NYT and National Security

Heather Mac Donald:

BY NOW IT'S UNDENIABLE: The New York Times is a national security threat. So drunk is it on its own power and so antagonistic to the Bush administration that it will expose every classified antiterror program it finds out about, no matter how legal the program, how carefully crafted to safeguard civil liberties, or how vital to protecting American lives.

Read the rest.  Here's the original Times article entitled "Bank Data Secretly Reviewed by U.S. to Fight Terror."  Let us imagine that this were World War II and the New York Times ran the headline "Communications Secretly Reviewed by Allies to Fight Nazis" (referring to the Ultra intercepts) or detailed the Normandy landings the day before the invasion, as Jay Reding has written about.  The consequences of printing such a story are obvious.  The Ultra program allowed the Allies to target U-boats, was distributed to field commanders like Patton to aid in the ground war, helped the British learn of invasion points of Operation Sealion, among countless other victories.  None of this would have been possible if the Germans had known the Allies compromised their communications. 

The same is true for the current war.  Inhibiting the federal government's ability to fight this war creates a far more dangerous situation for the United States.  The Times doesn't care about our national security or the public interest.  To them, compromising national security is merely a way to sell more papers.  The Department of Justice and the Attorney General have a duty to ensure that Bill Keller, Eric Lichtblau, James Risen, and the Times are held responsible for revealing classified information and until this is done--until journalists realize they're not above the law--no classified information is safe from publication.

UPDATE:  Milblogger Sergeant T. F. Boggs writes a letter to the Times: "Thank you for continually contributing to the deaths of my fellow soldiers."

UPDATE:  Austin Bay calls the relationship between the New York Times and leakers an "Axis of Abuse."  Hugh Hewitt is calling for Congressional condemnation.

PUC

The Republican convention in Watertown today has announced a new candidate for Public Utilities Commissioner to replace the vacant spot left by Bob Sahr, who stepped down after Dave Kranz and the Argus Leader ran rumors-as-news stories.  Associated Press excerpt:

State Sen. John Koskan of Wood was nominated Saturday by the Republican Party to run for a seat on the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.

Delegates to the Republican State Convention voted unanimously to nominate Koskan after state Rep. Tim Rounds, R-Pierre, withdrew from the race.

Interest in the PUC nomination arose after Bob Sahr, a Republican who is one of the three current commissioners, made a surprise announcement earlier in the week that he would not seek re-election. Sahr said his decision was prompted by what he called untrue rumors being spread about him, and he said he could not run a campaign at the same time he fought the unspecified rumors.

The PUC nomination was the only contested race at the GOP convention. Candidates for all other state offices were unopposed.

NYT

The New York Times looks at a new encyclopedia of conservatism.  Excerpt:

It has red states and blond pundits; home schoolers and The Human Life Review; originalists, monetarists, federalists and evangelists; and no shortage of people named Kristol.

Now American conservatism can claim another mark of distinction: an encyclopedia all its own.

It is a big deal, in terms literal — 997 pages — and metaphorical. Few insults have stung the movement's thinkers as much as the barb from Lionel Trilling, the literary critic, who said conservatives had no ideas, "just irritable mental gestures."

A half-century later, 251 contributors have weighed in, not so irritably, with a four-pound response.

Herseth

Representative Herseth gets hammered in today's Argus Leader for being a "rat fink":

It's interesting that when the Taliban Republicans call for a constitutional amendment declaring that marriage is between a man and a woman, Rep. Stephanie Herseth supports the President. Herseth seldom disagrees with the Republican ideology, if it risks winning re-election.

Real Democrats (like the ones who vote) should stop supporting Herseth and send a clear message to the South Dakota party hacks that rat finks pretending to be Democrats aren't acceptable. Don't vote for Herseth.

She supported the budget-busting war that brings kids home in body bags, she's done nothing about the deficit spending and she supports the bloated defense budget. What in the world do Democratic voters see in this loser? There's nothing in her voting record that resembles the Democratic agenda.

Bill R. Thomas
Sioux Falls

Twins News

The Minnesota Twins beat Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros last night, 4-2.  Justin Morneau hit his 18th home run.  Check out this ESPN story on rookie phenom Francisco Liriano. 

