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Today’s Argus Leader

I noted in my previous post, that the South Dakota Republican convention is in Mitchell, South Dakota this week and David Kranz, the Chief Political reporter of the Argus Leader was here yesterday.

I did not find coverage of the convention in the Argus Leader, both print and online, but the Mitchell Daily Republic’s coverage was front-page above the fold (sorry, my pictures did not turn out, still learning how to use my new camera). I witnessed David Kranz leaving the event at about 1PM yesterday, just as Governor Rounds was beginning his speech. He told me he was getting something to eat. I did not see him return. I overheard a comment that the content of his interview with John Thune I pictured is for his column tomorrow.

The Argus Leader did cover the issue of Tom Daschle’s reaction to the Michael Moore film. It is a page 1B, but I did not find it online. Daschle is quoted:

"Michael Moore obviously intends to spark debate,” Daschle said. And based on what he saw, he said the filmmaker succeeded.

The report also stated, "John Thune, Daschle’s Republican challenger, was unavailable for comment Friday." So what happened to the press release from the John Thune campaign that DVT reported on yesterday? Again, the Republican’s position is non-existent. At the bottom of the report there was a mention that David Kranz and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Denise D. Tucker was the reporter bylined.

The Argus Leader seems to be extremely sloppy, or their bias has gone way over the top.

DVT has noted that Tom Daschle previous statement about meanness should apply to this film. The Argus Leader is letting Daschle get away with having it both ways.

John Thune in Mitchell

The South Dakota Republican convention is currently running in Mitchell, SD. This morning John Thune held a pancake feed at the Masonic Temple on 5th Ave.

In attendance was the Argus Leader’s Chief Political reporter, David Kranz (see my Argus Leader Bias index for more). I had a very nice conversation with Dave. We spoke about his position as Managing editor of the Mitchell Daily Republic from 1976 to 1983. Dave gave me a tip on an auction 10am tomorrow morning at 208 N Main in Fulton, SD, which is located 9 miles to the east of Mitchell. He mentioned it was for a designer of Reagan campaign memorabilia, so I tracked down a sale bill:

Collection of President Ronald Reagan art and campaign memorabilia designed by Mike Sougstad, including campaign buttons, hats and a print of South Dakotan’s for Ronald Reagan (which has original signature of the former President).

I also followed up on an email I sent Kranz regarding Tom Daschle’s viewing of the Michael Moore Bush bashing film. I suggested South Dakotans would be interested in hearing Daschle impression of the film and if it fell under his definition of a negative attack ad. I also mentioned that the ads for the film might be considered to be within the scope of the Campaign Finance Reform laws.

Later I got a picture of Kranz interviewing John Thune…a symbol of a blogger watching the watchdog.

The tide has turned

David Kranz wrote a column that included his normal GOP bashing propaganda:

Then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist came calling for Thune. Napoli says he left an impression that he was not in favor of a two-year moratorium on air base closings but later changed his mind.

Those missteps caused Republicans to look elsewhere on the ballot, he said. "Republicans on the national level are not in tune with South Dakota."

Except Frist did not change his mind:

South Dakota Republican Senate candidate John Thune today lauded Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist for Senate approval of an amendment creating “centers for excellence” for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that could add to the mission of Ellsworth Air Force Base.

Frist first proposed the possibility of Ellsworth’s mission to be expanded as a UAV center for excellence during his trip to Rapid City on behalf of Thune’s candidacy for the U.S. Senate on May 22.

“Ellsworth Air Force Base could quite possibly expand its mission because of the leadership shown by Senator Bill Frist following his visit to the base last month,” Thune said. “While it is laudable that Senator Daschle embraced Senator Frist’s proposal, the fact is that real leadership was demonstrated by Senator Frist for Ellsworth Air Force Base.”

The Senate approved an amendment by Frist and Daschle to the Defense Authorization Bill which would establish National Centers of Excellence for the development, testing, evaluation and procurement of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The amendment includes criteria for the centers such as existing Air Force facilities that possess skilled personnel and existing runaways that a base such as Ellsworth already offers.

