Daschle Daily issues its poll...Neglects Black Hills

Tom Daschle’s campaign newsletter, the Argus Leader, issued its poll on the 2004 Senate race:

The phone survey of 800 likely voters - sponsored by the Argus Leader and KELO-TV in Sioux Falls - shows the Democratic incumbent with a 50 to 45 percent lead over Republican challenger John Thune. But the poll also indicates a growing negative opinion toward both candidates. With 5 percent still undecided, and with the poll's margin of error of 3.5 percentage points, South Dakotans can expect the two campaigns to accelerate their efforts to persuade voters and get them to the polls.

The pro-Democrat paper issued this front-page above the fold report during its highest production run ever. This is from Randell Beck:

To meet the anticipated demand for this section, we printed about 113,000 newspapers, the largest single press run in Argus Leader history.

What's missing in today's record breaking issue is a huge event that happened in South Dakota yesterday. In the past, the Argus Leader would show its outrage toward secrecy in government (how many Janklow, a Republican, secret pardons reports has this paper ran?). Today’s record breaking paper did not include a secret meeting held by our Democrat federal representatives with Native American leaders. From the Rapid City Journal:

The session, which was closed to the public, brought discussion about tough issues in Indian Country, he said.

"We wanted an open dialogue without the worry of being misquoted by the media," Colombe said of the closed-door session.

The gaffe master and Randell Beck coffee drinking partner, Tim Johnson, was quoted regarding this closed-door meeting:

"We wanted to make this an open, friendly discussion with everything out on the table," Johnson said.

This excerpt was interesting:

Giago said Daschle told the group he would like to have such a gathering with all the tribal leaders at least twice a year and would like to name it the "Giago Conference."

So why is Daschle kissing Giago’s butt? Check out this excerpt from a recent Giago editorial:

The unemployment rate on the larger reservations of Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Standing Rock, Cheyenne River, Crow Creek and Lower Brule is much, much higher than the national average.

Our two state senators, Tom Daschle and Tim Johnson, have done little or nothing to bring economic development or jobs to these very depressed areas.

On the Pine Ridge Reservation alone, the place of my birth, unemployment runs as high as 60 percent. This is unconscionable.

The people of the Indian reservations of South Dakota are not, and rightfully so, the top priority of either Daschle or Johnson.

They have other constituents to consider, but in the meantime, the Indian Health Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, Indian colleges, social welfare, and housing have suffered severe budget cuts.

Although there are many homeless people on Pine Ridge (and the other reservations), neither Daschle or Johnson have had the influence to bring badly needed housing to this severely depressed region.

Under the auspices of these two senators, the racial problems that exist between Indians and whites has not diminished. Not once have I ever heard either senator talk about the racism in this state.

After 26 years of Tom Daschle doing nothing but making empty promises, why would the Native American’s take seriously the words of a white man who speaks with forked tongue? Since the meeting was held behind closed doors, how are we to hold Daschle accountable for whatever promises he made? Where is the outrage by the Argus Leader regarding the secrecy?