Last updated on 2021-09-19
Senator John Thune says he still hasn’t decided whether to challenge the Curse of Karl Mundt and run next year for a fourth term in the Senate. He tells WNAX that things are so “divided, polarized, and frankly in some ways just crazy” in Washington, D.C., that it can be difficult to keep faith that one can make a difference in Congress.
Gee, John, would you say you let your own urge to divide, polarize, and craze cause you to lose sight of making a difference for Madison and finishing the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System?
Five communities are still waiting to receive water from the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System.
For Madison and four Iowa towns (Sioux Center, Hull, Sheldon and Sibley), the long wait may only last five more years if the United States House of Representatives votes to pass the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” which passed in the U.S. Senate on Aug. 10. That bill contains $1 billion for rural water projects across the country.
Troy Larson, the Executive Director of the Lewis & Clark water system, said all indications at this time point to the infrastructure bill passing by the end of the year.
“That would be a game-changer in terms of the infrastructure bill,” Larson said. “We’d have enough money to finish the project within five years.”
Larson said the water system alerted all six Senators from South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota about the estimated final $132 million needed to complete the pipeline system [Eric Mayer, “Lewis & Clark Water System Closely Following Infrastructure Bill, Final Federal Funding Needed to Finish Project,” KELO-TV, 2021.08.21].
Gee, John, you used to think that running Missouri River water uphill to Madison was such a good idea that you and your seatmate Senator Mike Rounds worked with Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken to get funding for Lewis and Clark. But this month you voted against this funding for Lewis and Clark and all the other infrastructure projects that will help South Dakota. And while you’ve said nice things about Lewis and Clark when you’ve visited Madison, you and your Republican colleagues have had plenty of opportunities in the past to top off this project, yet for years you and your party have stood in the way of finishing a project for which your constituents are clamoring.
Gee, John, for all your talk of wanting to make a difference, it sounds like you’re the one who’s decided to divide and polarize and cast votes that thirsty folks in Madison would say are just crazy.
South Dakota is no longer safe for Democrats so being hopeful for a progressive outcome in my home state reads more and more like a mental illness. When Lawrence County lost union mine workers the base simply went away leaving the Democratic survivors to either follow them or wait to reap real estate values then flee to blue states.
There really is only one candidate who could win any seat he wanted but his wife would leave him before moving to Pierre or DC so the South Dakota Democratic Party is destined to the wilderness for years to come.
Sorry, I’m just the messenger.
Again, the GOP creates a mess and refuses to take responsibility for that mess they created. Welcoming in the RADICAL Tea Party, moving to a purely posturing/negative campaigning stance once elected, obstructing the opposing party (even when in the majority with a mandate) for the sole purpose of making the system dysfunctional, placing party above country: all those were steps that Senator Thune not only participated in, but also helped to lead.
SD needs to reject Senator Thune for the exact same reason it pushed out McGovern and Daschle: he has gone DC.
Sheldon , run by Sam Kooiker, has been urging residents to cut back on well water usage all Summer.
https://www.radioiowa.com/2021/01/24/northwest-iowa-water-project-receives-federal-funding/
To restart pipeline work this Spring.
All I got to say about this is, John Thune is going to be taking a HUGE gamble in “challenging” the 50 year old “Curse of Karl”.
The sneaky curse defeated four very confident and popular US Senators who were all up for reelection for their fourth terms.
…And I agree with you Cory, that John Thune is his own worst enemy. Thune built his career and. acclimation of power in the Senate on polarization. Thune was all in with Noem to use the Tea Party Movement to his advantage. Thune did not actually believe in the principles of the Tea Party. Now, Thune is getting very close to achieving control of the Republican Party and wants the monster he helped to create gone. Thune’s hypocrisy and power plays may be ripe for a replay of the “Curse of Karl” in 2022. One thing about the “Curse of Karl”, it cleans out hypocrisy and corruption everytime it hits.
The one element not being discussed is that Senator Thune has a reelection war chest that could deploy National Guard units to Texas for a long, LONG time.
Money buys elections.
O, “money buys elections”…true…then, there’s the “Curse of Karl”…it’s a curse that has defied reality in past elections. I’ve learned you don’t ever bet against the “Curse of Karl”.
As RINO John preps for the next go around an image comes to mind: The one of a child that soils its diaper then tries to run away from the smell. 45 described our John as a RINO to being him back into line; it worked, scared the crap out of him. Still smells.
