Jay Williams tells the press he has gathered just about twice the 706 signatures he needs to get on the ballot as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. In a press release, Williams invites supporters to join him to submit his petitions to the Secretary of State at the Capitol tomorrow, Tuesday, at 2 p.m. Central.
Williams also takes the opportunity to launch some verbal missiles at the man he seeks to replace, do-nothing Republican Senator John Thune:
John Thune is a Washington Establishment insider who got a free pass in his last election…. My candidacy assures that won’t happen this election. As a party line Republican, Thune subscribes to a fact-free theology. Thune does not believe in evolution and even though he admits man’s actions play a part in global warming, he is unwilling to support legislation to curb fossil fuel pollution. His attempt to undermine delicate nuclear arms negotiations with Iran was shameful. Finally, his refusal to even consider a nominee to the Supreme Court demonstrates that John Thune is an obstructionist, party line politician. We need real leadership in the U.S. Senate and I’m eager to prove to the people of South Dakota that’s me [links added; Jay Williams, press release, 2016.03.28].
John Thune a fact-free obstructionist? That’s what the voters need to hear, Jay. Turn that text into a YouTube video, and keep swinging!
Is Williams buying from Marlboro Barbie’s old car dealer buddy/felon?
That’s it? Jay’s proof that Thune doesn’t believe in evolution is a blurb buried in a Newsweek article on gay marriage from 2004? And where did Debra Rosenberg get her information? She doesn’t reveal her source.
Isn’t it ironic that while Jay paints John Thune as a “knuckle dragger” who doesn’t believe in evolution and a Luddite, Jay himself seemingly can’t comprehend the technology/science behind his new Volt. From his own Twitter feed, “Stop using fossil fuels. Period!” Jay’s overtaxed brain doesn’t realize that the Volt is only a plug-in hybrid, not a pure “electric” car and uses gasoline just like other hybrids and non-hybrids do. Nor does Williams realize that 67% of the electricity he’s using to charge his new ride is generated by fossil fuels. Remove another 19% produced by nuclear (because nuclear is an “icky” green energy) and Williams’ Volt is now powered by a mere crumby 14% green electricity. Get a bicycle Jay, it’d be greener and take you farther than your “electric car”.
Sad state of affairs when people praise someone for not doing their job. Hammer Thune on the basics of work ethic and what things he has done to help raise wages in South Dakota and increase our quality of life.
If it’s road money that he’s hanging his hat on as his legacy in the Senate then remind folks that he’s been their for far too long to only find road money.
With Jay Williams running, John Thune is really unopposed in this election.
“Fact-free theology”- I know intelligent, thoughtful, and kind people who don’t believe in macro-evolution. It’s one thing to believe they’re wrong and they don’t have all their facts straight, but there’s plenty that are just trying their best in life. This comes across as an attack on the center of their being.
It’s an issue that’s been beat to death with little productivity. Stick to Thune’s record as a follower of the party line and not a leader. He’s the third ranking Rebuplican and it’s unclear how he’s used that position to benefit SD or this country.
Even though I’ll probably vote for him, I’m so far unimpressed with Mr. Williams. He sounds like a Democrat first, SD citizen second.
Don: “That’s it? Jay’s proof that Thune doesn’t believe in evolution is a blurb buried in a Newsweek article on gay marriage from 2004”.
Senator Thune has been very open as having support for Creationism, and I don’t know how you balance a belief in Creationism with a belief in evolution.
That said, we have evidence to support his lack of believe in evolution. Thus if you feel his views have changed, the burden is upon you to provide credible evidence to support your view.
By the way Don, if you use quotation marks it suggests you are quoting someone. Did Williams actually use the terms “knuckle dragger” or you are just taking liberties with your interpretation of his actual statements?
greg, what would u prefer? coyote, meet greg, you’ll love each other.
jay has bigger fish to fry.
