According to Wikipedia, U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rounds was born on October 24, 1954. The Legislative Research Council says that's true. Rounds's birthday this year falls on a Friday.
Bob Mercer received a flyer indicating that someone on Team Rounds thinks it would be more fun to celebrate the candidate's birthday on a Monday. October 20, actually. Mercer responds with incredulity at the beyond-ironic choice of date:
I swear I am not making that up. A flyer arrived in today’s mail letting us know that a birthday party will be held Monday, Oct. 20, for Mike Rounds at Oahe Marina, the concession operated below Oahe Dam by one of Mike’s brothers, Steve Rounds. The get-together runs 5:30 to 7 p.m. and there will be barbecues, chips and beverages. Monday, Oct. 20, also is the one-year anniversary of the death of Richard Benda, who was secretary of tourism and state development in the Rounds administration.
Benda’s death came, we now know, as he was facing possible arrest and criminal prosecution for theft related to the immigrant investor program known as EB-5 in the Rounds administration [Bob Mercer, "A Mike Rounds Birthday Party Will Be Held on the One-Year Anniversary of Richard Benda’s Death," Pure Pierre Politics, 2014.10.16].
Life goes on. But no one in Camp Rounds can be ignorant of the significance of moving a birthday celebration from the candidate's actual birthday to the anniversary of the day that could mark the beginning of the candidate's political death.
Mike Rounds didn't attend Richard Benda's funeral so why should he care about the anniversary?
Holy poor taste, Batman! I can't stop picturing Smilin Mike lighting a big fat cigar at his party in celebration of how his political ass was partly covered a year earlier.
I'm not a big believer in coincidences, but ................
I just hope the guests will be allowed to donate.
Rounds said that Benda was perhaps despondent because he would not be able to go hunting with the little twerp. He could not attend the Benda funeral because of guilt so now he will throw the wake and birthday as a kind of buffet to honor all the Chinese moolah he got for being a crook. All very tidy stuff. I wonder if the regents, Tidemann, Jackley and the rest of the gang will be there. This may take a bigger venue to hold the entire criminal enterprise if all the shady dealers attend as well to kiss the ring and bring envelopes.
Jerry,
While reading your comment, I had the wedding scene in the Godfather in my mind.
Correct Roger, in this case, the brother Fredo Corleone, seems to be Richard Benda in more than one similarity.
Rounds is Catholic. "Suicide" is a sin that will land the soul in hell. I think there was a time when the Catholic Church refused to conduct funeral services for anyone who died by suicide.
Maybe the real reason why Rounds did nit attend the funeral because Benda death was ruled as suicide.
Does this person have no decency? For four days he will be impersonating a 60 year old man. Is he going to shop early and take advantage of a senior discount for those 4 days? As my friend from Alaska is wont to say-Pffffttttt!
I hope we will continue to be respectful of Mr. Benda's family here. Whatever happened, it's not their fault, and I'm sure it still hurts.
I have an acquaintance who grew up with Dick Benda. Said there were none of the public figures who called Benda friend, there.
.
Does Richard have family? I'm sure Rep Klaudt's family was held to the same degree of respect, when he was in trouble?
If you don't know the difference Les, I'm not going to try to explain it to you.
Besides being an alleged felon, Rounds could be sued into bankruptcy by Benda's family for gross negligence and wrongful death, right?
I think it's important to note that Benda was neither charged, nor convicted of anything. It's easy for me to imagine a scenario where the guy fell on his sword to protect any number of people, his family included.
Larry, no, I do not think Rounds can be sued for negligence or wrongful death unless he somehow contributed to his death either physically, or use of bullying or whatever.
Wrongful death is an illogical stretch. But I wonder how the Benda family feel about the state's release of that never-executed arrest warrant?
In Japan, many would consider that perhaps he took the last honorable way out.
If memory serves,there were only two guest entries in the visitation book at funeral home,neither was an official that Benda worked with.
This is extremely disrespectful and downright cruel. Rounds and his cronies should crawl back into the hole they squirmed out of.
For god's sake, celebrating anything on the first anniversary of a colleague's death. Have they no decency?
I could see a close knit group of combat vets raising a toast to a fallen comrade every year,but these wingnuts make me cringe to think we belong to the same species.
mike from iowa, the old regime in Germany used to get together and raise a toast to their fallen comrade of a leader, why wouldn't the Rounds regime warrant the same? Speaking warrant, I would like to see on on Joop Bollen as starters.
There is a custom/tradition by some to have some type of memorial a year after someone's death.
I think there might be one by the Catholics, but not 100% sure on that.
jerry,South Dakota would need a new prison to hold all these crooks and their crimes. Somehow,I get the feeling that Bollen would be given a no-bid contract to import prison builders from overseas and investors to pay for this scam. Since the prison would never be up and running,none of these crooks would ever serve a day and justice will be declared and the guilty will claim exoneration and nothing will have changed.
Here is a bit of reference that I found about the Catholics having a tradition/custom a year after a death:
"Requiem Masses are also said on the 7th day and the 30th day after the death for the eternal rest of his soul. It is considered a social obligation to attend the 7th day Mass for those family members, friends, and business acquaintances who could not be present at the funeral. These Masses signify the last act of public mourning. The Mass said each year on the anniversary of the death of the loved one are usually attended only by family members and close friends."
Mike, are you talking the physical guest book in Watertown? Did you attend?
JeniW, keep in mind this is not a prayer meeting for Benda at the Rounds gala, it is an early thanksgiving that he is not present.
Jerry, I am not trying to justify the party/memorial thing, just trying to show where it might be coming from.
I think the party/memorial thing sucks, but what can we do?
bill f.-am sorry to say but that family has been ravaged in ways most will never have to understand, and likely will not be getting thru it anytime soon.
It is not unusual to hold a special occasion of some type to commemorate the death of a loved one. The type of service varies according to the sense surrounding the death.
For instance, I can imagine a gala affair celebrating a 90 year old's contributions. In the other hand, a baby's death might involve a small and solemn gathering.
Benda's killing, under suspicious circumstances, is not at all a time for a birthday celebration by a colleague who benefited from that killing. That's why I feel it is accurate to describe Round's behavior as perverse.