Senate boss Lee Schoenbeck (R-5/Lake Kampeska) blesses reporters and the public with some blunt, bruising, and occasionally insightful, refreshingly party-transcendent, and once in a blue moon powerful and historic comments.
But sometimes even the smartest Republican in the Senate says dumb stuff. Consider this comment from the Pres-Pro-Tem amidst his criticism of Governor Kristi Noem’s corrupt flim-flammery in rigging the bid process for her “Freedom Works Here (Pick Me for VP)” ad campaign for her Ohio political cronies:
“I think this is an example of the good, the bad and the ugly,” Schoenbeck said. “The fact is the state has an asset. The governor promoting herself happens to match with the state’s interest in promoting us, I think that’s a win-win” [Eric Mayer, “Legislative Leadership Grills GOED over ‘Freedom Works Here’,” KELO-TV, updated 2024.01.09].
Corruption is a win-win for South Dakota? Really, Lee?
Schoenbeck manages some craftiness amidst his cretinitude, noting that the Governor’s bad-plumber (and now the another bad-nurse, brought to you by the money you paid Sanford, Avera, and Monument to set your broken arms) ads really are about Noem’s “promoting herself”.
But to promote herself, Noem abused state funds and a state bidding process that the state falsely portrayed as open and fair. We have entire ad campaign revolving around the idea that people can move here and find the freest market in America that will reward their talent and hard work. But now the headlines surrounding that ad campaign contradict that message. News of Noem’s corruption says people who move here will find a state government that disregards the free market and conducts a rigged bidding process that allows its underperforming cronies to steal ideas from more talented and creative local entrepreneurs.
Noem’s promotion of her out-of-state cronies screams, “Freedom doesn’t work here—corruption does!” Let’s be honest, Senator Schoenbeck: nobody wins when that message gets out.
This is the plan –
Not only Haley nominated by Democrats, but Vivek by Neo-cons. And if they are successful at removing TRUMP from ballots of at least 10 states, neither Joe Biden or Donald Trump obtain 50% of the Electors. This is huge…cause then it lets Congress take the top three candidates receiving electors, place them on a ballot, giving to each State (1 delegate), casting 1 Vote Each Per State. Only 34 of the States are necessary for a quorum, and this means Congress can use the the very last line of Section 3 of Amendment 14, to disqualify, and remove any such disability, thus removing such candidates from that ballot.
The People of the United States must control the “United States House of Representatives, as to maintain a constitutional process, let alone, the Legislatures should have maintained authority over the “Senate” to protect us from mob rule of the larger states.
Currently, the SENATE is controlled by Democrats;
Currently, the U.S HOUSE is controlled by Republicans, but…the ‘party’ is nearly equally divided by Neo-Cons v America First Representatives.
IF the Democrats subplant Haley in the Republican Party, they get their second choice ‘after’ Biden’
IF, the NEOCONS subplant VIVEK in the Republican Party, they get their Leftist Candidate as their second choice…
Remember, each ELECTOR gets to cast one vote for their District, and they get to cast second vote for someone outside the State borders..a total # of 1,070 votes cast by electors. The candidate that gets 50% of the 535 Electors, +1 Elector, becomes President.
ALL CONGRESS has to do to defeat Trump, is over-load the ballots in key states, by removing TRUMP from those ballots, and by putting a secondary choice on those ballots….get it?
Trump co-conspirators Mike Lindell and Tina Peters are headed for bankruptcy if not prison.
A private plane carrying Republican former Mesa, Colorado County Clerk Tina Peters and other Trump operatives took them to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to attend a rally held by Mike Lindell.
Peters’ trial on charges that she copied files of the county’s election tabulations then shared them with Pillow Guy, Lindell will begin in February. Peters is probably going to jail after compromising election results and forcing polling machines to be discarded. Lindell is simply another caricature of the Earth hating Republican Party.
You paid for those ads. But – buyer beware.
We are still waiting for them to give us the number of people who moved here as a direct result of the ad campaign. If we do get that figure, look at it very closely. They are a cagey bunch.
Pierre’s culture of corruption is certainly good for Lee Schoenbeck. Maybe some day voters in my home state will learn how much the Sioux Falls and Rapid City Dioceses paid Lee to cover up clergy crimes.
Cory writes: “. . . nobody wins when that message gets out.”
Not nobody, there is always a winner in corruption. That’s why it exists. It is devastating how the very idea of corruption has become normalized by Pres. Trump and his pursuit of profit — even while president — especially while president. Using your power, even the power of elected office, to reward yourself is considered normal, smart, maybe even virtuous, under the MAGA mindset of prosperity and “own the lib’s.” People who disapprove are labeled “jealous.”
RIP emoluments prohibitions for public servants. Now, like private industry, public service is a pathway to personal and crony enrichment.
O is correct. What Schoenbeck is excusing is classic self-dealing, an egregious form of corruption. But it always the Republican way to excuse corruption. Corruption is as South Dakota as blizzards in winter.
