Bob Mercer teased Democratic Senator Tim Johnson yesterday for not having the pull to get Democratic President Barack Obama to send his Veterans Affairs Secretary to meet with South Dakotans to talk about saving the Hot Springs VA hospital.
Mercer spoke a moment too soon:
In a news release, Johnson says he called Shinseki today (something Noem was unable to set up) and persuaded him to meet with the "Save the VA" committee from Hot Springs.
The meeting will take place in Washington, D.C., and Johnson will be the host — rather than the joint meeting originally requested. Noem and Thune, Johnson says, will be invited to attend.
"I spoke with Secretary Shinseki today and emphasized how important it is that he meet with the Save the VA representatives. He agreed to my request and I am looking forward to the discussion," said Johnson in his release today. "This meeting will ensure that Secretary Shinseki hears directly from our veterans and area communities" [David Montgomery, "Planned or Not, Johnson to the Rescue on VA Meeting," Political Smokeout, 2012.12.20].
Montgomery offers a key observation that's got to rankle the lazy and disengaged Rep. Kristi Noem:
In the meantime, whether it was a set-up or not, this is a minor political triumph for Johnson, who has always emphasized this kind of constituent service as a cornerstone of his political brand [Montgomery, 2012.12.20].
Noem whimpers; Johnson delivers.
This incident illustrates how politics has become a soap opera-like diversion to those who live for looking for and gloating over perceived humiliations and snubs of others, rather than serving the country and its people. The commentary may bring a few to realize that the gridlocked fecklessness of the failure of the House to deal with the imminent fiscal storm is a reflection of how we who cast votes perceive politics.
A point that has been building over the years is that in the scheme of things, the urban-centered nation is losing interest in subsidizing the rural regions, particularly when farm bills become another form of corporate welfare. Our political commentators might consider that the refusal to discuss the Hot Springs VA hospital is a sign that it is getting politically unpopular to further subsidize a state already so dependent on federal dollars to operate. It is a way to cut those costs that so many people prefer to increasing revenue from those who have so luxuriously benefited from corporate welfare.
lazy and disengaged? it must be the Christmas season - Cory is getting soft on his descriptions! (smile)
Good post and great comments by David......
Kristi is embarassing.
Or at least an embarrassment to any thinking South Dakotans.
This was Kevin Woster's offering on Mount Blogmore today. I couldn't stop laughing. Katjia
MOUNT BLOGMORE: Johnson to Shinseki: Hey, have you forgotten who pulls the purse strings?
Here's my guess at the essence of the telephone conversation between South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki:
Johnson: Good morning, Mr. Secretary, you (expletive deleted). Tim Johnson here. Say, I was just taking a break from some of my duties as CHAIRMAN of the SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON MILITARY CONSTRUCTION and VETERANS AFFAIRS to check in and see if my folks from the Save the VA Committee back in God's Country can't do a little bit better than a meeting with a (expletive deleted) VA undersecretary. I'm not sayin'. I'm just sayin'...
Shinseki: Senator, goodness it's great to hear from you! I can't understand how this got so mixed up. Of course I'd be thrilled to personally meet with a group of South Dakotans. Who wouldn't? I wouldn't be thrilled to fly all the way out there to Minot for the meeting. Who would be? But I'd love to host some of your constituents here. I'll be ordering Wall Drug donuts for the occasion. Look forward to seeing you at budget hearings to come! Peace. Good cheer. Go Obama. And especially Merry Christmas!"
Or something like that.
Cory,
There was no teasing about it. I was stunned the Obama administration would let hang a Democrat senator facing a tough re-election. Just as I would have been stunned if the Bush administration had let hang a Republican senator facing a tough re-election. More so, I was stunned that ANY administration would have a Cabinet member who refused to meet with ANY state's TWO senators about the future of a major federal facility in that state.
Cory, what you are missing this that both Woster and Mercer are smitten by the razzle dazzle of NOem's apparent charms. This little siren has gotten these fellows in a drenching sweat so much so it is embarrassing to watch.
Personally, as a veteran, I see the Hot Springs facility as kind of a waste for medical purposes. I see it as a place for treating PTSD and drug and alcohol issues though. If there will be a campus center here in Rapid City, it does seem kind of redundant to keep that open for medical purposes with money that we need to reduce the deficit or does that not matter anymore? It looks to me and others like this is more about pork than substance.
Given the hyper-partisan harsh words of both Thune and Noem, I tend to agree with Cory that the Obama administration has little time for either of them. Not to mention a Governor whose very public party pleasing politics in rejecting Obamacare...lessen of course it means some money to balance a budget.
Given the national meltdown of the Republican party, we would be foolish to send another R to Washington...ever. Does anyone really think that SD will have a voice with a Congressional delegation of Republicans.
It's sad to think that Thune and Noem's passion is about politics and power and not governing. Add a Mike Rounds to the mix and we'll have a whole delegation of political posers that will be great for the Fox News crowd and totally ineffectual for South Dakota.
It's one thing to get Secretary Shinseki to come and listen and it'll be another thing to save the VA facility in Hot Springs - especially in the current fiscal and political crisis.
It's ludicrous thinking / implying that if Johnson were to temporarily save the Hot Springs VA then Fall River County would suddenly vote democratic. They would rather host the nation's dump or newest uranium mine than turn down any federal welfare while smiting hands delivering it.
Hot Springs needs to realize their 200 bed hospital fills 5-10 beds "on a good night" - that is a HUGE waste of federal dollars by any measure. The Civil War and its vets are over and gone; the WWII vets are nearly so. We need the professionalism achieved through consolidating specialties, collaboration, coordination. The real threat to veterans medical care providing in this region is - - Denver. The great medical centers in Denver and the veteran facilities there over shadow those in Rapid City now and, if those in Rapid City do little or nothing as a regional center, may find themselves outsourcing more veteran health care to Denver.
Medical care is so specialized, and with it, technologically oriented that it makes no economic or health care sense to run rural veteran hospitals in backwaters like Hot Springs - any more than we would run them in Madison, Flandreau, or Beresford.
Bob, maybe you need to start using emoticons in your blogging to make clear your emotional state. :-P for teasing, 8-O for stunned.
Senator Johnson is like that Mr. Hawkin fellow but without the really smart computer doing the words.
Cory,
Are you :-P or 8-0?
With you, Bob, a mix of both! Enjoy your Christmas!