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Kristi Noem at Work in the Capitol

While Kristi Noem was adding to the donors and political pals who will run our state for her, she was not voting to avert the Trump shutdown. Her fellow House Republicans passed a dead-end spending resolution yesterday with $5 billion for border insecurity (not to mention insecure manhood). Congresswoman Noem was not there for that important vote, or for any of the other 27 votes cast on the House floor yesterday. Drought Information System, criminal justice reform, reporting on vehicular terrorism, help for victims of child abuse—on top of keeping paychecks flowing to the Secret Service agents watching Trump golf all weekend, none of those things were important enough for Noem to show up for her job.

The House passed about 20 bills yesterday. Funny—maybe Congress actually gets more work done when Kristi isn’t there.

Noem appears to have missed all ten votes on Thursday as well. But she did have time to tour the Capitol Dome… the South Dakota Capitol Dome, with her new senior advisor Tony Venhuizen:

Kristi Noem, Facebook, 2018.12.18.
Kristi Noem, Facebook, 2018.12.18.
Kristi Noem, Facebook, 2018.12.18.
Kristi Noem, Facebook, 2018.12.18.
Governor-Elect Kristi Noem and Lt. Gov.-Elect Larry Rhoden, FB, 2018.12.18.
Governor-Elect Kristi Noem and Lt. Gov.-Elect Larry Rhoden, FB, 2018.12.18.
Kristi Noem and friends, South Dakota Capitol Building, FB, 2018.12.18
Kristi Noem and friends, South Dakota Capitol Building, FB, 2018.12.18
Kristi Noem adds her name to the graffiti inside the Capitol Dome, FB, 2018.12.18.
Kristi Noem adds her name to the graffiti inside the Capitol Dome, FB, 2018.12.18.
Policy analyst and transition team specialist Kennedy Noem, earning her state paycheck with Kristi Noem, FB, 2018.12.18.
Policy analyst and transition team specialist Kennedy Noem, earning her state paycheck with Kristi Noem, FB, 2018.12.18.

Thanks to working so hard at her upcoming new job, prior to Thursday, Noem was the fourth-most-frequent vote-misser of this lame-duck session.

So while the government careens toward another shutdown, during which decent public servants will be required to show up to protect the public and public assets but won’t get paychecks, Kristi Noem gets to not show up for her job and still draw her salary.

25 Comments

  1. Nick Nemec 2018-12-21 07:06

    I hope Lt. Gov. Rhoden finds the time to hit the gym over at the YMCA while living in Pierre.

  2. The King 2018-12-21 07:08

    Graffiti is never a good look, particularly at the people’s Capitol.

    The Governor elect should put down the stupid Sharpie, act like an adult, get some paint and paint over the graffiti.

  3. mike from iowa 2018-12-21 07:41

    She appears to ignore safety rules for ladder climbing as well. Reckless as heck, I’d say.

  4. Shirley Harrington-Moore 2018-12-21 09:47

    Me thinks South Dakota will be sinking further into the slime whilst she does her nails at our expense.

  5. Loren 2018-12-21 10:32

    I think we can count on her to be just as effective as a governor… sadly.

  6. Charlie Richardson 2018-12-21 12:05

    What a pathetic excuse for a public servant! The only South Dakotans she’s serving are herself and her cronies/donors.

  7. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-12-21 12:50

    Mike, hold that ladder thought—I suspect some Trumpist will turn that pic into a meme about how South Dakota’s tough little Trumpist cheerleader is making America great again by flaunting all that silly climb-ladder-al correctness.

  8. mike from iowa 2018-12-21 14:06

    Did wingnuts kill off OSHA? I haven’t heard much about them in a number of years.

    Of course a safety expert could use that woman and that picture in a book of how safety is not served and how a state should not be led. PSAs anyone?

  9. Roger Cornelius 2018-12-21 15:33

    I have it on very good authority that once Noem is done with that ladder there are South American migrants that could use it along the border.

  10. Debbo 2018-12-21 15:47

    Very funny Roger. 😄😄😄

    I was noticing that in every photo but one, she placed herself well above everyone else. I don’t think “fragile politicality” is a thing, but if it is, it appears Noem has it, or something.

  11. happy camper 2018-12-21 17:44

    Rhoden needs to lose that gut I’m old enough to have attended their wedding makes me think though, that we are also old enough to express our thoughts even if they are out of congruence all of us should find our voice.

  12. T 2018-12-21 19:21

    I believe the rejuvederm in the cheeks is lopsided
    The graffiti photo op was a very bad idea is the photo publicity person 12?

    Meanwhile, our government is shutting down…..

  13. mike from iowa 2018-12-22 16:08

    Excellent find, Jerry. BTW have you booked your visit to Far Eastern Asia to get culture as one troll suggested to a Vietnam vet?

  14. jerry 2018-12-22 17:48

    I would certainly go back there. There are places where the mountains go into the coastal plain, like where the Hoi An River runs into the South China Sea. The beach there is white and the South China Sea is a brilliant blue. We sometimes would be moving in these mountains and stop to look out at the futility of it all, then go back to the business of constant movement.

    I don’t think I could hump those mountains anymore though mfi. In those days, I packed a PRC 25 radio with extra battery, 100 rounds for the gunner, an M16 A-1 with clips and bandoleers for it, my pack with air mattress and poncho and liner and some grub and water, dry socks and toilet paper, compass, map,flashlight and other stuff. It was heavy, but if you knew how to adjust it and knew how to get out from under it, you could hump all day. My life as an 18-19 year old, growing up the hard way. When I medevaced in October of 1969, I weighed about 125 pounds. My mother, when she saw me come home, was pretty alarmed, but I felt like I could have whipped the world. I never held any grudges to those that I fought and respected the hell out of them. They were were disciplined and professional. So yeah, if the troll wants, they can send me a ticket and I will take him with me.

  15. mike from iowa 2018-12-22 18:18

    I know Viet Nam vets didn’t get the best welcome home, but thank you for your sacrifices and all the others that did or did not come home.

  16. Porter Lansing 2018-12-22 18:20

    Great story, Jerry. I have several friends who came to USA after the war. Without exception they all tell that Americans are treated like kings when the go to Vietnam to visit. Hope you get the chance.

  17. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-12-23 11:34

    Any chance Noem’s support for the people’s right to write their names into the Capitol itself might translate into fighting her party’s effort to take away our right to right our will into the lawbooks directly with initiative and referendum?

    With Kristi Noem, there’s always an irony.

  18. Jack Arrow 2018-12-23 14:11

    Can someone ooze lack of substance?

  19. grudznick 2018-12-23 19:20

    And there’s Mr. H, oozing more election fodder for the future. Mr. H, as your adviser, I would urge you to be more polite to people. As Mr. Novstrup’s adviser, if I were, I would urge him to smite you with comments like your one at 19:13 along with your name-calling out-of-state bloggers.

  20. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-12-23 19:27

    Grudz, I’d rather be right than polite. Kristi Noem should get back to work. Taking Christmas off while making hundreds of thousands of essential government personnel work without pay is dereliction of duty.

  21. grudznick 2018-12-23 19:27

    I looked at some of those names and many are libbies. It seems an equal opportunity graffiti platform. And golly, you wouldn’t want to get gut-punched by Mr. Rhoden, so at least he looks happy at this point.

  22. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2018-12-23 19:32

    I’d like that “equal opportunity” to carry over to our actual politics.

  23. grudznick 2018-12-23 19:58

    Everybody has equal opportunities at the polls and in the legislatures. Usually it is those on the fringe of the sticks that need to stop whittling.

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