This from my e-mail box. -Denise

South Dakota PUC Commissioner Steve Kolbeck Endorses Barack Obama for President

Sioux Falls, SD – South Dakota PUC Commissioner Steve Kolbeck today endorsed Senator Barack Obama, citing his ability to bring new voters into the political process. 

“Senator Obama has energized a younger generation of voters.  He has encouraged them to wake up and be a part of finding the solutions to help our country rebound. I also feel the Senator understands our country has to learn from the past, not repeat it. These are just two reason I support Senator Obama for President,” said South Dakota State Commissioner Steve Kolbeck. 

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By Denise Ross

In my most recent newspaper column I wrote about the prospects for permanent drought aid, or a Disaster Title, becoming a reality. My take is that were it not for the entire Farm Bill being on the ropes, a Disaster Title would be moderately controversial but would pass.

But the entire Farm Bill is on the ropes, and, therefore, a Disaster Title is unlikely to materialize. And if not now, will there be a next time?

If the farm bill weren’t teetering on the brink, a disaster title might be one of those compromises that would pass with grumbles from those who don’t like spending the money. But with the whole farm bill more than six months behind schedule, The Washington Post reports that the House, Senate and White House have started squabbling over how to extend the 2002 farm bill provisions, making a return to 1949 farm policy more of a possibility than anyone cares to contemplate. 

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By Denise Ross

I’ve heard George McGovern say somewhere recently that while he’s sticking by Hillary Clinton, his children and grandchildren are supporting Barack Obama.

Indeed. In the case of his grandson Matt McGovern, a lawyer in Rapid City, the support extends to service as Obama’s campaign co-chairmain for South Dakota.  

(Photo by David Larson)

Matt McGovern spoke Sunday at the open house of Obama’s new Rapid City campaign office. He said:

I feel great about our chances June 3. And then we’ll take back the White House in November!

The crowd cheered.

So, when Hillary opens some campaign offices in SD, will George McG be on the scene? (And if she’s going to open offices, she’d better get to it, no?)

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By Denise Ross

I keep forgetting to include a linke to the Obama campaign’s South Dakota website in posts about his open house, so here it is as its own post.

I’ll also throw in that I over heard people talking about how they have been bowled over not just by Obama - and some did say they’re as excited as they’ve ever been, wanting to donate and volunteer for the first time ever - but they’re also wowed by his website.

So here it is - http://southdakota.barackobama.com

It is a darn good website, or as W would say, a darn good internets.

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By Denise Ross

Happy primary day to all of Hoghouse-land!

To help us remember those heady days of not so long ago when both parties had slates of candidates that were bursting at the seems, I offer you this installation at the non-art end of Art Alley in downtown Rapid City.

Interesting choice of canvas. And I guess you can’t spell REVOLUTION without L-O-V-E. Brilliant!

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By Denise Ross

It’s been widely reported Monday that Obama will campaign in SD, although I swear I heard or read that somewhere a week ago.

Anyway, Obama’s western South Dakota field director Melissa Ness, pictured below in yellow, also talked about other plans the Obama campaign has for South Dakota.  

                                     (Photo by David Larson)

Ness said that the campaign is working on a statewide door-knocking and phone-banking campaign to “try to get people to change their registration” so as to boost the turnout on June 3 even more. She asked the folks in attendance to sign up to volunteer for that effort.

She said this right before she said

Sen. Obama is taking South Dakota seriously and he’s planning to campaign here.

If you think he’s great on TV, in person he’s even better.

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By Denise Ross

So far, two social gatherings of the triple-P variety have been reported to Hoghouse Blog.

1) The NSU College Democrats will be holding a Pennsylvania Primary Results Watching Party from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Thunder’s Lair on Tuesday, April 22. Free pizza will be sponsored by Obama for America. The event is open to the public. (Free pizza? Can they do that? Isn’t that sort of like pie in Wasta?)

2) There will be a Pennsylvania Primary Party in the basement of Dublin Square in downtown Rapid City at 5:30 pm Tuesday, April 22. No word on free pizza or free beer.

Send in PPP info for your town to denise@hoghouseblog.com.

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By Denise Ross

I’ll get to the further legitimate reporting from the Obama open house in Rapid City on Sunday, but here’s a little Monday morning pick-us-upper - a photo caption contest.

For anyone interested in the true identies of those pictured, the young woman is Melissa Ness, Obama’s field director for western South Dakota. The man in the foreground is, of course, Sen. Tom Katus, D-Rapid City, and the man in the black and white drawing on the wall is Barack Obama.

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By Denise Ross

It was, as the kids say these days, off the hook. The crowd containment situation reminded me of a college kegger.

This was the seen in a small storefront in a stripmall on Haines Ave. Sunday afternoon, where the parking situation was equally cramped.

(All photos by David Larson) 

There appears to be an open space of about two square feet in the foreground of the photo. This did not reflect my personal experience at this event.

It was even crowded outside for pretty much the whole time Hoghouse Blog was on the scene. There was a line.

Here’s the storefront. (For those in Rapid City, it’s in the same stripmall as Laundry World, which will probably be good for the campaign workers.)

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By Denise Ross

These days, we tend to think of the historic 1972 presidential campaign when George McGovern is the topic of conversation. Long before that, he built up the SD Democratic Party from 2 state legislators in the early 1950s to more than 10 times that many lawmakers, himself in the Congress, Ralph Herseth as governor and nail-biting Senate races, although the GOP held on there.

Here are some images to remember the 1950s and South Dakota’s Democrats from that time.

There’s George, Ralph and presumably a US Senate House candidate named Clarkson. Anybody have the history on Clarkson? (UPDATE: A commenter named Gatsby reports some details on Clarkson; click on the comments section to read them.)  

This business card from McGovern’s days in the US House is on display at the McGovern Center on the campus of Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell.

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