SDP Scoops Argus

The Argus Leader is following SDP in reporting that southDakota ranked #1 in the nation in income growth in the first quarter of 2006. 

Rumor Has It

I am in Idaho, but a couple people who are in Watertown for the GOP convention email me that there is talk that as soon as there is an opening on the South Dakota Supreme Court Gov. Rounds will appoint former attorney general Mark Barnett, who of course challenged Rounds for the gubernatorial nomination in 2002.  I guess there is also talk that federal judge Charles Korneman from Aberdeen may be retiring. 

USD To Division I

Regarding yesterday's post, I am informed that USD president Jim Abbot is forming a committee that will lead USD to a jump into Division I athletics. 

Minimum Wage

Via Larry Kudlow, I find Harvard economist Greg Mankiw's blog.  Here and here you'll find some interesting takes on the minimum wage.  The comments are worth reading. 

Education Myths

This AEI piece from Jay Greene attempts to explode certain myths about education.  The main myth he explodes is that schools would be better if they had more money.  Greene points out that in inflation adjusted dollars we spend far more than we did 50, 40, even 30 years ago while educational attainment has, at best, flat lined.  Indeed, I have seen countless studies that show that the longer students are in our educational system the worse they perform compared to their counterparts in other industrialized nations. 

Greene is a bit naive when it comes to teacher pay.  While, as a rule, the "teachers are underpaid" claim is an exaggeration (with exceptions), Greene tends to under-appreciate how much teachers work both during the school year and during the summer.  For example, the "students" Prof. Blanchard and I will be teaching next week are actually teachers who are gaining professional development hours (and, of course, knowledge more valuable than gold).   

An emailer to SDP a while back asked me to develop my claim that our education problems are with curriculum, not money.  Let me address that here:

Curriculum:  I know more about government and history than any other area.  Text books tend to emphasize politically correct history over hard facts (see Diane Ravitch's book). We all know that History is more than names and dates.  But it is not less than names and dates. When the majority of our 11th graders can't place the Civil War in the correct half century (I am not making up this statistic), then exploring the "context" of the war is fruitless.  There is a controversy in Math over whether the important thing is to get the right answer (new math) or learning how to get the answer (old math).  A college friend who has a PhD. in Math tells me that the problem with college students is precisely that they don't know how numbers work, therefore they cannot do high level mathematics.  Their K-12 education emphasized getting the right answer over learning how math works. I also include here the idea that it is the school's job to serve as a social service agency.  In South Dakota's last legislative session there was much debate over what the schools should teach about sex.  I have an answer: nothing, outside of biology.  We have students who cannot read, write or do math at a high enough level.  They are also historically ignorant.  How about we remedy those issues before they learn anything about either condoms or abstinence? 

I do not claim this is the only problem in our education system. I would include low standards, teacher preparation, and federal bureaucracy as other problems. 

Update: I suggest the people who filed suit read the Jay Greene article.  Also, if you think education in South Dakota is underfunded (and you may have a point), I suggest a novel tactic: convince your fellow citizens.  Filing suit is a gimmick and a waste of valuable resources. 

John Kerry and the First Rule of Holes

The first rule of holes, when you're stuck in one, stop digging, went woefully unapplied recently in Montclair, California, just shy of where I used to live.  From USAToday:

A homeowner digging for gold in his front yard said he got "carried away" and ended up with a 60-foot-deep hole, authorities said.

Henry Mora, 63, began digging 10 days ago after his gold detector reported a positive hit near his front patio. He told authorities he only intended to go down three or four feet. "I figured, well, maybe there's something down there — you would logically conclude, right? So I started digging," the semiretired musician said.

Fire officials called to the scene Tuesday found two men that Mora hired were inside the hole, using a bucket and rope to remove dirt.

If Mr. Mora is looking for gainful employment, he could do well to apply as an adviser to Senator and one time presidential hopeful John Kerry.  That spry prospector is still sending up buckets of dirt in search of a winning position on Iraq.  The most recent bucket spilled out a proposal for leaving Iraq within a year.  Powerline reports the result:

By a decisive 86-13 vote, the U.S. Senate today rejected John Kerry's proposal for a complete withdrawal from Iraq by July 1 of next year--a completely arbitrary date that replaced the equally arbitrary date in Kerry's last proposal, December 31, 2006.

