Archive for February, 2008
More from Herseth on FISA
By Denise Ross
A commenter, GOP Come Home, complained that Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin was dodging questions on FISA, wiretapping, warrants, terrorism, etc. (See the post ”FISA, anyone?” below.)
That comment crossed paths in cyberspace with a follow-up e-mail from Herseth Sandlin’s office after I called to inquire, so in the interest of full disclosure, here’s what they sent along to elaborate on the congresswoman’s position on this issue.
- Representative Herseth Sandlin has consistently voted to give the president the expanded authority he has asked for in order to give our intelligence and law enforcement agencies the tools they need to conduct surveillance, thwart terrorists and deter other threats to our nation.
- She voted last August to give him this expanded authority, and voted twice to renew it early in 2008 – most recently on January 13th.
Clinton-McGovern-Obama-Guevara?
By Denise Ross
How would the Hillary machine tag Obama as a McGovernik amongst low-income whites in Ohio, without leaving behind those pesky fingerprints?
Infamous conservative columnist Bob Novak says that’s what’s up.
Clinton insiders want to spread the message that Obama represents the radical left-wing politics of George McGovern’s 1972 candidacy, which won only one state.
Here’s one method. It’s the second Che Guevara flag hanging in an Obama campaign office I’ve seen at the wildly popular perezhilton.com, via FOX News, in the past week. (Yeah, I call the celebrity blog site a palate-cleanser for when my brain’s been drained, but let’s be honest. It’s a guilty pleasure at best, a crutch at worst.)
Anyway …
Silly me, when I saw Novak’s “Hillary’s McGovern problem” headline, I thought it would be about when McGovern endorsed Clinton to help her shore up support with the anti-war Democrats. If I were McGovern, I might have something to say about all this, like maybe, “I un-endorse you, Hillary.”
1 commentBear Butte easement bill, not dead yet?
By Denise Ross
The subject of Bear Butte and development around the state park / religiously significant landmark north of Sturgis lit up Saturday morning’s crackerbarrel meeting in Rapid City.
Most of the talk was philosophical - private property rights vs. protecting a natural treasure, but one bit of news emerged. House Bill 1275 might not be dead yet, said Rep. David Lust, R-Rapid City.
(Photos by Denise)
Lust called himself “one of the few who was not viscerally opposed to the governor’s approach.”
No commentsI think the concept will be revisited, if not this session, another session. I give credit to the governor for trying to find a resolve to this situation. … This will continue to be an issue.
I think it’s incumbent upon us to address it, either through easements, outright purchase, private purchase, private easements. I think there’s a whole host of options out there. And I think they’re all being explored.
FISA, anyone?
By Denise Ross
Since the US House collectively left Washington without taking action to renew a law that allows for wiretapping without a court order, I thought we’d check in with our congressional types to see what they’re saying.
But first, here’s the AP’s explanation of the crux of the disagreement between House Democrats and the White House.
It (current law) allows the government to initiate wiretaps for up to one year against a wide range of targets. It also explicitly compels telecommunications companies to comply with the orders, and protects them from civil lawsuits …
But while the wiretap orders can go on for a year from the time they started, the compliance orders and the liability protections go away when the law expires Saturday night.
Lawyers, start your engines.
In the meantime, here are the statements from SD’s reps.
2 commentsWednesday’s top 3 bills
By Denise Ross
Here at the Hoghouse, we do love a good mystery. And there’s one among our picks for the top 3 bills up for a hearing before the SD Legislature on Wednesday.
House Bill 1124 is another player to be named later in the schools funding game. It comes from a handful of House Republicans - Rhoden, Brunner, Deadrick, Dykstra, Faehn, Heineman, Krebs, McLaughlin, Rave, and Turbiville - and reads:
There is hereby appropriated from the general fund the sum of one dollar ($ 1 ), or so much thereof as may be necessary, to the Department of Education to enhance education in the public elementary and secondary schools in this state.
