Kristi Noem is listening. How sweet.
July 10: Democratic candidate for U.S. House Matt Varilek issues a detailed position paper on agriculture and amplifies his criticism of Rep. Kristi Noem's failure to speak up for South Dakota on the House Agriculture committee.
July 11: I note that after two years, Rep. Noem's campaign website still contains no formal statement of the Congresswoman's positions on ag policy.
July 12 (or shortly thereafter): someone from Team Noem pastes this rambly screed about the 2012 House farm bill that Noem supports but can't get Speaker Boehner to move. Conspicuously absent from the statement is any mention of the specific, enormous, and misguided cuts Noem would make to food stamps while protecting corporate welfare for wealthy farmers like herself.
But hey, at least someone on Team Noem is paying attention to what we say. Noem doesn't update her website every day: as intrepid data miner David Montgomery notes, she's hardly touched her campaign Issues page since 2010. Varilek must really be getting to Noem on agriculture policy. Good work, Matt! Keep hitting what Noem thinks is her strength!
Kristi does down like a house of cards when people realize how badly shortchanged they've been since she replaced Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. Stephanie was a far classier and more bipartisan leader for South Dakota.
Dougal you are smoking Crack; or you truly are an idiot! What part of living in South Dakota has diminished for you in your living standard since Kristi Noem has taken SD's Congressional seat?
Rep. Hoffman the problem is Kristi is not showing she is anything but inept at her job. She talks big and her favorite word is "I" but she hasn't had anything signed into law. She doesn't speak on behalf of South Dakota unless she is preasured into it and she doesn't hold town halls for voters to attend. She doens't even attend committee hearings...
I have a hard time seeing Governor Daugaard, Governor Rounds or Senator Thune acting the way Kristi acts in Congress. They truly are voices for SD. Kristi is NOT.
Wow, Charlie: so now Noem's best campaign slogan is, "Are you not worse off than you were two years ago?" Not very catchy.
There are two levels of attack on Noem's performance as Congressperson. At one level, it should be sufficient to ask what Noem has achieved to make things better. Her signature legislation was a push to ban dust regulations that didn't exist. That's not exactly an improvement in the status quo.
But heck, if you want to lower the bar for Noem to require critics to demonstrate that their lives are worse since Noem took office, well, I'll do that limbo. Take constituent services, for instance. I've heard (famous last words in an argument) that people find it a lot harder to contact Noem's office and get action on local issues than they did with SHS's office. Worse customer service: that's a pretty objective issue, independent of our feelings about partisan votes.
It's hard to point to policies by which Noem has made our lives worse, largely because Noem hasn't gotten any of her policies passed. We certainly haven't seen the fabled GOP jobs bill. She can't even get the farm bill through, because she's not as good at working across the aisle as SHS was. I may not have liked SHS's Blue-Doggery, but she could cut through the BS and get things done with her colleagues in Washington when things needed to be done.
Wow, I am sure glad we have Charlie "Caveman" Hoffman's debating skills in the statehouse! What cogent arguements; what a way with words. A true leader, who brings people over to his side by the force of his arguments. Beeellllllcchhhh!
Charlie. I hope you are better than that.
Yah, I still remember when Rep. Noem was more than willing and happy to take the stimulus funds Congress offered our State government, so, Kristi could go around taking credit for helping Gov. Rounds balance the state budget. Then she turned around and blamed Stephanie for supporting the same stimulus that saved our state financial rear-ends. Yah, Kristi is sure a class act in hypocrisy and continues to be with this going no where farm bill.
Kristi is not only hypocritical, but, as Cory has stated in the past: she often contradicts herself time and time again.
Dougal, MQ, Mike, G-Man, I have no idea who you are which makes it easy to punch you for slamming someone I personally believe will always vote for what is best for the entire state of South Dakota. If I had a face with a real name, as in Corey, Flemming, SIbson, etc. my respect in writing would be much different. Madville is a punching block for Democratics. WAR was a punching block for Republicans. CaveMan was cool for only a few "TRUSTED" people knew the indentity which allowed for hitting certain people and then gaging the response from both those with knowledge and those without, covertly finding out true understanding. Corey you know the identity of everyone which of course as moderator you then can gage not only the source but the reasoning behind the post. I am still not sure we do anyone any justice by posting anonomously as it is so easy to be subjective.