Just how deep a hole Kerry has dug himself into may be judged from this article by Kate Zernike, in the New York Times:

When Senator John Kerry was their presidential nominee in 2004, Democrats fervently wished he would express himself firmly about the Iraq war.

Mr. Kerry has found his resolve. But it has not made his fellow Democrats any happier. They fear the latest evolution of Mr. Kerry's views on Iraq may now complicate their hopes of taking back a majority in Congress in 2006.  . . .

Mr. Kerry now describes the war in Iraq as a mistake, even though he once supported it. His critics say they believe the new stand reflects more politics than principle, and ignores other Democrats' concern that setting a fixed date will leave those in tough re-election fights open to Republican taunts that they are "cutting and running" in Iraq.

The Democrats' exasperation has increased in the last week, as they postponed a vote on Mr. Kerry's amendment to try to fashion a broader consensus among themselves. Democrats up for re-election asked him not to propose a fixed date. But Mr. Kerry, several Democrats said, was unwilling to budge from that idea, even though his co-sponsor, Senator Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin, seemed willing to compromise for the sake of consensus. In the end, Mr. Kerry agreed only to extend his deadline, from Dec. 31 of this year to July 2007.

Mr. Kerry's insistence on pushing ahead with his own plan has left the Democrats divided, and open to renewed Republican accusations that they are indecisive and weak — the same ridicule that Republicans heaped on Mr. Kerry in 2004, when his "I was for it before I was against it" statement about a vote on money for the war became a punch line.

I say keep digging Senator.  Thar's gold in them thar pits!  But don't expect anyone from your own party to help you climb out. 

What is most disturbing about Zernike's article is not that the Democrats are considering the policy implications of their positions.  They're politicians, after all.  It's that they are considering nothing else.  Unless Zernike is missing something, no one in the Democratic party seems to be asking what the best interest of the U.S. is, or what will help global law and order, or the Iraqi people.  They are solely concerned with finding a policy that will help them win in November. 

Update:  If Kerry can't win in Providence, he can't win anywhere.  This by David Mitchell, Jr. in the Providence Journal:

For 35 years I have tried to resist the cynical view of Mr. Kerry. I have tended to believe it but have tried to resist it for two reasons. First, many who were young during the Vietnam era were radically inconsistent in their political beliefs. Whatever those beliefs were, I think that we owe each other a moment of forgiveness before death or senility makes it impossible!

Second, the cynical take on one whose public career spans 40 years -- beginning with statements made as a student at Yale -- could be wrong. Wouldn't a perfect consistency more truly impeach a man's character than his being guilty of being part of his times?

Such a benign view of John Kerry's careening flip-flops these 40 years was a lot easier to defend two months ago, before he put a coda on them. First, in April, he did a sort of anniversay lap commemorating his April 22, 1971, Senate testimony with op-ed pieces in The New York Times and The Boston Globe.

These writings ended Senator Kerry's "Reporting for duty" period, of the 2004 presidential campaign, and returned him to his anti-war "last man to die for a mistake" period, of 35 years earlier. Then, on June 13, with President Bush in Baghdad, he addressed a Democratic "TakeBack America" conference with a call to withdraw American forces from Iraq by the end of 2006 -- that would be a little more than 26 weeks from now.

Sen. Hillary Clinton was willing to hear some boos from this crowd by arguing that this would not be in America's best interest. Given that the president was in Iraq as Mr. Kerry spoke, that a democratic Iraqi cabinet had at long last just been formed, that the terrorist al-Zarqawi had finally just been killed, and that most Iraqis expressly believe that a premature departure of British and American forces would be catastrophic, it is impossible not to see this latest Kerry flip-flop as transparently self-serving.

Adelstein

SD War College is wondering when state Senator Stan Adelstein is going to congratulate his opponent in the recent primary:

Maybe I missed it, but I have yet to notice the news story where the Senator has discussed the election and wished the opponent who beat him good luck. (Time to get on my soapbox)

Somehow I missed the article where he says "Good show. Good race. Now good luck Elli! God speed in your Senate race for November!"

