Apparently the local press is going to keep celebrating Congresswoman Kristi Noem by observing arbitrary time periods of her service. We had a surge of articles last month about her first 100 days. Now KELO decides Noem's first four months are worth observing.
Noteworthy is how so many words come out of Noem's mouth, yet she manages to say so little:
For me, the President, Senate and House all need to get on the same page and tie real reforms and real cuts to our spending to this vote, to make sure it really truly is going to change the way we do business [Rep. Kristi Noem, in Angela Kennecke, "Noem's First Four Months in Congress," KELOLand.com, 2011.05.16].
But how rarely Noem talks about her real cuts, which include turning Medicare into a more costly voucher program.
Kennecke asks Noem about the farm subsidies she's taken. Noem gives her rehearsed and bogus reply:
What our family did was participate in farm programs, which I think every farmer almost does. Some now are maybe making different decisions because of regulation tied to them. But that's essentially what we did.
Every farmer almost does... how's that for being out of touch with reality? As a bonus, she tries to spin farm subsidies as a regulation issue, even though the regulations have never deterred her from living off federal handouts.
Then she tries to explain where she stands on Rep. Paul Ryan's proposed cuts to farm subsidies:
What it calls for is a reduction. What I want to make sure, I'm [sic] been talking to members on the House side, is when those decisions are made, that we make sure the ag committee makes those. That they make decisions on where those cuts can be.
Good grief. First, notice how puffed up that passage is with unnecessary words (I know, not unlike many of my blog posts). Second, notice that if she were Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, she'd be able to say, "I'll participate in making those decisions on the House Ag committee," because she'd be on the House Ag committee.
But after four months, we all expect empty rhetoric from Congresswoman Noem.
The most important thing those of us who have problems with Noem is go to meetings and ask her to give specific answers to questions.
Noem's talent is being able to say nothing really nice. people need to make her gives specifics and film it.
I was a Noem supporter back in the primary but she has totally gone - coreless - since she won the primary and started getting National attention. Now it's about staying elected and talking tough.
Noem's staff is totally not understanding her victory. It was to be a spending cutter not a waffley cantor/boehnor suckup.
At least Herseth had the strength to say I'm not supporting health care reform while Noem hasn't found the courage to stand up to boehner and cantor so on will power alone Herseth is winning that battle.
2014 can't come soon enough. Go Herseth!
How does "every farmer almost" participate? Kristi, they either participate or they do not. It is impossible to almost participate. Either use some commas or reword your sentence. Damn.
I've always been kind of neutral on Herseth until this last election cycle and then I didn't like Noem's accusations about Herseth not being South Dakota enough.
I'm getting tired of that care being played. I don't see Noem staying in SD if she looses and her kids are adults. She'd be a Fox News commentator. At least Herseth is still teaching at SDSU and advocating AG in DC.
Shelly,
And not many participate for $3 Million and then tell seniors who are getting much less individually through medicare that they are ruining the country.
"Noem’s talent is being able to say nothing really nice."
As a Republican, I hate to say this, but Noem's recent response to an e-mail question I posed to her (I forget what about!) appears to support Mike's contention.
At least she did respond, though.