Last updated on 2012.12.13
Matt Varilek is pushing Rep. Kristi Noem on her chronic committee-skipping... with evidence. Team Varilek has launched a new website, SilentKristi.com, that documents the statements that John Thune, Bill Janklow, Stephanie Herseth (no Sandlin then), and Kristi Noem placed on the record in Agriculture Committee hearings during each Congressperson's first term in office. Let's just compare quantity:
- Thune: 40 pages in the transcript of questions and answers.
- Janklow: 52 pages
- Herseth: 16 pages (and that's just in her first few months after the June 2004 special election)
- Noem: zero pages.
You can decide whether quantity equals quality. But when she was appointed last June to replace the Tennessee Congressman who was picked first for the seat, Rep. Noem said, "I had always planned on serving as a strong voice for South Dakota ag, now this new committee appointment makes it official." Now Noem says she "didn't go to Washington to talk."
But Kristi was talking on Fox with Greta Van Susteren again last night. Smile for the camera.
It's outrageous that house Republicans did away with committee attendance records in January 2011 when they took over the house. Hiding the poor attendance of lazy members like Kristi Noem is the only plausible reason they would do something like that. Time to restore some accountability to congress so that people don't have to listen to transcripts to figure out if their representative even showed up for a meeting.
But Rep. Noem can't get around the facts. She hasn't showed up for most ag committee meetings. When she has showed up she hasn't done or said anything at all. She's been a RINO (representative in name only) for SD on the ag committee. And according to KELO's report, she hasn't been much more active in any of her other committees. The first rule of success is showing up, and she simply doesn't show up. Noem is a show horse and not a work horse - as evidenced by her many tv appearances. Varilek's theme should be "Send Noem Home" or something to that effect.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/99999999/MULTIMEDIA/100802034&Ref=AR&template=livestream
Steve Sibson should watch this video interview of Kristi and then blog about it. She is advocating for government for everything in this interview.
But she always finishes her statement with but we need to cut the budget. (not in SD or for farmers however - they need safety nets and crop insurance)
I am curious to see what response Noem has towards this...
If it's true that Thune had 40 pages and Janklow 52 she can't exactly go around touting herself as SD's most effective congressperson in her first year anymore.
Varilek might surprise us. His love for Obamacare isn't going to help him however.
She has time to be on FNC once a week but not in committee ever....
Aw, c'mon! She was going to classes to get her bachelor's degree. If you can't get paid by the Federal Treasury to go to college, why else take that job in Congress? Solve problems? Work for South Dakota? Nah!
Maybe she can get a job after the election in the Secretary of State's Office. I hear that they give you government checks up there while you get paid for other jobs.
Noem's response is on KELO and KSFY, Mike. "I believe Matt Varilek will continue to play these political games," Noem said. "But frankly, South Dakota deserves to hear the truth."
The facts Matt Varilek is bringing to light constitute "the truth". I'm sure we will be hearing more truth about Rep. Noem's extracurricular activities whilst skipping meetings. When the Varilek commercials come out this fall about Noem's non-feasance in office, my suggestion is that they include the audio clip of Noem saying, "But frankly, South Dakotans deserve to hear the truth." The commercials highlighting all of Rep. Noem's tv appearances should include the audio clip of Noem saying, "I didn't go to Washington to talk."
Wait, "I didn't go to Washington to talk"? What the hell is that? What kind of politician doesn't want to talk? The only option left after saying that is saying "I went to Washington to not contribute". It's like saying you didn't get into Debate to talk. Just when I think Kristi can't say something stupider, she does.
Unless Rorschach left out a follow-up comment from Noem where she discussed what the trust is, this seems to be a constant thing with her, too. She says something and then proceeds to not offer any evidence whatsoever to what she just said. If the Republican voters in this state were more willing to think, and less willing to blindly vote for whoever gets the most "Republican talking point" check-marks, we'd see an entirely different political landscape.
Do as I say not as I do wants balance budget but wont vote to gut the farm program, what are you afraid Of Kristi Noem.Hey by the way when are we having these town hall meetings on medicare .
She thought she was kind of cute when she graduated she said that some in Washington thought she was anti social because she had missed the social events but was to busy studying. If she is not working behind the scenes at social events and not going to committee meetings, I hopes she tells us what she learned in polysci class just what a politician does. She says her fingerprints are all over the farm bill. Just point out one fingerprint at least.
Kristi's biggest flaw is that she thinks she is the center of everything.
She did this. She did that. She's the most affective ever in SD's history. The Dems are liars. I did this. Most likely the Dems are liars but so is Kristi.
She is one of those that takes credit for everything.
I think the one thing Matt has to do is to really try to nail Kristy down on what her solutions to problems are. Such as-If she wants to get rid of Obamacare what does she want to replace it with. If she wants to lower the country's debt how does she (specfically) going to do it? What does she want to cut? If she wants to get rid of social security and medicare what does she wants to replace it with-if anything?
Matt has to keep hammering her on this. Make her get specific. I don't think she'll get specfic because because Republicans won't get specific.
Just like her response on the Farm Bill, Owen. She says her fingerprints will be all over it, but what, really, is she advocating? And how exactly is she getting those fingerprints to stick?
If she uses her I was getting my degree argument I might puke. Its a BS in political science in which she was given credits for being in D.C.
She wanted on the AG committee, she got on the AG committee, she didn't do anything on the AG committee. Now it would be one thing if it was the marine life sub committee or some worthless committee in which 1 person shows up to the committee meetings. But this is a pretty big one.
7/8ths of life is showing up, 7.5/8ths of life is showing up to important things. Show up, but mainly show up to important things. You brag about your farm, well help others be able to brag about their farms
One shade of Noem dust bill emerges in Montana as paranoia grips the GOP:
http://mtcowgirl.com/2012/06/20/black-helicopters-in-the-big-sky/