If someone might point out the article where he finally exhibited good sportsmanlike conduct for me, I'd really appreciate it.

In the Mainstream coalition mailing that went out May 5th to people across the state, there's a paragraph in it that describes the organization that Stan and his checkbook founded:

"We are a bipartisan group of of business, political, religious and community leaders who are working to promote civility and reason in discourse about important issues that affect us all."

Notice that little phrase "Promote civility and reason?" So far, all three who were defeated in the June primary has talked about being verbally attacked by extremists. As opposed to voters deciding to simply choose someone else for a while. "They didn't lose the election, They were unfairly targeted by radical right wing maniacs, and everyone else stayed home" Riiiiight.

"We will promote and preserve traditional American values like the separation of church and state, individual rights, and tolerance and compassion for all."

Tolerance and compassion for all. Except those who vote against them. As I get off my soapbox, I'd just hope those who are talking the civility and tolerance talk might decide to start walking that walk.

Chicks Dig Guys With Skills

Those darn Democrats are at it again:

NEW LAW COMING FROM CONGRESS -- AMERICANS WITH NO ABILITIES ACT

WASHINGTON, DC - Congress is considering sweeping legislation, which provides new benefits for many Americans. The Americans With No Abilities Act (AWNAA) is being hailed as a major legislation by Advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills or ambition.

"Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and Drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in Society," said Barbara Boxer. "We can no longer stand by and allow People of Inability to be ridiculed and passed over. With this Legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they do a better job, or have some idea of what they are doing."

She pointed to the success of the US Postal Service, which has a long-standing policy of providing opportunity without regard to performance. Approximately 74 percent of postal employees lack job skills, making this agency the single largest US employer of Persons Of Inability.

Private sector industries with good records of nondiscrimination against the Inept include retail sales (72%), the airline industry (68%),and home improvement "warehouse" stores (65%). The DMV also has a great record of hiring Persons of Inability. (63%)

Under the Americans With No Abilities Act, more than 25 million "middle man" positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance.

Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given, to guarantee upward mobility for even the most unremarkable employees. The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to corporations which maintain a significant level of Persons of Inability in middle positions, and gives a tax credit to small and medium businesses that agree to hire one clueless worker for every two talented hires.

Finally, the AWNAA contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the Nonabled, banning discriminatory interview questions such as "Do you have any goals for the future?" or "Do you have any skills or experience which relate to this job?"

"As a Nonabled person, I can't be expected to keep up with people who have something going for them," said Mary Lou Gertz, who lost her position as a lug-nut twister at the GM plant in Flint, MI due to her lack of notable job skills. "This new law should really help people like me." With the passage of this bill, Gertz and millions of other untalented citizens can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Said Senator Ted Kennedy, "It is our duty as lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen, regardless of his or her adequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation."

Whither USD (And Northern, And Augustana, Etc.)

Here's one for the sports fans.  How will the region's college sports shake out now that University of North Dakota is jumping to Division I?  Can USD stay in the NCC for long while most of its main competition bolts to DI?  While I understand the desire of schools wanting to play "with the big boys,"  I hope that boosters and (in the case of public schools) voters realize how expensive it is to compete at the Division I level.  It means more money for scholarships, coaches, travel, facilities, recruiting, etc.  It will be interesting to see how things play out over the next couple years. 

Jack, We Hardly Knew Ya

Jack Murtha is taking a beating in the right-wing press today.  See this tidbit from Robert Novak:

I had forgotten that federal prosecutors designated him an unindicted co-conspirator in the Abscam investigation 26 years ago. I was reminded of it after Murtha became a candidate for majority leader, not by a Republican hit man but a Democratic former colleague in the House. In a long political career, Murtha has made bitter enemies inside his party who are alarmed by his new stature.

There is more on Murtha's ethics from Powerline, and Powerline also reproduces a column by Jack Kelly.  Highlight:

Mr. Murtha's howlers about Okinawa obscured a more revealing comment he made earlier on CNN. He cited President Clinton's abrupt withdrawal from Somalia after 19 Rangers were killed there in 1993 as an example of the policy the U.S. should follow in Iraq.