“1. Thune does not believe in evolution and even though he admits man’s actions play a part in global warming, he is unwilling to support legislation to curb fossil fuel pollution. 2. His attempt to undermine delicate nuclear arms negotiations with Iran was shameful. 3. Finally, his refusal to even consider a nominee to the Supreme Court demonstrates that John Thune is an obstructionist.”
what were u 2 saying?
Don Coyote, I’m willing to bet good money that John Thune doesn’t believe in evolution. As an evangelical Christian for him to admit such a belief would be tantamount to heresy. Can you find any evidence to the contrary? SD news media has never cornered him on it and he has been very careful to not get too vocal.
“intelligent, thoughtful, and kind people who don’t believe in macro-evolution…just trying their best in life…an attack on the center of their being.”
Jay-“a Democrat first, SD citizen second.” isn’t that an attack on the center of his being.”
be nice to people. sure. ignore their forgivable ignorance. sure. just like racism and white privilege. then HB1060 gets signed. not that big a deal substantively, but concretely, “an attack on the center of their being.”
republicans all day long wonder why we dems don’t just try to get along. where do you come up with this pablum? jay has spine and experience. a substitute for Thune’s $10s of millions? I hope so.
Well, I truly wish Mr. Williams the best in this race. I have personally thanked him for running and I encourage all of my fellow Democrats to do the same as you get an opportunity to meet him during this campaign. Because the task before him will not be easy or at times fun, but his willing audacity to take on this challenge must be recognized, respected, and appreciated.
That said, I do not think you can launch nor win a senate race in South Dakota by suggesting or reminding the voters of South Dakota that your popular opponent does not believe in evolution. Sadly, we live in a state where a majority of our state legislators have no problem in funding private religious schools with public vouchers nor a problem in passing legislation which merely harasses transgender students all in the name of misguided fundamentalistic beliefs. That said, invoking evolution into this race only empowers Mr. Thune and his candidacy and allows his teflon political qualities to be emboldened.
If the Williams campaign wants to defeat Senator Thune in the fall, they must begin by reminding the voters of South Dakota that our current senior senator works only a three day “French work week” with the other four days left to his capability to return to South Dakota to attend high school basketball games and become the equivalent of South Dakotas “Basketball Jones.” Not to mention that the voters of South Dakota need to be reminded that Senator Thune currently has a political war chest of $ 11 million….$ 11 million!…and the question needs to be asked as to why does he need this $ 11 million if he is invincible and what do the special interest groups get with these contributions to Mr. Thune’s campaign? This $ 11 million must have a hidden purpose or “give and take” beyond keeping a particular candidate in office, especially when he has not been challenged for 12 years and polls with great popularity.
Once these realities are highlighted, three days a week, basketball, and 11 million dollars, only then will the teflon qualities of Senator Thune begin to be pierced and only then can you effectively begin to talk about the other issues, which in particular are to the likening of moderates and switch voters who will be needed in the fall to overcome Senator Thune’s popularity.
As a closing note, back in 1976 a late and good Democrat named Jim Guffey ran for Congress against a very formidable and popular freshman Congressman named Larry Pressler. Mr Guffey started his campaign by purchasing a brand new 1976 red Chevrolet Vega station wagon. He put over 90,000 miles on that red Chevrolet in less than one year as he campaigned throughout the old 1st District in South Dakota, but on election night he went down to defeat to the extremely popular Mr. Pressler by a 81 to 19 percent margin. The Williams campaign if it wants to be more than Guffey ’76, Cunningham ’84, or even Weiland ’14, needs to be more than a Democratic campaign if it wants to win in ’16. It must be a South Dakota campaign which reminds the voters that three days is not a work week, it takes more than basketball photo ops to lead, and that $ 11 million is a lot of money and where did you get it and why do you need it if you are so invincible?
Mr. Claussen writes more eloquently and persuasively than I do :-). Take heed Mr. Williams and you might have a chance.
Jay please dont be another op like Thune ,Maybe go to soccer games the season doesnt last that long.