Here is what I know Congresswoman Noem has not done in two years. She has not voted to increase EPA regulations which further constrict growth of private business. She has not voted to increase the size of government which according to our President is hurting. She has not increased taxes on private business's which according to our President are doing just fine. In actuality what she has done is pretty liberal in making sure that Livestock Disaster payments are extended in the farm bill which only makes sense for our producers who are in the middle of the worst drought in history. Democrats in Congress wanted to stifle the vote and not bring it to the floor which is outregeous.
The cars honk and the caravan moves along.
Charlie, I agree with your complaint with respect to personal attacks from pseudonymous handle-users. I know who's who behind the handles, but you are subjected to attacks on your good name by people who don't share theirs. MQ's attack adds nothing to the topic under discussion. And I've always thought that the moment that calling someone else by name is a central part of your comment, you owe the person you're attacking your name.
That said, you are basing your entire defense of Noem on things she has not done. I might just as logically say, "Kristi Noem hasn't kicked my dog, slapped my child, or caused a volcano to erupt; therefore I will vote for her." The only positive action of which you speak, livestock disaster payments for farmers, hasn't been achieved.
Corey I will forever respect your intellect and prose hoping my feeble mind can parlay some resistance to your side of the argument. :)
Resistance is futile.
I haven't attacked Rep. Hoffman on here because I like what he adds to the discussion. Same for Rep. Nelson.
The other thing Rep. Noem hasn't done since we elected her is show up for work on a consistent basis. When someone is getting paid the big bucks - about $174,000 I expect them to show up for Ag Committee meetings. Has Rep. Noem started going now that Matt Varilek called her out on her absenteeism? Rep. Noem hasn't had many town hall meetings either. She complained about Rep. Herseth Sandlin's lack of town halls but Rep. Noem is at least as bad. These telephone town halls are a sham used to screen out any real discussion and select softball questions.
Rep. Noem has learned the Warshington game, but it's that game that has the US in such a pickle. We sent a person to congress who doesn't share the typical SD work ethic. She's a showhorse and a partisan hack when we need a workhorse and a statesman(woman). We clearly picked the wrong person for this job.
Charlie, I am sensitive to being called a crackhead and an idiot, which was your reaction to my brief expression of how I think the incumbent Congresswoman could lose this election. The tactic to ‘punch’ (your interesting choice of verb) the messenger belies a weakness in the merits of the puncher’s position.
Cory knows my identity. I appreciate his hospitality on this site. I’ve been aware long enough of South Dakota government and politics to know that people lose jobs, can’t get a loan, lose social esteem and have doors closed to them if they are an opinionated Democrat in very red and getting redder South Dakota. In this state, there is one set of rules for a “good Republican†and another for an uppity Democrat.
You’re an elected Republican in a heavily Republican County serving in the legislature from a district that was gerrymandered over the decades to preclude any Democratic possibilities. Politically, it’s an armed camp inside an armed camp inside a state that is becoming an armed camp. Short of being caught doing something horrid like famed GOP activist, fundraiser and highly vocal Christian fundamentalist Rep. Ted Klaudt, you are completely free from political retribution or threats to your livelihood and your family’s ability to obtain economic and social opportunities. And I think that’s great for you!
I want a voice at some level of political discussion in South Dakota, my home state. I love this state, despite its entrenched crony-pandering and unethical politics, and I know that if I want to voice my true opinions, there is a risk of paying a penalty that is reserved for a Democrat who shoots off his mouth in this state. I’ve seen the bullying done enough times boldly and subtly in many communities.
Madville Times is the only forum where my voice can find free expression with a variety of interesting voices, including yours. It’s the best blog in South Dakota by a large measure. I am here as a guest. I will try to behave appropriately knowing that my host is a respected gentleman and an intellect with a sense of humor who uses this forum to inspire discussion and, hopefully, education based on facts – and not because you’ve got more than two-thirds majority in both chambers, a fifth consecutive GOP administration in the Governor’s Office and a lock on the S.D. Supreme Court, 12,000 state employees and all the lobbying firms from Spearfish to Sioux Falls. If my host wishes me to reveal my identity or be silent on his blog, I must choose silence. I understand and appreciate his desire to use only real names with opinions, but, alas, this is vehemently one-party South Dakota.