Osama bin Laden gave the "change in direction" in Somalia Mr. Murtha applauds as the chief reason why he thought al Qaida could strike the United States with impunity.

"After a few blows... (the U.S.) rushed out of Somalia in shame and disgrace, dragging the bodies of its soldiers," Mr. bin Laden told ABC's John Miller in a 1998 interview.

Surely there are better anti-war arguments than Murtha's, and surely more credible spokesmen.  Read all of Novak's piece and you'll see many Democrats are worried about Murtha's rise to prominence. 

Things Are Looking Up

South Dakota ranks #1 in the nation in perrsonal income growth for the first quarter of 2006. 

Foggy Mountains

Here are couple photos from our Smokey Mountain treak:

A Tale of Two Blogs on California Prop. 82

I posted a note on the road about the defeat of Prop. 82 in California.  Chad at CCK took a swing at me over that, and my colleague Professor Schaff responded in my stead.  Looking back on it, I think it is a fair taste of what our two blogs have to offer.  So you can review it here:

1.  My Original Post of Prop. 82.
2.  My Post on the Defeat of Prop. 82.
3.  Chad's comment, and a CCK reader's endorsement of eugenics.
4.  Professor Schaff's Response.
5.  Some toilet stall rhetoric from CCK's readers.

Professor Schaff's defense is so strong that I have little to add, and I hesitate to add it for fear I will ruin the force of his argument.  But into the breech I go: Professor Schaff is correct that I took no position on pre-schooling, or whether or not a state should guarantee it to all children.  I will confess that I don't know enough about the issue to take a stand, though I am surely not opposed to preschool education.  I think that Proposition 82 was horrifically bad because it was clearly engineered to turn Rob Reiner Inc. into a shadow government in California.  I think this also shows what is wrong with the initiative process.

So far as I can tell, neither Chad nor his readers said anything concerning this question.  There was some serious discussion of the importance of pre-school education, but again I took no position on that.  But there was a lot more personal invective against me based on the idea that I had taken such a position.  Its the personal stuff that stirs these folks blood. 

A couple comments in particular stand out.  Dawnne says:

these particular professors at NSU should be sticken from the genetic pool. the types of people they would promote into adulthood are exactly the types of people that are wrong with our country.

So Dawnne is in favor of eugenics!  Eliminate from the gene pool people who say things she disagrees with.  Well, at least she is frank.  And then there is our old friend Silas:

SDP is to political discourse what outhouse walls are to constructive culture. If it was treated in the manner it deserves, it would receive little attention from those other than the neo-nazis and the retro-cretins.

I submit that a review of the posts listed above will show that SDP presents thoughtful arguments on serious issues.  Equally thoughtful and well-meaning folk may disagree.  We may be wrong, and if we are, anyone is invited to show us where and how.  But it is clear that Silas isn't interested in argument.  He is flamboyantly intolerant, and so full of spite it's a wonder his lungs have room for air.  It is clear from the above exchange that it is Silas that is sitting in the stall with his pants around his ankles, scribbling furiously with a sharpy on the wall. 

Campaign Finance Reform v. Free Speech

I have long been opposed to nearly all forms of campaign finance reform on the grounds that such regulations threaten freedom of speech and of the press.  Alert reader Donna alerts us to an article from the Radio Equalizer.  RE, draws on National Review, which in turn cites an article from the Seattle Times.  Here's the gist:

The state Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday on a case that has drawn national attention from groups that say the free-speech rights of talk-radio hosts and other commentators are being trampled.

At the center of the dispute are John Carlson and Kirby Wilbur, conservative talk-radio hosts for KVI who last spring ran an extensive on-air campaign for an initiative to overturn the biggest gas-tax increase in state history.

The initiative ultimately failed. But the legal fight over the anti-gas-tax crusade could set new boundaries for talk-radio hosts and determine at what point political speech becomes political advertising that can be regulated by the government.

Groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, oppose a lower court ruling that Carlson's and Wilbur's talk-radio campaign amounted to an in-kind political contribution to the gas-tax opponents.

