It must be hard to keep spinning Rep. Kristi Noem's strawmen into rhetorical gold. Our Congresswoman is about to hire her fourth (or is it fifth?) spokesperson in 12 months:
Andrea McCarthy announced her resignation as Noem’s communications director Friday, less than a year after she took the post. McCarthy assumed the job in March.
She replaced Josh Shields, who resigned in early 2012 and took a job with Black Hills Corp. in his hometown of Rapid City. Jordan Stoick, Noem’s chief of staff, served as interim spokesman between Shields and McCarthy, a California native [Tom Lawrence, "Noem's Communications Director Resigns, Takes New Post," Mitchell Daily Republic, 2013.02.08].
Throw in last year's campaign manager Tom Erickson, and that's five different Noem spokespeople.
Compare that to Senator John Thune, who has had two press secretaries since June 2010... and the first one of those two, AshLee Strong, stayed with Thune but simply shifted to a different office. Noem's spokespeople seem inclined to seek other employers in short order.
I would too, if I were being hired to speak such unmitigated horsehockey all day.
The schism in the GOP warms the cockles of my heart. It's like watching rats clambering on top of each other trying to escape a filling bilge.
Just think: in less than a year it will just cease to exist.
Nevermore....
More like lemmings running into the sea.
A purge.
From which will arise ...
The Rational Right!
I know, I know, I know ... oxymoron ... I know.
This, from a Gerald Ford era Republican.
I can't use a keyboard and think at the same time.
Anybody for whom I'd want to be a spokesperson, wouldn't want me.
Thank God.
Are you looking for employment Cory?
One morning, about a month ago, on Journal at C-Span, they had newpaper reporter on that done an investigation on the best congress people to work for and John Thune was one of the top ones to work for. He has only had something like an 11% turnover. I can't remember who else was on the list, then he had a list of the worst ones and some of them had turnovers of more than 50%. Noem wasn't mentioned on either list, unless she was so far down, she didn't rate mention on the air.
I think I heard her chief fundraiser left also. It's clear Noem doesn't keep staff very long. The entire officail Sioux Falls office has deserted her and as far as I can tell her campaign staff is all gone now too.
There is no way this lady is running for US Senate with the turnover she has in her office. She'd get embarassed off the field. Noem knows she can't beat Rounds and knows she probably can't beat Brenden Johnson or Herseth Sandling against either. She's on her last legs.
Michael, I've said before that I could do a better job as Noem's communications director than anyone else she's had. I stand by that claim. However, the cognitive dissonance would probably kill me after a few months.
John, you may be referring to this report from the conservative Washington Times. That analysis looked at data from 2001 to 2011, thus not inculding Noem's first term. It shows Sen. Thune's staff annual turnover rate averaging 10%, Sen. Johnson's at 19%.
I think the reason it is so good to work for John Thune is because you do not have to work. Seriously, what has he done for South Dakota????? Yep, not much... Better yet, what about America herself, again, natta. When all you have to do is say "vote no" and not even bother to look at the law, there ya go. A perfect job for a slacker man, perfect.
Easy Jerry...you think it's easy being a male GOP fashion model.
That's some serious pressure! Picking the perfect suits, matching the right ties, finding the right photo-ops, smiling at the right times, acting like the pop star of the moment.
Memorizing all those platitudes, following who's in and out with the GOP, listening to the GOP puppet masters all day long...that, my friend, is hard work.
Who can blame him for not having time to think about SD when you've got the burden of being the Senate version of Justin Bieber on your shoulders.
Does anyone know what he was wearing on the Red Carpet leading into tonight SOTU speech tonight.
I bet he was just dreamy.
What's the job pay?
Ewps...I forgot. Ted Nugent was the the standard bearer of the GOP tonight.
And who can blame them. The guy sh*t all over himself and didn't shower for a month just to get out of being sent to Vietnam.
But, he is totally cool as an old rocker, Tea Party icon and total gun advocate who threatened the President of these United States of America. Heck, he told The President of the United States of America to suck on his assault weapon.
How can you not like a guy like that?
He is sooo much better than the victims of gun violence and Newtown parents that were at the SOTU address tonight.
You don't suppose there are any SD GOPers who have had their picture taken with him...do you?
Michael...you know what the job pays. It's more than 10X the average income of the average South Dakotan. (It's really the collectively bargained fringe benefits that are lucrative.)
Just not sure if we should pay him 10X the average South Dakotan for being a pop star AND a US Senator.
Gosh, we are getting a real bargain...2 for the price of 1! Justin Bieber and a US Senator...wow.
Wait...What? You think there should be some substance for that compensation? Sorry...not in the constitution.
Did you know that even if John Thune joined the Chippendales, we couldn't recall him? There is no recall for Senators. Although he seems to like the Chippendale role.
So I bet John as a Chippendale male stripper gets the boys in the GOP hot. ....
Stripper John's vote is public record...but none of the South Dakota media has decided that the women who are affected seem to matter enough for them to cover this story. (I know Lalley is all wrecked by the weather and his ability to bike to work...but hey, what about the rest of you?)
Maybe they are still waiting for him to sing...or strip.
Agree or disagree on the vote....the media in SD are turning their collective backs on Native American Women.
Guessing they just don't give a sh*t.
Boys?
Wait for it, they'll take the easy way out and accept the boiler plate GOP response.
Business as usual.
Carry on.
It looks like McCarthy paid the price for not doing a good job during the "attendance gate" issues.
McCarthy is proabably going around DC talking about what a poser Noem is.
Dear John,
Thank you for your vote today.
I was raped and nearly beaten to death tonight, but rather than seek justice, I want to thank you for thinking about all of the "stuff" that would be involved in my seeking justice through the VAWA. Obviously in my emotional state of mind, I can't think as clearly as you.
Guess we are lucky to have someone like you looking out for women like me and being able to separate the emotion from being a Senator who decides what justice is and isn't.
Let me know when you guys figure all this complicated stuff out...I'll wait.
Sincerely,
Someone who obviously doesn't matter to you or the media.
PS: excuse the tears and blood on this note...I'll do better next time.
Dear John,
Sorry if my last post was too personal.
Here I was thinking that this was just about Native American women and didn't give you enough credit for voting against a bill that protected all women.
You know...like white women, Republican women, Catholic women, Lutheran women, and Democratic women. Not to mention their mothers, daughters, granddaughters, sisters, aunts and nieces.
You might have just thought that this was about Native American women and limiting their path to justice, but your vote also hurts all women.
Thanks again John!
Wishing you and your party continued success in earning the votes of women and minorities,
Andrea McCarthy's quarterly pay was $13,125.
What does any of this discussion has to do with why DC represents the wealthy ruling class (that control both parties) and not us? I would not work in DC, because it would be a huge waste of time. Beginning to feel the same way about Pierre.
Noem is definitely South Dakota's answer to Sarah Palin. It is not coincidental that even Fox News has tired of them too. "Four or five spokespersons in a year" is like stealing a page out of the script to the HBO Special "Game Change."
Thune on the other hand is a different story. He appears to me to be a decent person and most likely a good boss. It is just his politics which I cannot accept. Having no opposition in 2010 undoubtedly creates an air of invincibility amongst his staff fostering a self-confidence of rare congressional job security.