Leslie-Saying someone’s belief system is fact-free sounds like calling them stupid. That’s attacking the center of their being. I was an evangelical Christian. I think my beliefs were wrong, but not fact-free. It was a mixture fact and fiction; the facts made the fiction easier to overlook.
Just because other people project an us vs. them attitude doesn’t mean we have to as well. A popular reasoning today suggests you either agree with someone or you don’t care. I think it’s possible for Mr. Williams to honestly say he believes in evolution if asked while showing empathy for those who disagree. Bernie Sanders did an excellent job of this when he spoke at Liberty University.
Of course the Volt presently uses electricity generated from carbon based fuel, duh. Williams is not saying the car runs on pixie dust but he does make a point about Tehran John “he is unwilling to support legislation to curb fossil fuel pollution.” Not to hard to understand if you can read from left to right. What I like is that Jay Williams gets under your skin Don Coyote, that pleases me very much. Mr. Williams has some spunk and fight in him and I know you hate spunk and fight. As this election season keeps going and with stretch not being on board for a new Supreme, Mr. Williams may just surprise you. So far, he is on the right trail with is Volt. Know something else Don Coyote, Mr. Williams likes COOL, which is way cool for a dude driving a Volt out to see the ranchers that your boy has screwed over royally.
John Thune is Mitch McConnell’s parrot. Look at any picture of McConnell before a microphone and nine times out of ten you’ll see John Thune right behind MM. And Mike Rounds is John Thune’s parrot. Neither of them ever had an original thought that wasn’t put out first by the GOP leader. Same goes for Kristi Noem.
And Mike Rounds is John Thune’s fluffer. There,I fixed it.
I did see a pic with Marlboro Barbie a stride or two in front of the hapless McCTurtle. Here is MB being his own man. http://tinyurl.com/hl4h6mm
What facts support opposition to evolution? Perhaps stone-age Republicanism qualifies.
Every fall we may get flu vaccination to match the evolved virus. SDSM&T museum and SD prairie digs have plenty of evidence for evolution.
If there is a god of anykind, he/she/it would have to be something like a universe house-maid with a huge broom sweeping space dust into planets and black holes. Of course, that all started billions of years ago and some of the light from that early times is just getting here even if light travels at 186,000 miles per second. The Bible’s seven days is remarkably short compared to the age of the universe.
Mr. Williams, your fancy new car uses a whole jug of fossil fuel every day, sir. A whole jug all by itself.
I had the opportunity to Volt around the block with Jay and his lovely wife when they stopped at my home to pick up nominating petitions this weekend and I can assure you he is the real deal. I’m firmly onboard with this amazing candidate for the U.S. Senate.
As environmentalists, energy companies and politicians brawled over big symbols like the Keystone pipeline and offshore drilling in the Arctic Ocean, the more immediate battles over climate change and fossil fuels were being waged over projects like Greater Mooses Tooth — out of the public eye, away from the cable-news shout-fests and White House protests.
The fight was unfolding in the real Washington — where influence accrues across election cycles almost without regard to who’s in power. In this Washington, companies bend decisions of major import in their direction by overwhelming a bureaucracy that, after years of budget cuts, outsourcing and inattention, lacks the resources and morale to hold its own. Increasingly, industry spins the revolving door. It brings in people who learn there’s serious money to be made after leaving government jobs, by sticking around the capital and making it their career.
doing it right meant protecting Teshekpuk Lake, at 30 miles wide the largest in the Alaskan Arctic… smack in the middle of the richest oil fields… Yet so full of wildlife that it had long been considered inviolable….Babbitt released his plan in 1998. It allowed leasing on a 4.6-million acre swath in the reserve’s northeast but expanded the protected areas to around Teshekpuk Lake to about 600,000 acres…a three-mile buffer along Fish Creek.
2000-President Bush had released a 170-page plan to overhaul the nation’s energy policy. The plan had been produced by Vice President Cheney, just off a five-year stint as chief executive of oil-services giant Halliburton. Cheney’s imprint on the plan was not hard to discern. It called for building up to 1,900 new power plants, many of them to be fueled with coal. It recommended exempting the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing — fracking — from the Safe Drinking Water Act. It proposed opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.