In other words, two talk show hosts are in effect required to get a license from the government in order to conduct what amounted to an on-the-air campaign for an anti-tax initiative.  That is a clear threat to freedom of the press. 

Of course the other side believes it is carrying the flag of righteousness. 

The government lawyers who brought the case say reversing the ruling could open the door for powerful media corporations to become "king makers" by mounting unregulated political campaigns.

"In this case there was no limitation on anyone's right to speak," Mike Vaska, a Seattle attorney who represents four municipalities in the appeal, said in an interview this week. "The only requirement that came out of the case was that the people be informed about who was funding the campaign."

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by San Juan County and the cities of Seattle, Auburn and Kent last year against Nonewgastax.com, the group backing Initiative 912, which was aimed at repealing a new 9.5-cent gasoline-tax increase.

Carlson and Wilbur promoted the initiative vigorously on KVI, asking listeners to collect signatures and donate money to the effort. Many of their on-air remarks suggested they were launching the initiative.

Last year, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Wickham ordered that the I-912 committee had to disclose the on-air pitches as in-kind contributions from Fisher Communications, which owns KVI.

The I-912 campaign filed a countersuit, accusing the municipalities of infringing on the radio hosts' First Amendment rights. But Wickham dismissed the counterclaim, saying that Wilbur's and Carlson's close ties to the initiative rendered their on-air solicitations political contributions.

Of course its true that the two talk show hosts can be viewed as agents of larger interests: the campaign organization as well as the firm that owns the radio channel.  But that is precisely the problem.  Political activists are very prone to believe that opposing voices must be in the pocket of some sinister conspiracy.  I have frequently been accused of being an agent of the Thune organization, despite the fact that no one ever tells me what to blog or what not to blog, or pays me a cent for doing the one or the other. 

Control of the means of speech can be a very effective way of controlling speech.  If you don't believe me, ask Google and the Chinese government.  I expect that the lower court ruling will be overturned.  I rather hope that this ruling goes all the way to the top.  It might compel the Supreme Court to do its job on campaign finance reform.  I expect the court to side with Carlson and Wilbur.

Abortion Vote

Glenn Reynolds:

South Dakota is trying something novel on abortion -- asking the voters what they think.

South Dakota's legislators voted an extensive ban on abortions, one sure to be unconstitutional under current Supreme Court caselaw. Their hope was to provoke a challenge in the United States Supreme Court, which they thought might overturn Roe v. Wade.

Pro-choice activists then tried something different.  Instead of going to court, they got the issue put to a referendum, and South Dakota's voters will get a chance to weigh in come November.

I think Roe v. Wade was properly decided -- though, like most law professors, it's a matter of professional pride with me to say that I could have done a better job writing the opinion, but I also think that it's too bad the Supreme Court visited the issue so soon.  States were overturning old anti-abortion laws already, and the Roe decision had the effect of shutting down the political process before it reached a solution.

That's too bad, and I'm kind of glad to see the issue go to a vote in South Dakota.  The outcome may just surprise those legislators.

Chemical Weapons in Iraq?

Austin Bay has a huge roundup of reports.  According to Senator Rick Santorum, coalition investigators in Iraq found chemical weapons: artillery shells filled with a chemical agent.  Santorum hasn't released the full documentation yet, so full details haven't been disclosed.  As of now, it doesn't appear that the press wire has picked up on the story (other than a segment run by Fox News earlier today) but CNS does have a write-up on it.

You can read the document here (pdf alert). 

UPDATE:  Rick Santorum is talking about the revelation right now on Hannity & Colmes.

UPDATE II:  Michelle Malkin has more.

UPDATE III:  Sioux Falls blogger Jay Reding has more observations.

UPDATE IV:  The first wire report comes from Fox News:

Hoekstra and Santorum lamented that Americans were given the impression after a 16-month search conducted by the Iraq Survey Group that the evidence of continuing research and development of weapons of mass destruction was insignificant. But the National Ground Intelligence Center took up where the ISG left off when it completed its report in November 2004, and in the process of collecting intelligence for the purpose of force protection for soldiers and sailors still on the ground in Iraq, has shown that the weapons inspections were incomplete, they and others have said.

