Denise Ross posts Rep. Kristi Noem's asset disclosure and finds that our fiscally conservative Congresswoman is carrying over $20,000 in credit card debt. Uff da: I'll bet the Noem family is enjoying those nice consumer credit card protections the Democrats passed for them.
For comparison, the Madville Times household has never carried more a credit balance larger than a couple thousand dollars, and that was for a couple months back in 1998 when I renovated the Lake Herman cabin. I am currently carrying a balance of about $1800 on one credit card. I signed up for that card in January because Wells Fargo offered me twelve months at zero interest and zero fees. I was thus able to use that card as a zero-interest car loan to buy my cute little used Beetle. I plan to pay it off by Christmas.
So the next time Kristi Noem starts bleating about how we ought to manage the federal budget the way we manage our family budget (we shouldn't, because macroeconomics is not microeconomics), maybe you should ask her if, given our relative credit reports, that darned liberal blogger might tackle the national debt better than she can.
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Ross highlights a couple other details from Noem's asset report. Noem's gig as Vice President of Noem Insurance (you know, another source of federally subsidized income that our Congresswoman is avidly protecting) only put $1000 in her pocket last year. Noem's biggest source of income in 2010 was her job as Director of Children's Ministries (apparently no theological degree required) at fundie Watertown church Family Worship Center (the fundie churches love those vague non-denominational names). A commenter on Ross's post wonders how odd it is that a candidate for high political office never mentioned the biggest job dollarwise that she held in the run-up to the election.
This does not apply to the discussion of national debt. A 20K credit card balance is just a snapshot on a given day. For all we know, she may pay her balance in full every month.
My question is why our House and Senate are in recess instead of completing a budget. No excuse for that one.
These belated revelations on the facts of Noem's past emphasize the failures of the press--both the legacy and Internet alternative--in covering the campaign of 2010. Herseth Sandlin's education and work history has been a matter of public record, but her accomplishments at Georgetown and the positions she earned in Congress were held up as matters to be despised, condemned, and rejected. Noem's insinuations and claims about her work history were never examined or checked, although the clanging B.S. detectors ringing in her home neighborhood were quite audible at times. Some of her claims were exaggerated and misleading, while others ventured pretty far into the terrain of falsehood.
Not that knowing this would have made much difference, most likely. These facts have more to do the the prevailing values of South Dakota voters and the changing demographics that contribute to those values. South Dakota voters excoriated and vilified the accomplishments of Tom Daschle and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin as crimes against society. They have convinced them to center their lives elsewhere, and by implication anyone else who regards the work they did as accomplishments. They would rather have poseurs in office who project the images, however false, of the perennial high school basketball star and the good old country girl wife who plays executive in her off hours in businesses whose existence is very difficult to find traces of.
Now we are conferring the patronizing title of princess on Noem just as some did on SHS. The women are only incidental to the fact that ultimately the voters in our republic get what they want. And what they want reveals the essential prevailing character.
If you have been in business, it is standard operating procedure to put on your financial statement the maximum amount you had outstanding on your revolving credit in the past year. Or the even most conservative practice is to list the maximum credit available in revolving credit.
Regarding your comments about her church and job.
She never hid or talked excessively about her church. If she had done the latter you would have accused her of using religion to get elected. You liberals always say: "Keep your religion private" but when you do I will criticize you any way. (Now this is hypocritical Cory).
Regarding her income, when you look at what she was paid, it is obvious she was basically practicing ministry work for the kids. Maybe you dont like her religion so thus it is fair to denigrate someone giving of themselves for a higher purpose?
Newquist, just so you know, I know alot more about KN's life, friends, and accomplishments than anyone know about Obama. The press looked for and could only find a couple of people who claimed to have personal relationships with "Casper the Harvard Ghost" and that appears to be so shallow they were essentially acquaintances.
[CAH: Troy, I know you're as eager to sniff out my hypocrisy as I am to lay bare Noem's. However, I offer no hypocrisy here. I find Noem's choice to soft-pedal her fundagelialism very interesting but fundamentally admirable. She doesn't flag-wave her faith the way Bob Ellis, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Perry do. However, we're talking here about her job, her largest source of income last year. That she doesn't mention her paying work does raise eyebrows and is worth mentioning.]
I wonder if Mr. Jones has any idea of how racist his phrase "Casper the Harvard Ghost," a version of spook, really is.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spook
God Lord, Troy. WTF, man? Please. That kind of talk is not your style, brother. I know you don't mean it. Please retract, okay?
(...that, my friends is what is known as a "dog whistle"...)
I meant nothing racist and apologize. I was only trying to address the point that Newquist asserted we didnt know much about Noem and all I am saying is we know very little about Obama's life not written by him. Heck, we knew where, when, and for how fast she got speeding tickets.
I am not trying to justify anything. Race or anything else never crossed my mind. And this urban definition of spook definitely didnt. In fact, I think comparing an analogy to a cartoon character to this is a stretch. At the same time, I shouldnt have compared the President to Casper for alot of reasons.
I am not very funny or witty so I shouldnt try. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maximus culpa.
No problem, Troy, I knew you didn't mean it. Thanks.
Troy said: You liberals always say: “Keep your religion privateâ€
Nice generalization, but I think Jesus also said to pray in private (Matthew 6:6)...oh wait a minute, Jesus was a liberal so you might be right.
What concerns me is when Jesus is used as a tool to get elected and the glory is meant to shine on the candidate and not the Lord.
Jana, I agree but there is a fine line between evangalization and using i for ill purpose. Since I cant peer into anothers heart, i think it best to assume one is sincere.
Cory,
Noem told us she was a successful business owner and hunting lodge owner. Turns out she taught children's ministries and didn't run those other businesses. Hmmm? I wonder how long she had those businesses and if they were profitable?
Who cares if Noem is "sincere" when she is so dreadfully wrong.