And it called for expanding drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
Lobbyist Lundquist was promoted to White House energy policy director. He devised a plan to win House approval for drilling in the wildlife refuge majority.
records of meetings that Lundquist and Cheney had held with more than 150 energy companies and trade groups, Cheney fought disclosure all the way to the Supreme Court.
From 2000 to 2010, money spent on federal lobbying more than doubled, to $3.52 billion, and most of this growth could be attributed to the expanding ranks of revolving-door lobbyists.
Under a 1978 law, one of the post-Watergate reforms, former top administration officials were not allowed to lobby their old agencies within a year of leaving office.
a weekend at the Waterfall Resort, a five-star fishing outpost reachable by boat or seaplane. On paper, it was a fundraiser for breast cancer prevention and treatment in rural Alaska, a cause taken up by Nancy Murkowski, and one of personal relevance for Lundquist, whose mother had breast cancer. But it also served as a summit for oil industry leaders and Washington Republicans, who could meet in seclusion, and return home with their salmon and halibut cleaned and vacuum-packed by the resort staff.
Fall 2015 –Greater Mooses Tooth Unit 1 — approved. ConocoPhillips said the field could produce up to 30,000 barrels daily, infusing the trans-Alaska pipeline with new oil and providing new revenue for a resource-dependent state recently battered by the plunge in oil prices.
aawwwwww–C/P is concerned for Alaska’s welfare
a regional mitigation strategy will be developed with input from multiple stakeholders, including the region’s Native residents
like they trust Obama now, what with denali and everything!
http://www.adn.com/article/20150213/blm-decision-opens-door-first-oil-production-nations-largest-reserve
https://www.propublica.org/article/conocophillips-lobbying-long-game-won-fight-drill-alaska-wilderness
How ConocoPhillips overcame years of resistance from courts, native Alaskans, environmental groups and several federal agencies is the story of how Washington really works.
Denmark works wind and solar energy to charge car batteries. That shifts some of the capital burdens to car owners for the storage system, but benefits all involved. There is no reason why we should not push similar plans in SD instead of letting utilities jack up rates to build new fossil fuel plants.
John Thune has accrued a record of obstruction, silliness (http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/thune-captures-everything-thats-wrong-the-aca-debate), and fecklessness of long standing. It is about time he was made to run on his record. Jay Williams in one paragraph brings up key points in that record. Theologically, Thune has subscribed to a doctrine of his college, Biola University, of biblical inerrancy, which takes everything said in the Bible as fact, and that includes creationism. The Democratic Party and Jay Williams need to keep Thune’s record the centerpiece of the campaign.
John Thune’s record is that he really has not so much of a record. Much like teats on a boar, you know they are there, there is just no there there. From 1997 until 2000, Thune did the work of South Dakota regarding water disbursement pipelines to help rural areas, I will give him that. For the next 16 years, there is very little if anything to show why he is still where he is to justify his paychecks. As near as the records show, he is a yes man vote and that is pretty much it. Stretch needs to spend more time with his family so he can say yes to them instead of Mitch. The guy is now a millionaire many times over, Washington has given him the gravy now he needs to take the time away to put that gravy on his taters.
Don, I said “links added.” The links are mine, not Jay’s. As Craig admonishes, don’t ascribe things to Jay that he didn’t say but which only help you exaggerate your “argument” against him.
Ben, I appreciate your concern that Williams’s evolution jab could be read as a gratuitous and unhelpful poke at core beliefs. For what it’s worth, I note that “fact-free theology” appears in this sentence:
“As a party line Republican, Thune subscribes to a fact-free theology.”
As I interpret that sentence, Williams does not appear to be attacking actual religious belief. He appears to be using “theology” either incorrectly or, more likely, tongue-in-cheekily. The introductory phrase of that sentence indicates that Williams is talking about a “theology” that flows from the party machine, a political belief system that rejects scientific evidence in favor of political dogma. A willingness to reject science on one well-researched issue indicates a willingness to reject science on other policy issues.
