The Aberdeen American News agrees with me that Rep. Kristi Noem's vote last week to continue the government shutdown and default on America's debt is inexcusable:
Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., has talked herself into a problem.
She has caught herself between pleas for relief for West River ranchers who lost thousands of cattle and tea party conservatives who want to limit government no matter the cost — even at the expense of relief for ranchers, such as the ones Noem represents.
It has truly brought the hypocrisy of the tea party and its sycophants to light [editorial, Aberdeen American News, 2013.10.20].
The AAN editors urge South Dakota's voters to hold Noem accountable for her selfish priorities:
Mark this one down: When she had a chance to vote to restart government, avoid a devastating financial crisis and support her constituents, she said no.
Noem chose to side with the political vultures and voted to bring her country to the brink of economic disaster.
Will South Dakota, 12 months from now, remember Noem's choice? [AAN, 2013.10.20]
They will remember if Corinna Robinson and I and thousands of other angry South Dakotans have anything to say about it. Corinna, pull that editorial and read it verbatim to an audience every day for the next 378 days.
For God's sake does Rep. Noem not understand that it's best not to kill the hostage as the swat team breaks down the door!?! The game is over, and she sided with the dead enders!
Noem has likely drawn herself a primary opponent because of her vote to keep the government shut down, to default on the nation's already incurred debts, and her attempt to spin herself onto all sides of this disaster relief issue.
The primary won't come from some tea party person who couldn't readily distinguish him/herself from Rep. Noem's voting record. It will come from another Republican who considers him/herself conservative but who is not willing to hold the national economy hostage - or at least has a more reasonable list of ransom demands for doing so.
Seems like a buttoned down Dartmouth business guy with strong ties to both sides of the state might fit the bill. The GOP will never be the majority party again nationally until it finds people who are willing to govern and to restrain the bomb throwers within their ranks.
If Noem has a worthy opponent she is toast. Stephanie and Brendan might find themselves wishing they had entered the race.
Noem and the other 140 or so like her are making the Republican party irrelevant. In the process they harm the economy, increase the deficit while claiming they want to reduce it. and harm US credibility.
The only thing worse than Noem nonsense is Daugaard duplicity. He has his accolades for SD budgeting which is completely irrelevant as a comparison to US budgeting. He also completely neglects castigating the idiots in his party.
They are nearly a ditz matching pair.
The Watertown Public Opinion's Editorial Page (10-18-13) gave
a 'Thumbs Up' to Senator Johnson and Thune for their 'rational and correct vote to avoid a debt default for the first time in our nation's history. They stated that it was a correct vote for South Dakotans and that Senator Thune, bucking the 'no compromises' minority wing of the Republican Party, understands compromise and governing is a big part of the job that South Dakotans elected him to do'. They gave Representative Kristi Noem a 'Thumbs Down' with the bold headline: 'Noem put herself first'. 'We can't say the same for Rep. Kristi Noem. Like Noem, we agree a $17 trillion debt is clearly bad for our nation. Unlike Noem, it's nowhere close to being as bad as defaulting on that debt. Bad choice, bad vote.'
Noem's miscalculation has caused people who don't pay attention to notice and to question whether they sent the right person to DC. I think there's some buyer's remorse. It's not just other people's congress member who is the problem. It's ours.
Can we have Stephanie back? Maybe Brendan could work with both sides. It's time for a top tier Democrat to enter the race.
For the "regular" Republicans that voted to re-open the government and compromise with Democrats, the Tea Party has pledged to go against them in their next primary. The Tea Party will not allow members of Congress (from the GOP) to do anything but the most strict adherence to the Tea Party will. Many challenges to incumbent GOP candidates have been announced.
But on the other side, I am not hearing about challenges to Tea Party incumbents that steadfastly stood with the shutdown hostage demand to the bitter end.
This all seems to indicate that the Tea Party is the branch of the GOP that is willing to hold its followers feet to the flames and the moderates are less willing to do so. Given the super-gerrymandered districts many GOP now enjoy, "reasonable" Republicans seem the only path to removal of the Tea Party true believers, yet those "reasonable Republicans is the faction most silent. Fear of the political monster they helped create?
Liberals and moderates better realize that democracy is not a spectator sport.
Kent, thanks for WPO quote. Has any paper come out defending Kristi? Has anyone else, besides Kristi and Annette Bosworth, said Kristi did the right thing?