Senator John Thune and Intern Kristi Noem have issued a joint press release blasting the National Labor Relations Board for challenging South Dakota's initiated constitutional amendment (Amendment K on last year's ballot) requiring secret ballots for all union elections. The logic here: when the federal government takes a state to court over what the feds view as an unconstitutional act, that's tyranny. But when a state sues the federal government on the same grounds, that's a great idea.
Intern Noem (don't forget, Kristi: finals next week!) doesn't help much with this talking-point non sequitur:
Rather than suing states over state issues at the behest of big labor, the Obama administration should be focusing its efforts on creating jobs and expanding domestic energy production to lower gas prices [Intern and Congresswoman Kristi Noem, quoted in Tom Lawrence, "Thune, Noem Slam Feds' Attack on SD," Mitchell Daily Republic, 2011.04.27].
Yes, somewhat as Noem's Republican pals in our state legislature should have been focusing on creating jobs instead of axing them with budget cuts and trying to ban surrogate motherhood, mandate firearms, and keep us skinny with food taxes. And Intern Noem, where's your jobs bill? Where's any jobs bill from the GOP House? All we've heard from you is the war on women's health and public broadcasting, sham budget cuts, and something about our God-given right to kick up dust.
p.s.: Oh yeah, and cutting Pell grants back to 1998 levels: that'll create lots of jobs, right, Kristi?
Update 08:14 CDT: But wait: Governor Dennis Daugaard says, "good government doesn't create jobs, but good business does...." Can someone please patch these talking points back together?
I still can't believe Noem is allowed to short cut her way through credits by interning.