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House Republicans Elect Sub-Par Leaders, Exclude Women

Elect a bunch of empty Rs, and what do you get? “Leadership” consisting of no great statesmen… and no women.

Clockwise from top left: Qualm, Haugaard, Beal, Goodwin, Karr, Jensen, Hansen, Diedrich.
This is what the Republic of Gilead looks like. Clockwise from top left: Qualm, Haugaard, Beal, Goodwin, Karr, Jensen, Hansen, Diedrich.

Republican Representatives-Elect met in Pierre Saturday to elect the following members to boss around the House:

  • Speaker: Steven Haugaard (10/Sioux Falls)
  • Majority Leader: Lee Qualm (21/Platte)
  • Assistant Majority Leader: Arch Beal (12/Sioux Falls)
  • Whip: Michael Diedrich (34/Rapid City)
  • Whip: Tim Goodwin (30/Rapid City)
  • Whip: Jon Hansen (25/Dell Rapids)
  • Whip: Kevin Jensen (16/Canton)
  • Whip: Chris Karr (11/Sioux Falls)

Haugaard is well-suited to lead a party committed to using culture war lies and hatred of minorities to cloak its coastal corporate fascist agenda. Beal will use his position for nothing other than to move to adjourn more loudly and perhaps sooner. Jensen is a Fox News-parroter with no original thoughts or practical solutions. Goodwin understands neither law, the First Amendment, initiatives, or the responsible use of social media.

The 59-member Republican caucus includes 15 women.If I randomly drew names from that caucus hat, the probability that I would draw eight men is 8%.

The GOP House women’s caucus includes prominent and experienced legislators Deb Peters (moving from Senate to House in 9), Sue Peterson (13/Sioux Falls), Jean Hunhoff (18/Yankton), and Mary Duvall (24/Pierre), any one of whom can craft and explain policy better than any of the above good ol’ boys. It includes Rapid City right-wing extremists Julie Frye Mueller (31) and Taffy Howard (33) to scratch the abortion and potty bill itch to which Governor-Elect Kristi Noem will devote her first term.

But remember, Republicans are the party that doesn’t really like powerful women. They have lobbyist extraordinaire Matt McCaulley run the transition and the Executive Branch for Kristi; with this package of dim male bulbs plugged into the House leadership, MacCaulley can run the Legislative Branch, too.

7 Comments

  1. Debbo 2018-11-12 20:10

    Cory, you are too kind.

  2. jerry 2018-11-12 20:39

    Those good old boys better figure out something quick.

    “Soybean prices tipped moderately lower with losses of around 0.6% Monday, as traders continue to fret over the massive U.S. crop increasing domestic supplies as harvest nears completion. November and January futures dipped 3.5 cents apiece to land at $8.7175and $8.8325, respectively.

    Soybean basis bids were mostly steady Monday but tilted 1 cent lower at an Ohio elevator and an Illinois river terminal today.

    Brazilian soybean exports are expected to easily surpass 2.939 billion bushels this year, thanks in no small part to surging sales to China amid that country’s ongoing trade spat with the U.S. Governmental data already shows Brazilian soybean exports have exceeded 2.807 billion bushels through the second week of November.

    More U.S. farmers may feel the pressure to store greater amounts of soybeans this winter. Click here to learn more why some think that strategy could be a huge gamble.

    Ukraine’s 2018 soybean harvest has nearly concluded, with total production of 158 million bushels – up nearly 23% year-over-year.”

    South Dakota Republican legislators may need to select some Democratic women that know math and how to make the right decisions. First one to go would be Goodwin, what a neanderthal and that is being kind to cavemen, then go down the line. Maybe keep a couple of these deadbeats around to get coffee for the ladies.

  3. Steve Pearson 2018-11-13 09:28

    Such bitter blogging…

    You still aren’t a SD legislator and you will NEVER be one.

  4. Debbo 2018-11-13 10:48

    Steve Pearson,

    Such childish comments…

    You still aren’t an adult and you will NEVER be one.

  5. jerry 2018-11-13 11:01

    True that Ms. Debbo, true that. One thing is for certain, with this bunch of losers in the legislature, we can be assured that nothing will get done but more corruption. What’s in the hopper for a taxpayer shellacking, only NOem and this mob know for sure. Veteran’s vacation destination in Hot Springs, who will finance it? teachers and the poor, of course.

  6. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-11-13 21:23

    I’m all for economic development in Hot Springs. But I’m for funding education, expanding Medicaid, and making underrepresented and oppressed groups feel more welcome in South Dakota first.

  7. jerry 2018-11-13 22:47

    And now Trump leaves 45K jobs at the VA vacant because administering is boring and there’s no profit FOR HIM there. (Seriously those who applaud a businessman in government “I like him because he’s not a politician” need to have their teeth drilled by “not a dentist.”)

    Who could have predicted that putting 2.5M soldiers thru George Bush’s two meatgrinder catastrophes would have overloaded the VA.

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