Matt Varilek's people are hip-deep in committee attendance records, and they keep finding "Absent" next to Rep. Kristi Noem's name. Their latest finding: South Dakota's lone Congresswoman skipped an Education and Workforce subcommittee meeting that dealt with the very school lunch issue about which she's recently been making futile hay:
In addition to missing the May 2011 hearing, Congresswoman Noem has an overall abysmal attendance record in the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. Of the 7 hearings held, Noem has skipped 6.
Noem, a member of that subcommittee, skipped a May 13, 2011 hearing titled "Examining the Costs of Federal Overreach into School Meals." According to the subcommittee news release that day, "the hearing... featured testimony from school leaders and child nutrition experts who described the negative consequences stemming from the 2010 law." Many of the criticisms Noem is bringing up today were discussed at that hearing over a year ago [Matt Varilek campaign, press release, October 3, 2012].
Noem's excuse: she was headed for a National Guard unit send-off, an event where she carried out no necessary official function, unlike a committee hearing where she could learn about and discuss policies she could be voting on, the primary job we pay her to do. The committee hearing was Friday, May 13, 2011. The activation ceremony for the 200th Engineer Company out off Pierre was on Saturday, May 14, 2011.
Team Varilek refers to the pattern of absenteeism Noem has shown on all three of the committees—Education and Workforce, Natural Resources, and Agriculture—on which she proudly touts her membership. I see another pattern: Noem isn't interested in the issues raised in her committees until she faces re-election and needs issues to distract us from her own distraction. That pattern makes clear that Kristi Noem is not putting South Dakota first. She's putting image over substance and over doing her job.
Is it too much to ask for our congresswoman to show up for her $174,000 salary?
Noem needs a good spanking for not paying attention to what she is being paid to do. Who knows we might be better off if she doesn't. Sadly, that is the case with lots of our elected leaders
I do not know Varilek but I have heard and seen several of his commercials. I noticed that from what he says you could not tell whether he is from SD or any other state in the union. In fact you could not tell whether he had even driven through the state. I assume he is from SD seems odd that he does not want to tell anyone what his ties to our Great State might be.
Henly, what does someone from South Dakota look like?
Noem is embarassing all of us who supported her in the primary over Chris Nelson.
Who would have thought she'd be so pathetic?
"She's putting image over substance and over doing her job."
What percentage of politicians don't?
Varilek is pulling at straws. He is out of cash and stands no hope in November. Is this really all the SDDP has to offer?
R: Sadly and apparently, it is. Pols love parades, their own press releases, and their perks, but whether I agree with them or not, at the very least I expect them to show up. It's called accountability.
T. Henley I've heard Matt describe growing up in the Yankton area and as a kid doing the usual jobs of walking beans, picking rocks and flipping burgers.
DB, you are delusional. Varilek raised $270k last month.
If it weren't for out of state interests and taxpayer money spent on franking, Kristi wouldn't have any funds.
Noen is nothing more than a show pony flipping her pretty mane and tail to attract attention. Does she do any work? Is there any committee she is appointed to in where she attended even 50% of the meetings.
http://www.capjournal.com/opinions/editorial/kristi-text-us-we-need-to-talk/article_c6c65954-0d1a-11e2-b113-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=story
Has anyone read this Cap Journal editorial about Noem's attendance? This is not good for her.
The last sentence of the Capital Journal lays out an opportunity for Noem to explain herself. I'm eager to hear what she has to say. She owes her constitutents an explanation. If she doesn't respond, then the good folks of South Dakota can draw their conclusions about her work performance.
If I don't show up for work, my boss expects to hear a reason, otherwise I run the risk of hearing (and I'm quoting a famous small businessman here): "You're fired!"
LOL...This is what South Dakota wanted when they narrowly kickded Stephanie to the side of the road last election. This is what you are stuck with and I know, it stinks.
First of all Matt Varilek is from Tabor and then moved to Yankton when his parents divorced and graduated from Yankton High School.
Did he move back to South Dakota after college to work on a family farm? no, why? because no family farm existed, instead he continued to work and got a masters, and then another masters, he then went to work for Senator Daschle and then Senator Johnson until last year when he resigned to run for Congress. Just because he doesn't walk around in Stranglers doesn't mean he isn't a South Dakotan. Just because he isn't "dumb" doesn't mean he isn't from South Dakota.
I wouldn't have as much of a fuss about her missing committee meetings if it was just a few, but when its over half, and shes a freshman I have a problem. The House isn't the Senate, its a body of 400+ many who haven't been there more then 4 years. As a freshman you don't know who the players are, you don't know who to talk to, you need to go to these committee meetings and figure it out. Missing them does have an impact. Its not Pierre, either, in Pierre everyone knows everyone outside of the Capital because its a small town, D.C. isn't its filled with Lobbyist and think tanks and others. When she isn't at a committee meeting who is she really talking to?
I'm all for the Congressmembers to attend National Guard activities but I'm willing to bet she hasn't attended them all. I'm willing to bet she had a conflict of interest when it involed a different unit. That is the problem, its like a ponzi scheme where she is saying well I had this to do instead, and then you get to that and its no I had this, and this or this or that and when you get to the end you find out there isn't anything, at least anything of importance, that is unless Fox and Friends is important.
Dan, pointing out that a Congresswoman has been consistently skipping work is not "grasping at straws." It's a pretty basic critique of job performance, the kind of critique that would normally cost you, me, or any other regular worker a job.
Henley, as Joe and Nick note, Matt talks plenty about his bioography and South Dakota roots. But Matt also talks issues, lots of issues, more so and in more detail than Kristi does.
Good link Mike. The media asking the tough questions publicly. Even if you agree with her politically, you still have to feel like she's a bad apple on the GOP tree. I guess when the outside is so shiny you can't help but pick that apple, but when you figure out it's rotten you toss it away.
Rorschach, Why doesn't the Argus, RCJ or Aberdeen News write something like that ever? Editorials are best when they are harsh. I don't care if they are giving it to a D or an R. SD's pols get a free ride from 90% of the media running with their talking points or press releases.
Often times the paper wants to present both sides. Fine but then follow it up with some research and declare an opinion of who is right on occasion.
Where is the Mitchell Daily Republic these days?
I think the MDR is pretty good for a small paper. They were the only ones that reported that ballots were sent out without con language for four ballot measures for at least a week. Sure, they reported Gant's response as the story, but the facts were still there.
The MDR is better then most when it comes to reporting Noem's missed meetings. The argus is a pussy newspaper and the RCJ (though good) is a right wing paper. The truth should be that the newspapers should be doing the digging on Noem's committee meeting attendance records. They should be giving her tough questions on the issue not giving her, her side.
I can't wait to hear about Noem's attendance at her other committees. I expect that will be coming next. If it's anything like the committees we have heard about those other newspapers will be forced kicking and screaming to report Rep. Noem's absenteeism as news. Noem is not running a great campaign this time around. There is still time for voters to pick up on her complete lack of work ethic and her disdain for anything not classified as a photo op - and add her name to the unemployment rolls.
If it's not a photo op Noem won't do it. She won't attend committees. She won't debate. She won't hold constituent meetings. She will attend grade school photo ops, Dairy Queen photo ops, National Guard photo ops, Fox News photo ops, and anything else that's involves photo ops instead of work or answering questions. Wouldn't want work to get in the way of a good photo op. I used to think Thune was a showhorse after he appeared on that hunks calendar, but he's proven me wrong. Noem is the snow queen of show horses.