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The above picture is a closeup of a T-shirt the ladies are wearing in this DVT post.

Johnson Pledge: I won’t miss any votes

Sioux Falls, SD – Dusty Johnson, Republican candidate for the Public Utilities Commission, pledged today[October 20] that, except for family or medical emergencies, he will not miss any votes as a Public Utilities Commissioner.

“South Dakotans work hard, and they deserve the same from their public officials,” Johnson said. “I want the people of this state to know that they can count on me to represent them 100% of the time. The issues the PUC deals with are too important to be overlooked.”

Johnson’s opponent, eighteen-year incumbent Jim Burg, has missed more than 100 PUC votes in the last two years. Burg missed 19% of the Commission’s votes in 2003 and has missed 25% of the PUC votes in 2004. During that same time period, the other PUC Commissioners have missed a total of only eight votes.

“I realize that people miss a day of work occasionally. I can understand a Commissioner missing a dozen or two dozen votes, and obviously consideration needs to be given for votes that are missed because of family or medical emergencies. When someone misses one in every four votes, however, I grow more concerned,” Johnson said.

Commissioners can vote by telephone or can request that meetings be rescheduled. In the last two years, the PUC has not turned down any requests from Commissioners to move meeting dates or times.

“The work of the PUC is important, and even votes that seem insignificant might eventually affect consumers, businesses, and families. I am absolutely committed to consumer protection, increasing the reliability of our utilities, improving cellular phone service, and developing wind power. I will be on the job, and I will be voting in the best interests of our state. That is what our Commissioners are elected to do,” Johnson said.

More Daschle obstruction

The Rapid City Journal again prints what the Argus Leader refuses (via DVT and a Sibby Online reader):

What is unusual is for a handful of Democratic senators, including Daschle, to prevent a bill from becoming law that 503 out of 535 of their colleagues and the president support.

Sen. Daschle told our readers in 2002 that he wanted to see the CARE Act signed by the president, and his press secretary says today that the senator wants to see it become law. But the CARE Act does not progress, it does not pass Congress, the president cannot sign it, and it does not become law.

Tony Dean environmentalists vs Property Rights

Today’s Argus Leader has a report on a lawsuit filed by one of Tony Dean’s favorite organizations:

The National Wildlife Federation has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that duck, pheasant and other ground-nesting bird populations are being harmed by mismanagement of a government program that pays farmers to set aside croplands.

The lawsuit challenges a decision by the Farm Service Agency, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that allows haying and grazing on millions of acres of land enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program during times when birds are likely to be nesting or rearing broods in the inland West and Great Plains.

It’s amazing that in times of drought when hay is needed, these far-left environmentalists believe it’s OK to pay money to landowners to prevent hay from being harvested. This goes to prove that the farmers and ranchers who become dependent on government farm programs lose their property rights.

I have spoken to ranchers who use the CRP program to provide hunting of pheasants. I was told that if you don’t cut the hay from time to time, the CRP becomes too matted for the wildlife.

Argus Leader on secrecy

The Argus Leader has an editorial regarding secrecy. Here is the opening:

Should parents know how their children - if arrested - will be treated in jail?

The answer is simple. Yes. Of course.

Minnehaha County officials have a different answer. No. It's a secret.

Where was their outrage when Daschle had the secret meeting with the Native Americans? Why didn’t they point out the secret meeting with the Cattlemen's Association that DVT has pointed out?

Answer: Because they are nothing more than a campaign newsletter for the guy they endorsed…Tom Daschle.

From the mailbag

Here is an email I received regarding my post on last night’s speech by Tom Daschle:

Gee, I was tucked in my house tonight, but when I read your comments on Daschle's speech tonight in Mitchell, I would swear I was also there. He used exactly the same stories about Lyndon Johnson's desk and the rising/setting sun at Dakotafest. Maybe he thinks people don't remember - guess what? We do. And that is why he is having so much trouble with his double life (Washington vs SD) - we remember all his various stances and doubletalk and don't like it!

Daschle in Mitchell

Tom Daschle was in Mitchell at 6pm Thursday night. He used the following Ben Franklin quote:

America’s Founding Fathers labored long and hard to create the Constitution for our new country. As the Constitutional Convention was breaking up on September 18th, 1787, a woman waiting outside Constitution Hall purportedly asked Benjamin Franklin eagerly, “What have we got, a Republic or a Monarchy?” and Mr. Franklin replied, “A Republic, ma’am, if you can keep it.”

Then Daschle talked about his desk in DC. It was a powerful desk. Lyndon Johnson’s name is carved in it. With this powerful throne King Tom provides water, ethanol, highways, body armor, tax cuts, health care, and pre-school.

Daschle ended with another Ben Franklin quote about a rising or setting sun. What Daschle should have done is answer the question Ben Franklin was asked…a Republic or a Monarchy? I was thinking that Daschle’s cradle to grave dependence on big government was saying that South Dakota should give up on being part of the Republic and instead turn to the Monarchy of King Tom the heir to King George (McGovern). Dave Kranz should agree.