“Clearly, Senator Frist’s visit to Rapid City last month could be a major turning point for Ellsworth Air Force Base,” Thune said. “Under Senator Frist’s leadership the Senate took a big step towards expanding Ellsworth’s mission.”

DVT has a post on Daschle trying to take credit for this Republican achievement. This is Daschle’s idea of bipartisanship….Democrats get credit for anything good, and only Republicans get blamed for what goes wrong.

Daschle responds

DVT has noted the Argus Leader coverage of John Thune’s challenge to Tom Daschle regarding a $10 million cap on their campaign spending. Keloland is reporting a response from Daschle:

Daschle says he won't agree because it restricts his ability to respond to negative ads from third-party groups. He said Thune should encourage them to stay out of South Dakota.

After viewing Michael Moore's movie, would Daschle consider that a negative ad from a third-party group? The Hill is reporting that the Campaign Finance Reform law my apply to the movie:

Michael Moore may be prevented from advertising his controversial new movie, “Fahrenheit 9/11,” on television or radio after July 30 if the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today accepts the legal advice of its general counsel.

At the same time, a Republican-allied 527 soft-money group is preparing to file a complaint against Moore’s film with the FEC for violating campaign-finance law.

As I have argued, should Daschle publicly ask Michael Moore to keep his movie out of South Dakota, because it is nothing more than a negative campaign ad that attacks the President.

Clinton lies again and again

There are two accusations that Clinton lied in his book. There is one here and another here.

Of course Ann Coulter had to add her two cents with a column titled, "Moby's Dick". Excerpt:

If I buy a copy of your book, will you just shut up once and for all, go away, and never come back? It will cost me $35, but, judging strictly by weight, that isn't a bad price for so much cow manure. At 957 pages, this is the first book ever published that contains a 20-minute intermission. Readers are advised to put it down and read a passage from Clinton's 1988 Democratic National Convention speech nominating Dukakis just to stay awake. This thing is so long, he almost called it "War and Peace." Or, I suppose, more properly, "War and a Piece."

And then there is a Jane Chastain column that opens with this:

What is wrong with you people, lining up like little zombies to plunk down $35 of your hard-earned money to read a telephone-book size autobiography written by a serial liar?

UPDATE: A fresh Clinton lie

WorldNetDaily has a report on a fresh Clinton lie from this morning:

In an interview with NBC's Katie Couric, former President Clinton said he saw no link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida, contradicting the contention of his Justice Department in 1998.

Here is the recent 9-11 testimony of William Cohen, secretary of defense under Clinton:

William Cohen, secretary of defense under Clinton, testified to this before the September 11 Commission on March 23, 2004. Cohen was asked about U.S. attacks on a Sudanese pharmaceutical factory on August 20, 1998. The strikes came 13 days after al Qaeda terrorists bombed U.S. embassies in East Africa, killing some 257 people (including 12 Americans) and injuring more than 5,000. The Clinton administration and the intelligence community quickly determined that al Qaeda was behind the attacks and struck back at the facility in Sudan and at an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Almost immediately, the decision to attack the plant outside Khartoum was controversial. The Clinton administration, in its efforts to justify the strikes, told reporters that the plant had strong links to Iraq's chemical weapons program. No fewer than six top Clinton administration officials--on the record--cited the Iraq connection to justify its strikes in response to the al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. embassies. (Some of these officials, like James Rubin and Sandy Berger, now hold top advisory positions in John Kerry's presidential campaign. Kerry, however, now says he was misled about an Iraq-al Qaeda relationship.)

Michael Moore practicing Hatriotism

Dr. Ergun Mehmet Caner, a Persian Turkish immigrant raised as a Sunni Muslim, writes an outstanding column on the anti-American position of Michael Moore. Here he explains hatriotism:

I am not holding my breath. With the aforementioned facts in mind, I must still speak. Michael Moore has released the cinematic equivalent of a French kiss to all who hate America. He is the leading exponent of hatriotism.

"HATE-RIOTISM" describes the new breeze blowing through the American media. It is now "cool" and "relevant" to mock everything for which our soldiers are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Criticizing democracy and America has long been in vogue in continental Europe from those who look with disdain at American "naivete," while still lamenting the Islamic onslaught.

