House Republicans met in caucus today to nominate a candidate for the vacant position of Speaker Pro Tempore. The caucus nominated Rep. Steven G. Haugaard of Sioux Falls. The full House of Representatives will vote on the nomination when it convenes for its regular annual session on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 [Legislative Research Council, press release, 2017.12.05].
Why should South Dakotans of good conscience be nervous about handing Haugaard the gavel?
Current Speaker G. Mark Mickelson is at least a quasi-moderate Chamber-of-Commerce Republican who might, if pressed, give a sexual harassment complaint a fair hearing. Rep. Haugaard will bring to the podium the sort of rabid culture-war paranoia that that makes him less likely to listen to complaints from women about abuses of power and more likely to listen to foreign, fact-free Muslim/Marxist-conspiracy theories branding vast swaths of our neighbors as enemies. If Haugaard is the best Speaker Pro Tempore the majority party can elect, then we need to work in the 2018 election to make sure he handles the gavel only pro a very brief tempore.
If Haugaard is eventually in charge and he is representative of the legislature, it is a safe bet that Sioux Falls can kiss goodbye the NCAA tournaments that the Chamber covets so highly to bring to town with their money and impact to the local economy. I’ve heard the NCAA has these pesky policies against discrimination that would clash with Haugaard’s views. Tourism may take a dip as well once discrimination becomes state-sanctioned in SD. Maybe we can replace the sports tournaments with some white-nationalist Breitbart conventions? Who has Bannon’s number handy?
How is this for consistency in the Republican party: While Haugaard fights for religious rights to discriminate and sanction them by the state and a Colorado baker fights in the Supreme Court to be able to discriminate against gays because of the baker’s religious beliefs, Steve Bannon is indicting Mitt Romney for following Romney’s own deeply held religious beliefs and serving as a missionary during the Vietnam War instead of fighting. But Bannon’s hypocrisy knows no bounds as he is a huge supporter of Donald Trump who famously did not serve in the Vietnam War because of bone spurs that did not keep him from playing varsity tennis.
In the new Republican party, your religious beliefs are weapons to be used to support discrimination. However, your religious beliefs not to engage in war are not to be respected even if you are doing humanitarian work instead of playing tennis. There is no code of morality or ethics in Bannon and Trump’s Total War. There is only political expediency in the hopes of victory. The end always justifies the means and hypocrisy is no obstacle to winning a political fight.
Donald Pay
Republicans are sick and criminal deviants who have left the sane world for a kooky cultish religion whose God brought forth a pussy grabbing President and a child raping monster as a Senate candidate in Alabama. Haugaard fits right in.
And let’s not leave Mickelson out. That guy and the establishment Republicans are as kooky as the above Republicans, just in a different way.
They all need to be ushered into the lock ward for an extended stay.
Donald Pay
How do you pronounce Haugaard? Is it Who- or Ho- or Ha- or How-gard?
Darin Larson
I’ve heard it pronounced How-gard as in how can I insert my religion into state law?
Darin, Donald, I’ve heard Ho-gard. Make of that what you will.
But under no circumstances should you say Hoo-gard. That we have a GOP House leader named Haugaard and a GOP Governor named Daugaard is funny enough; that they aren’t pronounced the same is frosting on the fruitcake.
Now now, Mr. Pay. Not all Republicans are overgodders.
Donald Pay
I have no problem with people having a moral compass that comes from a belief system. The problem is these folks have no moral compass at all. They are totally evil or complicit with evil. They preach hate and say it’s love. They are so brainwashed they don’t know love from hate. I remember during the 1990s one of these people complained about strengthening domestic violence laws because it would intrude into their twisted idea of “family life.” It was as if beating the wife and kid’s is God’s idea of family life. For them it’s all about shoving their putridly evil concept of religion down everyone’s throat. These people are sick, and they are running our government.
Sounds perfect for the SD House as currently configured.
This may seem shocking, Mr. H, but grudznick completely agrees with you. I bet there is an interesting story behind this.
Eve, unfortunately, you are correct. We must thus correct the Legislature.
Grudz, do tell that interesting story….
Haagar and Haugaard, the horror, the horror.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKcAYMb5uk4
If Haugaard is eventually in charge and he is representative of the legislature, it is a safe bet that Sioux Falls can kiss goodbye the NCAA tournaments that the Chamber covets so highly to bring to town with their money and impact to the local economy. I’ve heard the NCAA has these pesky policies against discrimination that would clash with Haugaard’s views. Tourism may take a dip as well once discrimination becomes state-sanctioned in SD. Maybe we can replace the sports tournaments with some white-nationalist Breitbart conventions? Who has Bannon’s number handy?
These Roypublicans all fit into what President Obama said yesterday. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/363555-obama-warns-of-complacency-notes-rise-of-hitler
The vote is still the way to put these curs in the pound where they belong. Get out the vote and replace these bigots.
How is this for consistency in the Republican party: While Haugaard fights for religious rights to discriminate and sanction them by the state and a Colorado baker fights in the Supreme Court to be able to discriminate against gays because of the baker’s religious beliefs, Steve Bannon is indicting Mitt Romney for following Romney’s own deeply held religious beliefs and serving as a missionary during the Vietnam War instead of fighting. But Bannon’s hypocrisy knows no bounds as he is a huge supporter of Donald Trump who famously did not serve in the Vietnam War because of bone spurs that did not keep him from playing varsity tennis.
In the new Republican party, your religious beliefs are weapons to be used to support discrimination. However, your religious beliefs not to engage in war are not to be respected even if you are doing humanitarian work instead of playing tennis. There is no code of morality or ethics in Bannon and Trump’s Total War. There is only political expediency in the hopes of victory. The end always justifies the means and hypocrisy is no obstacle to winning a political fight.
Republicans are sick and criminal deviants who have left the sane world for a kooky cultish religion whose God brought forth a pussy grabbing President and a child raping monster as a Senate candidate in Alabama. Haugaard fits right in.
And let’s not leave Mickelson out. That guy and the establishment Republicans are as kooky as the above Republicans, just in a different way.
They all need to be ushered into the lock ward for an extended stay.
How do you pronounce Haugaard? Is it Who- or Ho- or Ha- or How-gard?
I’ve heard it pronounced How-gard as in how can I insert my religion into state law?
Darin, Donald, I’ve heard Ho-gard. Make of that what you will.
But under no circumstances should you say Hoo-gard. That we have a GOP House leader named Haugaard and a GOP Governor named Daugaard is funny enough; that they aren’t pronounced the same is frosting on the fruitcake.
…but I just found this Feb 2016 interview in which Greg Belfrage says HAW-gard.
Now now, Mr. Pay. Not all Republicans are overgodders.
I have no problem with people having a moral compass that comes from a belief system. The problem is these folks have no moral compass at all. They are totally evil or complicit with evil. They preach hate and say it’s love. They are so brainwashed they don’t know love from hate. I remember during the 1990s one of these people complained about strengthening domestic violence laws because it would intrude into their twisted idea of “family life.” It was as if beating the wife and kid’s is God’s idea of family life. For them it’s all about shoving their putridly evil concept of religion down everyone’s throat. These people are sick, and they are running our government.