New charges fuel Senate race

That was the top-of-the-page headline to not one story on page 1B of today’s Argus Leader, but two stories. One was by Jon Walker regarding the DC tax break the Daschle’s have taken on the Washington DC home. The Argus may say it’s “New charges”, but this has been going around for a while. Just check my sidebar titled, “Linda Daschle in the news”. Also check out this DVT post that states Talon News has been working on this since July 2003. (Here is the latest from Talon News) This could have been covered when the Argus ran the Linda Daschle story a couple of weeks ago. (Also see SDP post on the Argus Leader's failure to follow up on the "updated application")

I would suspect that Randell Beck would say there was not enough to report on, as he did on the Boeing 767 Tanker scandal when he relied solely on what the Daschle camp told him.

But that is not the case in the second story that ran under the same headline. The Argus reports on mail fraud charges filed based on what evidence?:

A window sticker scarcely larger than a standard photo print has the nation's top elected Democrat and the state's Republican Party pressing separately for a criminal investigation.

The white-on-blue sticker reads, "Vote for Daschle & Vote for SODOMY." A disclaimer alerts readers that fees were "Paid for by someone who loves Jesus and friends of swlJ. This ad is not authorized by any candidate of (sic) candidate committee."

The mass mailing went out earlier this month to churches statewide. A select few homeowners with yard signs supporting Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle also received copies in their mailboxes.

The anonymous disclaimer offers no real identity, and the return address is that of Daschle's re-election headquarters.

Dan Pfeiffer, Daschle's deputy campaign manager, said that amounts to mail fraud, one of the charges leveled against the South Dakota Republican Party in a formal complaint to the Federal Election Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Pfeiffer said the party is the only group in the state that could support such an effort.

The Republican Party denies the allegation.

Again the Argus Leader runs a story based on what the Democrats say, and not on what level of credibility the charges are based on.

Last night on Straight Talk, Greg Belfrage wondered why Randell Beck just not admit the truth about their agenda, instead of acting sanctimonious on how great they are at informing the Argus readers. Belfrage also stated that Beck's column last Sunday was over the top and considered it nasty. He then read the editorial DVT found yesterday that took Randell Beck to task.

Belfrage then pointed out the great job the Dakota Blog Alliance has done documenting the problems that prove the pro-Democrat bias at the Argus Leader. For those who have not heard Greg's program, you should listen in via the Internet Monday thru Friday from 4 to 6 PM central. Greg does a great job at providing common sense analysis to political issues, not only regarding South Dakota, but the Nation as a whole.

Mitchell Daily Republic endorses Thune

The Mitchell Daily Republic has endorsesd John Thune. It is titled, "A clear choice for U.S. Senate". Excerpt:

Thune is the complete candidate. He not only cares about the federal government’s role in helping this state move ahead, his views on cultural and family issues are more in sync with South Dakota.

Unfortunately, Daschle as a national leader for his party has had to toe the liberal line on many social issues. That’s why he resisted for years the effort to outlaw partial birth abortions, for example. That’s why he won’t support a constitutional ban on homosexual marriages. That’s why he over the years has favored bigger government and more spending.

Of course, there are votes that can be cited showing that the senator has favored tax reductions, as well as funding for national defense, just to name two of the more contentious issues this campaign. But a prime example of wanting to have it both ways is on the confirmation of federal judges. Daschle maintains that the Senate’s record is better than in previous administrations. However, when the appeals court nominations are considered by themselves – and it is from this group that U.S. Supreme Court judges most often are chosen – the record is dismal. In fact, 10 nominees were not even accorded an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. They didn’t meet the liberal litmus test. And it is the Supreme Court that decides the law of the land.

Then there is debate over Medicare. The bill passed by Congress and signed by the president is not a perfect bill, but it is a start in the right direction. It won bipartisan support, received the endorsement of the AARP and all the Democrat senators in this region – except Daschle. His explanation for voting against this breakthrough legislation was that it didn’t go far enough, or that it benefited the HMOs. Using that logic, very little legislation would ever get passed on major issues. The addition of prescription drug coverage to Medicare is a major advance for senior citizens. That said, Congress needs to make the Medicare Modernization Act even better by allowing the importation of drugs from Canada and by setting up a price negotiation process with pharmaceutical companies.

John Thune issues press release

DASCHLE VOTES "ABSENTEE" AFTER DECLARING WASHINGTON, D.C. AS "PRINCIPAL RESIDENCE"

Daschle sought and received "homestead" tax break on Washington, D.C. mansion

SIOUX FALLS - South Dakota Republican Senate candidate John Thune today criticized Senator Tom Daschle for voting absentee after receiving a special tax break that required him to declare his Washington, D.C. mansion as his "principal place of residence."

"It is terribly ironic that Senator Daschle would vote by absentee in South Dakota when he has declared his 'principal place of residence' as Washington, D.C.," Thune said. "Tom Daschle apparently thinks the $288 tax break he received by declaring Washington his 'principal residence' was worth it."

Daschle and his wife, Linda Daschle, a Washington, D.C. lobbyist for the pharmaceutical giant Schering-Plough and other clients, voted by absentee in Aberdeen today. Linda Daschle has never lived in South Dakota.

Tom and Linda Daschle purchased a mansion in Washington, D.C. along fashionable Foxhall Road for $1.9 million in April 2003. Thy applied for and received a "homestead" tax break made available to those who declare their home to be their "principal place of residence" under District of Columbia law.

The Daschles received a $288 tax break in exchange for declaring their Washington, D.C. mansion as their "principal place of residence."