It’s only slightly less vague than the Senate version (Education is hereby enhanced.), and it looks to be a one-time funding boost. Can’t wait to find out what happens next. The House State Affairs Committee will determine that.
No commentsIs it a sin to not vote?
By Denise Ross
There’s an interesting back-and-forth going on over at the War College, where lexrex boldly states that it is his belief that not voting is a sin.
In comment #58, lexrex says:
i believe it would be sinful for a Christian to intentionally not vote …
That is a notion that could fuel several blogs for weeks. Does not voting put your soul at risk? Does not voting buy you a one-way ticket to hell?
But there’s more to the debate that fascinates me. Lexrex is debating with Bill Fleming, the tireless provaceteur well-known in SD’s blogosphere, who asked the question that prompted #58.
The broader discussion between these two is over the founding fathers and the relationship they might have laid out with God in America’s founding documents.
Also in #58, lexrex says:
30 commentsSchool house rock
By Denise Ross
It’s down to the wire an a slew of education funding bills. Tuesday’s committee action should be both exciting and excruciating at the same time.
The Hoghouse has tried to pick the 3 most interesting of those bills, but that’s like trying to pick the 3 best varieties of chocolate.
I’ve written about Senate Bill 193 before, and I do believe this is the final chance for its sponsors to unveil their plan to save the world.
Right now, the bill simply reads: “Education in South Dakota is hereby enhanced.” Then again, maybe that’s a perfectly fine bill just the way it is. Who could vote against that?
House Bill 1214 would set the minimum public teacher’s salary at $30,000 by FY2010. I picked it over the other minimum teacher salary bills because this one hasn’t yet had a hearing.
2 commentsVeepWatch will help us keep track
By Denise Ross
For those of us keeping one eye on the vice presidential prospects of John Thune and Tom Daschle, and lots of other folks from less esteemed states, there is the VeepWatch blog, which wickedly adds “The search for second best” to its masthead.
They ask, unfairly in my view, whether Thune is the new Dan Quayle. I guarantee Thune can deliver a better speech than Quayle, and I’m fairly confident he’s a better speller, too. Now he just needs a major agenda item or two to champion to tamp down some of the empty suit detractions. (The clock is ticking, Senator.)
Meanwhile, in the fascinating category list at VeepWatch - a list of the names of those who’ve been suggested for the No. 2 job - there has been an oversight. There is no “Daschle” category.
No commentsWe don’t need no stinkin’ open records
By Denise Ross
Hey, y’all, it’s crossover week!
Time for all House bills to walk the guantlet or walk the plank on the House side and for all Senate bills to sink or swim on the Senate side. Those bills that survive the looming deadline will “cross over” to the other chamber for more hearings and votes.
There are plenty of top o’ the charts hits up. Here are Hoghouse’s picks for Monday’s top 3.
House Bill 1233 is perhaps the most significant bill of the entire session, as it would revolutionize the information that’s available to anyone outside the governor’s highest advisers about how the state spends its money.
It’s title:
1 commentAn Act to bring transparency to state spending by requiring the Bureau of Finance and Management to create a website making certain state government information available to the public
Does Thune pass McCain’s test?
By Denise Ross
With John McCain securing front-runner status, albeit with Mike Huckabee clinging tightly to his ankle, talk turned quickly to potential running mates. The list of potential VPs is as long as the number of states who have elected a Republican in the past decade.
Since John Thune is not only South Dakota’s most prominent member of the GOP but also an early supporter of McCain’s, he’s in the mix.
Way back when I was single, the talk of potential mates was done using the metaphor of a screen. There are tightly woven screens through which only the finest specimens could pass. There are damaged screens with substantial holes blown through them. There are screens so impenetrable as to be made of bullet-proof glass.
The question often raised was, Would the potential date fit through the screen of the friend in question?
So I ask now, does John Thune fit through John McCain’s vice presidential screen?
2 comments