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Noem Still Hiding: Chamber Speech for Paying Ticketholders Only

Last updated on 2012.08.15

Just like last summer, Rep. Kristi Noem is hiding from the public. In the middle of the August recess, when Noem ought to be in front of every voter in the state explaining why she can't get a Farm Bill passed, she has announced no public meetings of any sort on her official Events page. She has held closed-door, invitation-only meetings, but she won't take citizen questions at an open town hall.

Even her big speech at the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce luncheon today at 11:30 at the Ramkota is charging admission: $25 for Chamber members, $50 for non-members. So just for the privilege of listening to another really badly written speech, most of us have to pay $50. That's only a fifth of what you had to pay last August to get pancakes with Noem and Speaker Boehner, but hey! $50 would pay a big chunk of your ticket to hear Willie Nelson in Deadwood next month!

Here, let me save you the fifty: "Moving forward, at the end of the day, I truly believe that we need common-sense solutions. And Matt Varilek is mean."

Come on, Kristi, quit hiding. Hold some town halls!

19 Comments

  1. Steve Sibson 2012.08.16

    "Here, let me save you the fifty"

    The return on the fifty will be much higher for chamber folks. Too bad Varilek's solution is more of the same that has caused the problems. The Democrats need to reject the Marxist rhetoric of Joe Biden who, along with Obama, is dividing the country with promoting the sin of coveting. The true racists are the far-left social enginneers who are following the lies of racist Charles Darwin. All of this is causing Christian Conservatives to run right into the arms of a false teacher.

  2. Justin 2012.08.16

    I have to wonder what kind of pills somebody would have to take for any of that to make any sense, Steve.

  3. larry kurtz 2012.08.16

    The Chamber Pot of Commerce elevates a Meeting Invitation Listening Fifth: how conservative.

  4. Vincent Gormley 2012.08.16

    Sibby left the real world. He is now a Limbaugh clone living beyond Pluto.

  5. Steve Sibson 2012.08.16

    Justin & Vincent: what color of pill are you guys taking, red or blue?

  6. Justin 2012.08.16

    I'll take whichever you are offering. You obviously get the good stuff.

  7. Matt Groce 2012.08.16

    She also today declined an invitation by the Farmers Union to a debate at the State Fair.

    Varilek better get used to debating with no opponent.

  8. caheidelberger Post author | 2012.08.16

    Matt: What?! Is that the State Fair Debate? Does that mean there will be no Varilek-Noem head-to-head event at the State Fair? Did she give a reason for declining? Will Matt still take the stage to take questions?

  9. Julie Gross (NE) 2012.08.16

    --Varilek better get used to debating with no opponent.

    Now you know how Joel Dykstra felt when Half Senator Timmy backed out of his promise to debate Joel.

  10. larry kurtz 2012.08.16

    Joel Dykstra is a cult member: why would a sane person even take him seriously?

  11. DB 2012.08.16

    Still lightyear's ahead of that checked out senator Tim Johnson.

  12. G-Man 2012.08.16

    It's clear as day that Noem is trying to play it safe as possible. It's clear as day Noem senses controversy and does not want to be caught in public making a gaffe or coming upon any potential conflict from her constituency in an open and unscripted town hall setting. I think Kristi sees the writing on the wall: "Tread very carefully." The problem with that kind of approach is that it shuts her off to the public, giving her the appearance that she cares nothing about her constituency and she can't answer for what she's done in an open and truthful manner. Noem is in what we call a "political catch-22" situation.

  13. mike 2012.08.16

    Does anyone wonder why Varilek isn't holding town halls all across this state? It would seem like a natural thing for him to do.

    Even if ten people came he could get some media out of the story.

    Varilek is running a stealth campaign.

  14. mike 2012.08.16

    shameless to see Noem not holding public meetings.

  15. Justin 2012.08.16

    I just wonder how stupid you would feel during and after you paid to listen to Kristi Noem speak.

    I would much rather have the deal Shelly Adelstein and the Koch Bros have where she says what I want when I pay her.

  16. caheidelberger Post author | 2012.08.16

    Julie, your red herrings are appalling. This isn't about Joel Dykstra's feelings; it's about qualifications to do the job. I wasn't happy with Johnson's debate-dodging, either. Noem herself has said that public town halls and other contacts with constituents are "an important part of that job." If you conclude Johnson was hiding from the public because he feared he could not perform in a debate and thus was not qualified to do the job, then you must conclude the same about Noem. If you disrespectfully call Johnson "Half-Senator," then you are obligated to show the same disrespect to Noem and call her "Half-Representative."

  17. joeboo 2012.08.16

    I really don't get it, not showing up is one thing but not having a good answer looks really bad, trying to blame the farmers union as liberals just sounds stupid. Either say u don't want to debate there or u have congressional business or some stupid thing, I just don't get her response, though I think she's a pretty poor congressional member she is usually pretty solid wit the media.

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