But I have to explain that sentence to overcome the initial impression it gives you, Ben, and as we know, when we’re explaining, we’re losing. I appreciate Williams’ willingness to poke that bear—evolution is good science, and creationism is unnecessary, unexplanatory, unactionable bushwah—but that bear probably isn’t going to affect the outcome of the election in Williams’s favor. Evolution isn’t a major campaign issue (unless Congress surprises us and votes to create a national version of SB 159 and offer tax credits for scholarships to schools that teach creationism), and giving Thune a chance to go there keeps us from focusing on the core issue that Thune has achieved nothing in Washington.
Stretch you mean empty suit.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say Thune hasn’t achieved anything in Washington. To the contrary, he’s managed to work himself into partisan noteworthiness. All outward appearances would suggest that he seems to carry a fairly large and influential stick throughout the dysfunctional maze of Republican demagoguery and that isn’t any small feat. When someone like Thune focuses all his energy and resources into an effort to elevate himself into the upper class of cronyism to maintain power and influence, it should be more than obvious that nothing else gets done; particularly for those he is suppose to represent. He’s gotten a few things done in Washington but no benefit from such things has accrued to South Dakota…… When he resorts to bashing the EPA for intent to regulate lead in the environment while State Government in Michigan is taking the full brunt of regulatory failure for the Flint Crisis, it’s pretty clear that his “awareness elevator” doesn’t ascend to the top floor……… He’s too busy hating government and greasing the skids for more partisan division and dysfunction.
Advise to
Williams
Take all P R used by Thune as he ran against Dashle
Substitute Williams name for Dashle
Next. Put THUNEs name where he had Dashles name.
Result a New Senator!
“Evolution isn’t a major campaign issue….”
Cory, you are exactly right, but when you place the “e” word into your press release you potentially open up a can of worms, especially in South Dakota.
It was careless to use the evolution comparative in that release. If you truly want to beat Thune you must pierce the teflon image and you will not do it by merely generating classic liberal positions in your releases.
Mr. Williams has an uphill battle before him, but there is still hope for a win. But this win will not be achieved if his campaign becomes nothing but a rallying cry for fellow liberals. It needs to be a South Dakota campaign for all from day one….
@cah: “Scare quotes” do not necessarily ascribe anything to a particular person. However they can be used to suggest irony, skepticism or sarcasm to a word or phrase used by some people. As a writer you should be (and I think you are since you use them around “argument”) aware of that. I chose to use them around “knuckle dragging” to illustrate Williams’ implications that Thune is not/can not be a scientific person because of his purported non-belief in evolution, a term that Williams strives mightily to shoe-horn into his feeble attack on Thune’s stance on global warming. And all this time I thought it was climate change. Or is global climate disruption? So many terms, so little time.
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/informatics/punctuation/quotes/scare
Bobby Kolbe is on the right trail. One of the things that stretch did in his campaign was to paint Tom as more or less and outsider for our state. He then had the balls to say that Daschle was an obstructionist, a pretty big word even for Thune to say. Well, pot meet kettle as they say. Do the same and we may have a winner. Al Franken proved without a doubt that Thune can be browbeaten like into submission. His crybaby ways when ol Al put the boot in his arse still makes me chuckle. You could clearly tell that Thune cannot cowboy up because all the bullpuckey is on the inside of his boots.
Jerry, back in ’04, Thune had yard signs which read “It’s Time!”…. Guess what? “It’s Time,” once again..;-)
Cory: I have no problem with your interpretation because I was confused by the sentence too. My point ties well to yours: If you have to spend time explaining it, something might be wrong. In this case, I think it’s wrong.
I think Mr. Claussen would make a good campaign adviser for Mr. Williams. He seems to be saying everything I’m thinking as a conservative leaning independent voter.