RINO John has grown to be a Washington guy as other SD Senators did after several terms. The RINO stops by going to and from fund raisers for the GOP. Maybe he will be gone by June 2022 if our America’s Governor is ordered by 45 to oppose our RINO John. That “we are friends BS” goes out the window should 45 pull the starting trigger to have our girl run against our guy. If not in June, there is November 2022 if the dems can find someone willing to run.
It is noticeable that RINO John is starting to age in looks as if he is attempting to chameleon himself into other Washington Republicans from Texas or Kentucky or Wisconsin or goodness forbid the senator from Vermont.
Well…Thune seems a safe bet for re=election. The Democratic Party has to choose between Noem, Thune and Johnson to oppose with the limited campaign funds they will have at their disposal…each of the Republican candidates will have seven figure war chests and a well manned paid campaign staff. All are expensive state wide races. The Democrats must have strong candidates able to generate some real political excitement to have a chance,,,and then they will have to make a tough decision about where to put their limited money. Thune just needs to look good and be pleasantly vague.
Arlo, Thune may “seem” to be a “safe bet for reelection” but looks can be deceiving with the well-established political “Curse of Karl”. Just ask Larry, Tom and Tim.
Well.Guy…I’m betting he won’t have a stroke or be found in a Men’s Room stall with one of Grudz’s goats…the one thing that could get him isn’t any curse, but a continuation of the drought into 2022…then all bets are off..Democrats do well during a farm crises.
Tim had a stroke, Tom got punted for becoming too much of an out-of-stater. It must have been Larry who left that goat in the men’s water closet at the state fair that year.
Did I remember Laura Ingraham of fake noize actively campaigning for Thune to defeat Daschle? Seems that is what my memory tells me.
Laura Ingraham…often mistaken for a goat.
Thune made a career shaking decision in a time of desperate need for our country.
I’ll never forget it ..
Do the Democrats have a candidate to take on Thune? We are getting close to Labor Day. Thune already has two declared primary opponents on the Republican Side: Mark Mowry & Bruce Whalen. Will the Democrats go with Stephanie Herseth or Billie Sutton?
Herseth for Governor / Sutton for Senate / Heinert for House…or Sutton for Governor / Herseth for Senate / Heinert for House…or Sutton for Governor / Heinert for Senate / Herseth for House…or Heinert for Governor / Sutton for Senate / Herseth for House…or Herseth for Governor / Heinert for Senate / and Sutton for House? What combination should the Democrats go for in 2022?
Oh. With Whalen already in another race the libbies have cast their best candidate in a GOP primary.
No chance Mr. Thune even cracks his war chest.
Bruce Whalen was the Republican Candidate who ran against Stephanie Herseth in the 2006 US House Race and lost. Herseth was reelected to her second term that year.
What I’m trying to say, Mr. Guy, is that Mr. Whalen is a libbie compared to Mr. Thune and would be the Democratic party’s best shot. You would indeed need to get him to switch parties.
Grudz, Bruce Whalen was originally a huge supporter of John Thune in his 2004 US Senate Race against Tom Daschle. I would venture to say if Thune had not gotten Whalen’s support in that race, he may have lost to Daschle. Let’s not forget that it was Whalen who helped Thune to shore up a big chunk of the Native American vote in the ’04 Race. For Whalen to turn against Thune is a huge deal.
Tru Shrimp cannot raise capital without water John Thune, geesh, everyone knows this. Come on dude, there is money to be made for your dried out campaign coffer.
“BALATON — The timeline changed on tru Shrimp’s plans to build its first shrimp production facility in Madison, South Dakota, but tru Shrimp spokespeople say the company is still working to make it happen.
“I get asked a lot, ‘Why haven’t you started building?’” said Jamie Brink-Thordson, director of sales and marketing for tru Shrimp. Brink-Thordson said the answer is that tru Shrimp is “really focused on raising capital to build in Madison.”https://www.marshallindependent.com/news/local-news/2020/03/tru-shrimp-focuses-on-raising-capital-for-madison-facility/
Come on, the guy gets asked this a lot John Thune. Tell him what the holdup is.
Shelled In iowa has not received a drop of water from L & C and just added 2 more expansion projects to get more water than originally planned.
https://kiwaradio.com/local-news/council-approves-expansion-agreement-with-lewis-clark/
Sheldon also signed a 4 million dollar contract for a million gallon water tower several miles west of town.