In South Dakota Blogosphere critique, Michael Larson shines a harsh light on the rank hypocrisy, journalistic and political, of Pat Powers:
Pat Powers was so proud of holding the moniker "journalist," but today he proves that he is no journalist. He posted that Representative Kathy Tyler mailed out information to representatives regarding the investigations into GOED. He impliesthat she probably wasted tax payer money. She promptly replied that she used personal funds to mail out information for one of the biggest scandals to hit Pierre in a long time. Bigger than Rounds misuse of the state plane. Bigger than Pat Powers problems involving the SOS office and a current blogger [Michael Larson, "Pat Powers Proves That He Is No Journalist," Taking a Left Turn in SD, 2013.12.06].
Sixteen hours after Rep. Tyler refuted Powers's politically motivated accusation, Powers has added no correction or apology.
Note that Powers was making a fuss over an expense of $373.80, not one penny of which was taxpayer dollars.
Yesterday morning, I posted evidence that eight Republican legislators had spent $15,460.89 of taxpayer dollars to travel to a political conference in Chicago this summer. Powers made no fuss.
Governor Daugaard is spending no small sum of taxpayer dollars to hold a conference in Huron to talk about pheasants. Powers makes a positive fuss.
A couple weeks ago, Attorney General Marty Jackley said that the state lost $5,600 in double-billed travel reimbursements and $550,000 in diverted economic development funds. Powers not only made no fuss but actively asserted that there is no need for fuss.
Pat Powers owes more than an apology to Rep. Kathy Tyler. He owes an apology to the blogosphere and the state of South Dakota for claiming to be a journalist amidst his decline into GOP press release regurgitation dotted with chunks of ill-digested, unsubstantiated, and flat-out false character assassination.
Pat Powers is a typical Republican-RINO and Tea Party. They never look inside their own house and say dirt is dirt.
Rhino and TP. Hmmm, dog or cat, not both.
http://www.catster.com/the-scoop/cornells-genetic-breakthrough-produces-cat-dog-hybrid
It really shows a lack of class by how in the comments over at DWC they were attacking Rep. Tyler. This good ole boys club would rather just sweep all this scandal and questions about government transparency under the rug.
I know a number of fairly moderate yet conservative Republicans that are disgusted over what has been happening in state government. It's going to be very interesting how this will translate into votes in 2014 vs what the very few kool aide drinking blogosphere think is going to happen.
Initially I'd go over and read DWC in an attempt to get a more well rounded picture of South Dakota politics and sometimes for entertainment value but now I'm really losing interest in going to that site. Other than being primarily a press release site which any of us could do it lacks credibility. It's just not worth my time. I'd rather visit with people face to face and have a great respectful conversation or go elsewhere.
It's worse than that, Cory. Pat Powers and the anonymous legislator that fed him this story both know that taxpayers don't buy postage for legislators. None. Nada. Zip. Zero. Nill. Legislators don't get taxpayer funded postage. If they want to send a letter to a constituent or anyone else they need to buy a stamp. Pat Powers's story was flat out bogus from the start. Shows the lack of any ethics whatsoever for them to suggest something they already knew wasn't true.
PP=PPO...Pat Powers aka Paid Political Operative
Not only that the state doesn't provide them the stationary to print the letter on. A legislator is provided with something like 20 pieces of letterhead paper a year and after that they must buy their own.
Gosh, maybe they all know that zombie economics and social policy claims are also all untrue. The earth shakes.
Powers claiming to be a journalist is like Freddy Krueger claiming to be a brain surgeon.
Mr. Powers is deleting comments faster than you can make them this morning...class act over there....Worse than that is the thought that his behavior is indicative of the current power structure in Pierre....
Powers is the worst type of "Republican" and part of the problem in the SDGOP. Power over principles mentality disgusts more than this Dakotan.
Another person, in a long line of people, that Rounds' campaign blogger owes an apology to.
Heck, I'm still waiting for Powers to release the names of whoever stole documents from Bosworth's office. Didn't he say that he would let us know "in a few days" a couple of weeks ago?
Heavy P doesn't know how to apologize. An arrogant
narcissist never apologizes. I've been waiting too, Roger, since he made that proclamation a week or two before Thanksgiving.
Pat doesn't delete comments, he just moderates them indefinitely.
Arrogant narcissist... ah! That explains the affinity for Team Bosworth.
You're right, Roger: Pat has had nothing on that front since he first lodged the claim back in July. As with the Tyler story, he's got nothing. He knew it from the start. He's just making stuff up to cloud the real issues.
What can you say about Powers that hasn't already been said?
He continually waits for the wrong shoe to drop.
Pat reached his apex as a blogger when he put up a post years ago about 4x8 signs for pickup trucks, etc. His blog has gone steadily downhill since. It went from college to collage.
David and Doug, very good! I love the wit that frequently pops up here.
You people are too hard on young Mr. Powers. He is not the only blogger who thinks he is a journalist and deletes comments. Have you seen what my good friend Mr. E. does over at his blog?
The War College doesn't just post press releases---there is also Facebook photos and advertising sales pitches.
The thing that got me is that he was so proud to receive a fundraising Christmas letter from Kristi Noem right below the Tyler post.