Note to Don Coyote, practice what you preach or try to preach. I read your post and compliment you on finding such a linguistic paradise. The whole is a treasure, those wild eyed Brits. As I have actually read what Mr. Williams wrote about your boy, it is clear that Thune was educated in schools that taught him clearly about Creation and not so much about evolution. You must have a grasp of what the two words actually mean. I would suggest finding more information on your part possibly through the Brit site you reference. I will wait.
Indeed Mr. Claussen, it is time. The other one that amused me was Freedom First. After seeing how the dude works, it made me think that robbery was second followed closely by lying at third. A trifecta!
As both Mr. Williams and Ms. Hawks have both declared and will not be primaried, when will the newspapers stop giving Thune and NOem free political space in their papers? They are like Trump, always looking at ways to bamboozle us with free publicity.
From your wonderful site Don Qoyote, http://www.sussex.ac.uk/anthropology/about The study that your boy should understand regarding how the world actually is and how it evolved into this outstanding sphere so we can try to keep it from collapse. To understand the school there completely, you should understand how it has evolved into such a haven of learning. It would appear from first look, that Mr. Williams was at least curious about the world in which we live so much so that he can differentiate science from fear. He also knows how important it is for South Dakota’s producers to promote their livelihoods with COOL packaging. Now that is evolution!
coyote: ISIL, ISIS?? focus
Could Jay Williams possibly be South Dakota’s Bernie Sanders?
The problem with that analogy, Mr. C, is that Mr. Williams is not facing some sort of Trump fellow. He is facing the problem of being lucky if he gets 20% of the vote. He is facing a beat-down of Wismeresque proportions. Wismeresque indeed.
why is it u keep electing thune?
wismer and Williams have more integrity in a fingernail than the sum total of your passel with john-boy, kristie party-animal-on-the-wall, who-me-rounds, cant-find-criminals jackley. your majority has FLEECED the state and will continue to until democrats fix things, as Obama has over 7 years on the national scene.
thune and mcconnel. a ticket to kochville, which ain’t in SD. filling the 9th SCOTUS chair, from a hospital bed no-less, former speaker harry reid is salivating on the coup democrats are about to administer to mitch mcconnel and thune.
thune runs. rounds flys. they don’t do the nations business. they are takers. thune has $11 mill, and rounds bragged of a similar amount.
get back to me grudz after the court is functional w/o scalia and yourmajority loses the senate. nov. 5th. will u survive the beat-down?
Roger, he better be our Bernie Sanders! That’s the model for shaking things up!
Ben, on campaign advice, clearly, the best advice any Democrat will get comes from reading the Dakota Free Press comment section. :-)
while coyote wrings its paws wondering what to call climate change:
“coal-fired power plants have begun to close across the country. They’ve been replaced mostly with ones that burn natural gas, which is primarily composed of methane. Because burning natural gas releases significantly less carbon dioxide than burning coal, CO2 emissions have begun to trend slowly downward, allowing politicians to take a bow. But…our new natural-gas infrastructure has been bleeding methane into the atmosphere in record quantities.”
30-60% of world methane releases coming from USA
http://billmoyers.com/story/global-warmings-terrifying-new-chemistry/
cont.
” As George W. Bush took hold of power in Washington, coal was ascendant, here and around the globe. Cheap and plentiful, it was most visibly underwriting the stunning growth of the economy in China, where, by some estimates, a new coal-fired power plant was opening every week. The coal boom didn’t just mean smoggy skies over Beijing; it meant the planet’s invisible cloud of carbon dioxide was growing faster than ever, and with it the certainty of dramatic global warming.
So lots of people thought it was great news when natural-gas wildcatters began rapidly expanding fracking in the last decade. Fracking involves exploding the sub-surface geology so that gas can leak out through newly opened pores; its refinement brought online new shale deposits across the continent — most notably the Marcellus Shale, stretching from West Virginia up into Pennsylvania and New York. The quantities of gas that geologists said might be available were so vast that they were measured in trillions of cubic feet and in centuries of supply.”