I can't afford financial retributions. The reason I stick out my neck is I believe it’s worth the fight against what I have seen is 34 years of completely unchecked one-party rule in state government in Pierre. South Dakota is the nation’s number 2 hotbed for corruption in state government, according to a recent study. I know enough about what really happens in Pierre to make informed commentary on this culture of corruption. I truly appreciate being of service to the discussion.
My gosh Dougal, you really do have a heart. ;-)
Dougal you have become very human and I must admit smoking crack and idiot do not describe you well. The attack on Rep. Noem though is subjective as we are not at those meetings behind closed doors. My inappropriate rebuttal forced some good discussion so all is not lost. What I saw when the US GOP Freshman class elected Noem to a leadership position doubled down on what I remember when meeting her for the first time in the SD House of Reps in January of 2008 as a rookie and she was the Assistant Majority Leader with Bob Faehn of Watertown as Leader. She conducted caucus meetings when Bob was gone fearlessly and with good intellectual wit. Politics banters back and forth on many issues and we can fight the good fight all we want pushing certain different ideologies but when it comes to putting out negative spin subjectively on a friend of mine I will always push back hard.
As for District 23 trust me I've been hammered a lot harder by Republicans than by Democrats concerning issues relating to Livestock Permanent ID, carrying concealed without a permit, implementing health care exchanges in anticipation of the Federal Health care law being found Constitutional, increasing county license registration taxes, and not going along with the Right to Life folks who think a woman who has been raped should be forced to continue that pregnancy.
What I see moving forward is a power base forming in Sioux Falls which could become problematic should the cost of doing business in an urban setting become over taxed in proportion to the agricultural property taxes funding roads and education. We are about two census's away of a majority vote coming from below I-90 and East of I-29.
Madville is good for me because I'm the minority here yet we find common ground on many issues. The same thing happens in Pierre but the spin put out by both parties leads one to believe we just fight all day long during session. It has been said that if you get a bill to pass and everyone is somewhat unhappy with it you passed a good bill.
It was 2009 not 08.
Great thread. We need more of this, not less.
Somebody should tell that to Brian Liss:
http://www.rightsidesd.com/?p=11463
(p.s. what do you think this guy's been smokin' Charlie?)
Bill I did not agree with much of what Rep. Liss wanted to achieve but respect him for sticking to his guns. He never went out of his way to punch me politically though so I will follow in kind. :)
[Ask and ye shall receive: new thread on Liss! https://madvilletimes.com/2012/07/paranoia-afoot-liss-calls-for-purge-of-marxist-infiltrators/%5D
Dougal,
In my wilfully ignorant opinion, I think your last post was the best post I have read from anyone who has ever posted here, Bill Flemming is now in second place.
In regards to my post above, I was simply reciprocating the lack of respect that I felt Rep. Hoffman was showing Dougal. One thing about the internet, and I think we can all agree, is that fingers often move quicker than brains in typing out responses. That being said, Dougal received treatment that was decidely undeserved. His/Her comment was decidedly innocuous, and for it they were told "Dougal you are smoking Crack; or you truly are an idiot!"- Rep Charlie Hoffman. This is not the first time Rep. Hoffman has popped off. Perhaps it is part of his personality; perhaps his fingers doing the typing before a comment is thought through. I really was not trying to add any "substance" to the conversation, in all honesty. Once one of our duly elected public servants calls someone an idiot, and a crack smoker, what substance is there to add that has not already been abrogated by prior name calling?
I have only the highest regard for Mr. Flemming's work both online and in his industry, so thank you very much Joseph G Thompson. Please hoist Mr. Flemming back on top where he belongs. At least he uses his real name and takes the digs here and on other blogs far better than I could. I am grateful to Mr. Heidelberger who is a great teacher, also online and in his industry, for allowing me to spout my selective righteous indignation.
Dougal, I appreciate your compliments. I appreciate even more your contributions to the comment section.
I'm as guilty of throwing punches as anyone else here. Slamming commenters as dope-smoking meatheads is as easy as blowing up little electronic space invaders... because that's all the more real we feel when we are just names on an electronic page. The more we think about each other as real people (and the more we help each other do that), the better the conversation... and the better the solutions we may find for our state.
That said, Noem remains a no-accomplishment, no-compassion, know-nothing Congresswoman. My empathy for my fellow humans does not extend to handing someone an elected office, a six-figure salary, and lots of chances to speak for South Dakota on national TV, only to get incompetence. Grrr!