I would move back to my home state if Kristi would allow me fix her plumbing…
Snake out a hair turd:O
I’ve commented about the breaking of State of South Dakota Administrative Rules in the previous section. What Senator Schoenbeck ignores is that a State Employee (a member of the swamp so to speak) followed the State Administrative Rules, which have the same status when you’re a State Employee as the law, He was then put under direct personal sanction, including losing his job and all that entails, if he did not change his decision. This is what happens in Pierre when you do your job to the best of your ability and obey your oath as a State Employee. The cynicism of elected officials and their minions knows no bounds. Human decency is not a factor. When you’re talking about the Swamp, please exclude State Employees working under the Career Services Law…..please include elected officials and their exempt appointees.
Mr. Blundt, I suspect this disgruntled former employee, who always have axes to grind, was not a member of the Deep State but a slackard and employee union member who just wanted to coast on his fat salary and not do any real work. It is good they are starting to root some of these fellows out of the government. Now he can’t attend all the fancy dinner functions his old office holds, and he’s got a mess going on down there in the Vermtown too.
This “corrupt flim flammery” is probably too “inside baseball” for the average citizen of South Dakota to fully comprehend. Too many of us believe this kind of corruption is accepted behavior in Pierre. It is not. Hundreds of State Employees work under the Career Services Act ( known as non-exempt employees), work each day and base their decisions on state and federal rules and statutes. They know that breaking these rules makes them subject to sanction and dismissal. Do you think the engineers in the Highway Department make decisions like the Goad officials did?? No, they don’t. Mr. Welch complied with his job description and the Rules. He is to be commended by his fellow citizens. He served them well.
Thank you Grudz for scapegoating an honest man. I could expect nothing more from you.
grudznick doesn’t know about Mr. Goad, but this Mr. Welch fellow seems just to be an axe grinder. Now his axe is a nub and he can get back into the chamber of commerce business in Iowa. It’s almost like the Messrs. Schoenbeck and Bartels wanted to jab Ms. Noem in the eye a few times and then just neuter this fellow and his junkyard dog Mr. Carr as well. So whack whack went the hammer, almost as if Mr. Rhoden hisownself had swung it.
Mr. Blundt, grudznick is just commenting on what I’m reading about. It’s not like I was voting with the legislatures on this business, or even lobbying the issues behind the scenes in the smoke-filled rooms. Don’t shoot the innocent bystander, please.
Grudznick: Your cynicism on the subject of honest government repels me. Of course you have the right to comment. Just don’t smear an honest person trying to uphold his professional responsibility to the people of South Dakota
Larry Rhoden knows where all the bodies are buried.
If you ask Mr. Rhoden what time it is, he always says ‘Two seconds till.’ After you ask ‘Two seconds to what?’ he gut punches you.
That Larry Rhoden is a unifier seems radical.
Mr. Blundt, are you inferring that unlike most of the out-of-state name-callers on this here blogging place, you don’t harbor the opinion that every minion of Governor Noem in Pierre is a bad bad person, and some of them strive to serve the public in an honest and dutiful manner? That seems out of line with most of the fellows here.
The vast majority of state employees in Pierre are hard working people dedicated to doing a good job for the people of South Dakota. They are family, church, and work people, who support their schools and their community. Many of the people Governor Noem appointed are the same, and strive to obey the law and the administrative rules, which apply to all employees. Many of these people are “pros” who have worked in state Government under several administrations, and know how to make good decisions and, this is key, know how to out wit certain of the Governor’s Staff known to try to muscle their way around the law. There are many good and conscientious members of the Governor’s Staff, always were and always will be, because they are South Dakotans and were raised to honor honesty. There are several “Governor’s Hit Men” whose ambition is only satisfied by making each and every of the Governor’s whims and commands reality. no matter how far fetched. They are short termers looking to pad their resume, and move on. They are “visitors” to Pierre, and do not share the values of the vast majority of folks who live there. Other employees avoid them as much as possible.
Despite his repugnance of grudznick, Mr. Blundt is wiser than many. You fellows may heed his words.
Mr. Grudznick,
You have provided a fine example of the fundamental attribution error.
A grudznick is a vote/support/defend according to the alphabet critter. That is the extent of the depth of its ability to comprehend the twistings and turnings of the organizational behavior screw. If anything moves, the calculation is too complicated for a grudz. Only stasis is computable. They make a horrible predators, despite their obsession with gravies, they are incapable of capturing and the basic elements of its tastiness without assistance. A natural born vegetarian if ever there was one. At best – a consumer of slow-moving grubs as a protein source.
Just wondering why Grudznick continually uses the word “legislatures” when the sentences clearly call for the word “LEGISLATORS?” How can a person present himself as intelligent and educated while consistently making such a significant and possibly intentional grammatical error? No actual answer is expected.