My friend, former student, and now law school graduate Patrick Weber has left the Board of Regents to work for Governor Dennis Daugaard as a policy analyst. As his replacement as student regent, the Governor has chosen Joseph Schartz, a West Central HS grad who just finished his freshman year at SDSU. Like Weber, he's a Briggs Scholar and a Catholic. The Governor says Schartz is "articulate... level-headed..." and "thoughtful."
Schartz is also enthusiastically Republican. In an SDSU Collegian column last fall, he declared Paul Ryan a "savvy budget statesman" (note he did note say mathematician) who deserved to be Vice-President because he loves beer, bratwurst, Led Zeppelin, and beer. Before the election, he accused President Obama of class warfare, devastating hypocrisy, and "unmitigated liberalism" (I'm a liberal; believe me, President Obama's liberalism is deeply, deeply mitigated) and called on us all to elect Mitt Romney to "show the world how truly exceptional we are."
Ah, the good old days—I used to write columns like that for the Collegian about Bill Clinton.
Fortunately, as student regent, Schartz won't spend much time politicking. His focus will be on the practical business of getting the Republicans in the Legislature to shake loose the dollars the Regents need to provide an affordable university education to tens of thousands of South Dakota students and guests from abroad. Let's hope that practical experience tempers his youthful conservatism... just a little.
I spent some time on airplanes and in the Chicago airport last fall visiting with Patrick Weber. I enjoyed the conversation. I wish him well in the Daugaard administration. As for the Paul Ryan fan, well I am chalking it up to youthful,exuberance. Years ago when I was campaigning for Tim Johnson (I did a campaign ad with him at work)
Whoops hit the wrong button...was not done with my thought...anyway, I had one of my advisees who also happened to be an officer in the Young Republican Organization stop by my office and tell me that I looked smarter than being a Democrat. I chalked that up to youthful exuberance too.
Joe Schartz is a very bright young man. Gathering a bit of experience should serve him well.