranchers, but instead by the department of Game, Fish & Parks. It's a backhanded attempt to claim ownership of wildlife that belongs to all citizens.

Chris Hesla and Dave Nauman, who lobby for the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, told me they expect this bill to come out of the Senate Ag and Natural Resources Committee and likely with a "do pass" recommendation, a slap in the face of South Dakota sportsmen and women.

The legislation that would increase the daily pheasant bag limit to 25 on shooting preserves is SB 167, while Betty Olson is also sponsoring a house version (HB 1177) of the landowner big game transferable license as well as HB 1148, which would prevent Conservation Officers from going on private land without landowner permission.

Here is a comment that was made in response:

I'm not sure if Tony has sunk to an incredible low in his journalistic career or simply lost his mind, but more and more frequently his writing is full of inaccuracies if not outright lies. This story illustrates this point perfectly.
I do not personally agree with everything Betty Olson supports but would never consider attacking her with falsehoods as Tony does in this article.

Check the facts on the bills Mr. Dean references as her creations: HB 1177 landowner big game transferable license and HB 1148 which would prevent Conservation Officers from going on private land.
The reality in 2008 is HB 1148 is "An act to exempt the land application of certain solid waste used for irrigation purposes from requirements related to large-scale solid waste facilities" and House Bill 1177 is "an act to create the beverage container recycling and redemption program".

Rep.Olson is not signed on to either of these bills, but is listed on SB 167 which is referenced in this article as the Senate version of a bill to increase the daily pheasant bag limit to 25 on shooting preserves, but the 2008 bill is actually "An act to revise the penalty for a train blocking a street, road, or highway under certain circumstances."

In the current, 2008, legislative session there is not an open fields bill or a bill to raise limits on shooting preserves. The only bill mentioned in this article that accurately reported is Senate Bill 96 "to provide for the issuance of landowner-sponsored big game hunting licenses."

The bills Tony refers to as HB 1177, HB 1148, SB 167 were presented in the 2007 Legislative Session in the context reported in this article and all died. Is this sloppy journalism at it's best or an absurd personal attack at worst!

Ouch! And SB 96 did past the test in committee on Thursday and will be on the Senate Floor soon. All it does is throw a bone to landowners. It is a far cry from Texas-styled hunting.

Tony Dean still hates the NRA

Tony Dean is right for once, I haven’t been spending enough time over at his web site. I found this post about a new NRA web site:

Hunters are invited to send photos of themselves with downed game for possible posting on a new NRA Website, www.nrahuntersrights.org, set to launch Nov. 1.

The new site will have a section called Trophy Gallery, and all hunters are welcome to send photos in for consideration.

Simply email your picture to: huntersrights@nrahq.org, and put "Trophy Gallery" in the subject line. All photos should be sharp and display safe gun handling practices. Include the following information with your submission:

· Your name and hometown
· Date and location of hunt
· Firearm used
· Type of game species
· Any special details (first buck, record book animal, etc.)

And Tony Dean says this:

Tony adds: As usual, the NRA hasn't the foggiest idea of what's going on in the real hunting world. Who cares about seeing pictures of dead birds and animals?

If the NRA really cared about hunter rights, they'd be in there using their considerable lobbying power to get the US Senate to enact strong conservation provisions in the Farm Bill.

In South Dakota, we're currently enjoying one of the highest populations of pheasants since the 1960s, and gun rights didn't have a damned thing to do with it.

Well Tony, if Rosie O’Donnell had her way, guns would banned. Their would be no pictures of dead birds and animals and a heck of a lot more pheasants around than we have now.

Again it is Tony Dean who shoots himself in the foot with his mouth. Without guns, their would be no hunting.

I notice that no body provides links to Tony Dean’s web site. So I will add him to my Token Lefties section along with Pat Powers.

Tony Dean shows up

Last week Democrats Todd Epp, Nick Nemec, and Bill Fleming joined in with Pat Powers’ crusade on SDWC to paint me as an extremist. Then Tony Dean shows up and leaves this comment:

Pat: I need to thank you and Todd Epp. Sibby hasn’t attacked me once since you guys came on the scene.

I am not surprised that Tony Dean would join in. He likes to paint those he disagrees with as extremists, and then when fire is returned, play the victim role and whine like a little baby. Here is just one example of what Tony Dean said about NRA members during the 2002 Senate race between John Tune and Tim Johnson:

"but the some (sic) of the right wing nuts in the NRA crowd want only a GOP Senator"

That was posted on his web site on 10/22/2002. That and much more has been deleted from his web site after Tony Dean received heat from people like me. And let’s not forget that Tony Deans was co-chair of the 2002 "Republicans for Johnson":

Tony Dean is host and producer of "Tony Dean Outdoors," and is South Dakota’s most preeminent sportsmen. He is a co-chair of Republicans for Johnson, and discussed Senator Johnson’s commitment to sportsmen.

"I’ve been a lifelong Republican, but it is my pleasure to serve as co-chair of Republicans for Senator Johnson," said Dean. "I’ve known Tim Johnson for about 25 years.

And speaking of Tim Johnson, he is again running for re-election and Badlands Blue has been set up by the South Dakota Democrat Party. Lowell Feld, who used the Cultural Marxist’s race card against conservative George Allen, is running it. I would like to point out that George Allen’s defeat gave the Democrats control of the US Senate. Amazingly Pat Powers continues to promote Badland Blues posts on his SD Blogosphere Update, but considers me too extreme and removed this web site from the SD Blogosphere Update section last week. Pat Powers thinks that I am too conservative and am on the fringe. Typical of a RINO.

Pat Powers went off the deep end when he heard about my efforts to form the South Dakota Conservative Action Council. One of our tenets is property rights. At this April 8, 2004 Sibby Online post, Tony Dean is exposed for attacking West River South Dakota citizen activists who have become out spoken in regard to property rights. Tony Dean also attacked Republican legislators Larry Rhoden, Jim Lintz, and Bill Napoli for supporting property rights in the South Dakota legislature.

And then there is Tony Dean’s thinking about running against Bill Janklow. Here is what I found on a November 3, 2004 SDP post (scroll down):

Bob Mercer reports that the Dems seem to be dropping Dean like a hot potato in a piece in the Watertown Public Opinion today:

Remember when Tony Dean of Pierre was making news as the likely Democratic challenger in 2004 to Republican Congressman Bill Janklow? That was back when Dean was still seen as a hot commodity - "a rock star" in the words of Daschle/Johnson campaign manager Steve Hildebrand - among Democratic strategists after he helped Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson with a hunting ad on TV in the tight race last fall against Republican challenger John Thune.

But when Stephanie Herseth positioned to make another run for the U.S. House in the wake of the Janklow crash, Dean disappeared from the Democrats' radar screen this fall. The reason was a general conclusion that he couldn't beat Herseth in a Democratic primary election next June. The best indication came when State Democratic Party officials gave her the spotlight as emcee for their state central committee gathering recently.

The question now is when Dean will be in another TV ad next fall for Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle - or maybe even Herseth.

No, Tony Dean did not appear on Daschle ads in 2004, but he did contribute money to Daschle’s campaign. If you scroll down this link, you will find this:

DECHANDT, ANTHONY E (TONY DEAN OUTDOORS), (Zip code: 57501) $250 to A LOT OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING TOM DASCHLE INC on 10/14/03

So Pat Powers has no problem with Steve Hildebrand’s "rock star", but he does with me. My efforts to strengthen the conservative cause in South Dakota has caused Pat Powers to through off his sheep’s clothing and now we see another who is truly a RINO. Pat Powers is just as much a problem for the conservative cause as Stan Adelstein.