Here is the ending:

There is one final irony. There is a film producer who has worked for years, chasing down Michael Moore in an effort to interview him. The young man, named Michael Wilson, is making a documentary titled "Michael Moore Hates America." So far, Moore has dodged him at every turn. Anyone who knows cinema recognizes that this is the exact tactic Moore took in his film "Roger and Me," as he chased an automobile executive for an interview.

Do you see the paradox? Because Michael Moore is now in the mainstream of hatriotism, and now the young conservatives are the radicals, Moore has become his own worst nightmare. Michael Moore has become that which he mocked. He has become an aloof elite.

Count me among the radicals.

I guess I am also among the radicals. I wonder what Tom Daschle thought about the movie.

Democrats use felons to register voters

It is now reported that the Democrats use known felons to register their voters:

A Democratic group crucial to John Kerry's presidential campaign has paid felons - some convicted of sex offenses, assault and burglary - to conduct door-to-door voter registration drives in at least three election swing states.

America Coming Together, contending that convicted criminals deserve a second chance in society, employs felons as voter canvassers in major metropolitan areas in Missouri, Florida, Ohio and perhaps in other states among the 17 it is targeting in its drive. Some lived in halfway houses, and at least four returned to prison.

ACT canvassers ask residents which issues are important to them and, if they are not registered, sign them up as voters. They gather telephone numbers and other personal information, such as driver's license numbers or partial Social Security numbers, depending on what a state requires for voter registration.

Felons on probation or parole are ineligible to vote in many states. Doug Lewis, executive director of the Election Center, which represents election officials, said he is unaware of any laws against felons registering others to vote.

A review of federal campaign finance and state criminal records by The Associated Press revealed that the names and hometowns of dozens of ACT employees in Missouri, Florida and Ohio matched those of people convicted of crimes such as burglary, forgery, drug dealing, assault and sex offenses.

Although it works against the re-election of President Bush, ACT is an independent group not affiliated with Kerry's campaign - federal law forbids such coordination. Yet ACT is stocked with veteran Democratic political operatives, many with past ties to Kerry and his advisers.

Where is the Argus Leader

Remember how proud the executive editor of the Argus Leader Randel Beck was when they obtained full disclosure on the pardons granted by Republican Bill Janklow. So why are they silent as Jeff Gannon reports this:

Talon News reported in April that a voter registration worker for Democrats turned out to be a convicted murderer. He was arrested after complaints of aggressive soliciting brought him to the attention of local law enforcement, and charged with trespassing and possession of drug paraphernalia. Howard Brewer, a member of a group called "Choose to Vote" recently pleaded guilty to voter registration fraud.

Why are they not doing the kind of investigative reporting that Jason Van Beek has performed? My guess is that they do not want to justify the need for photo Ids when we vote. Instead they want to help the Daschle campaign promote the false accusation that Republicans are being racists.

Daschle views Moore's film

Tom Daschle were among the mostly Democratic audience that was afforded a private screening of Michael Moore's controversial film:

Michael Moore introduced his Bush-bashing documentary, "Fahrenheit 9/11," to the nation's capital on Wednesday in a private screening for a nearly all-Democratic audience.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and California Sen. Barbara Boxer were among the 800 invited guests. Actress Sally Field also planned to join Moore for the red-carpet premiere.

The two-hour film depicts President Bush as lazy and oblivious to warnings in the summer of 2001 that al-Qaida was poised to strike. It also accuses the administration of manipulating the Sept. 11 attacks and fanning terrorism fears to win support for the Iraq war.

Remember the post where I argue the film is a negative political ad for the Democrats and it should apply to Daschle's pledge to ask third party ads to stay out of South Dakota? Now that he has viewed it, I think its time to ask him that question.

Where is the media

As reported by SDP, John Thune issued a press release yesterday challenging Tom Daschle to cap their campaign spending at $10 million. DVT noticed that as KSFY reported this to the public, the Argus Leader did not. DVT noted that the Argus Leader provided coverage for Daschle’s press release on third party ads.

DVT has a post that points out the above problem is why many have turned to the blogosphere.