Right after my post about Rep. Kristi Noem's relatively sparse public events calendar yesterday morning, one of her minions hurriedly threw two events onto her webpage: a speech to the Watertown Rotary today (just up the road from her house), then a speech the SDREA annual meeting in Pierre Friday. The Noem office really does just fly by the seat of its pants.

But Rep. Noem's constituent service still stinks, says former Marine Bryant Jackson from Yankton. He says V.A. understaffing and increased veterans claims contributed to some problem with his university receiving his G.I. Bill payments. Sounds like a job for our Congressional delegation:

I contacted Rep. Noem’s office on multiple occasions over the course of a few weeks in October. I have yet to hear from them.

I then reached out to the office of Senator Johnson. The same day my request was heard, and his office proceeded to investigate the reason my education claims had not been processed. In less than a week, Sen. Johnson’s office resolved the issue [Bryant Jackson, letter to the editor, Yankton Press & Dakotan, 2013,01.09].

I suspect all that Noem's mouthpieces in the right-wing blogosphere will be able to say in Noem's defense is able-bodied adults shouldn't expect any help from the government. Evidently, able-bodied adults can't expect any help from Noem... unless they are big campaign donors or fellow farm-subsidy recipients.

If you need help, Senator Johnson's Washington number is 202-224-5842.