"We know it was there, in place, it just wasn't operative when inspectors got there after the war, but we know what the inspectors found from talking with the scientists in Iraq that it could have been cranked up immediately, and that's what Saddam had planned to do if the sanctions against Iraq had halted and they were certainly headed in that direction," said Fred Barnes, editor of The Weekly Standard and a FOX News contributor.

DME

Here's an article which explains how the proposed DME railroad expansion, which Senator Daschle and Governor Janklow oppose, will help solve the energy crunch and create competition in transportation, not to mention give big boost to South Dakota's economy:

Poor service and high shipping rates charged by the nation's railroads are pushing up the cost of everything from electricity to paint, say critics who are waging an all-out blitz on Congress this year to rein in the railroads. 

...

The Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad is planning to rebuild its line from Wyoming's Powder River Basin coal region through South Dakota and Minnesota to haul coal to the Midwest and parts east.

"Certainly, the DM&E extension through South Dakota will facilitate the shipments of a variety of different goods," said Gary Hanson, commissioner with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. Hanson said there currently isn't enough rail to carry coal shipments along with the increased demand to ship other goods.

"With the increased rail lines, it will relieve the pressure on rail limitations on carrying other goods," he said.

The estimated $2.5 billion project went through eight years of regulatory assessments and has reached agreements with nearly all of the towns the line will travel through.

In March, coal supplies at one of Basin Electric's three coal-fired power plants dwindled to a three-day supply, Robb said. Since then, the plant's supply has rebounded to 30 days' worth of coal after the company took the plant out of service for six weeks of maintenance, Robb said. The plant is served by only one railroad - the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

District 3 News

Dave Newquist, a District 3 candidate himself, has an enlightening post on the aborted love affair between defeated Republican Senate incumbent Duane Sutton and the Democratic Party. 

Sahr

Note that the Rapid City Journal says they didn't want to "fire the rumor mill" on the Bob Sahr matter by running stories about "rumors," but that didn't stop the Argus Leader and Dave Kranz from firing away.

Bad News For Republicans

This chart lists the approval ratings of all 100 US Senators.  You'll see that at or near the bottom of the list are three Republicans up for re-election: Rick Santorum (PA), Conrad Burns (MT) and Mike Dewine (OH). 

The South Dakota numbers are not a surprise. John Thune is at a healthy 57% approval despite organized attempt to compare him to the devil, and Tim Johnson is at a very healthy 65%. 

Billion Chooses

It's...Eric Abrahamson? 

PIERRE, S.D. - Jack Billion, Democratic candidate for South Dakota governor, has selected Rapid City businessman and author Eric Abrahamson as his running mate.

Abrahamson, 49, is chairman of the state Library Board and is a member of the Rapid City School Board. He owns a consulting firm in Rapid City.

Billion planned to announce his running mate at stops in Rapid City and Sioux Falls on Wednesday.

Abrahamson has a wealth of business experience and great communications skills, Billion said.

The two Democrats will compete in the general election against Republican Gov. Mike Rounds and Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard.

Abrahamson "has also proven that he can attract Democrats, Republicans and Independents through his election last year to the Rapid City School Board. He has demonstrated tremendous public service through his work on state and local library boards," Billion said in a release.

Billion's Running Mate

Governor's race update:

BILLION TO ANNOUNCE RUNNING MATE WEDNESDAY

SIOUX FALLS—South Dakota Democratic candidate for governor Jack Billion will hold a press conference Wednesday at 9 a.m. MDT at the Hoyt Room of the Rapid City Public Library, 610 Quincy St., in Rapid City to announce the selection of his running mate for lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor candidate will be in attendance.

Dr. Billion will hold another press conference with the lt. governor candidate later Wednesday at 5 p.m. CDT at the Oak View Branch of the Siouxland Library System, 3700 E. 3rd St., Sioux Falls (near Washington High School).

Traveling and the Joy of Podcasting

In reply to Professor Schaff's post below, I am recording Deadwood (I sincerely hope!); however, its on a DVR machine so he will have to come over to watch it.  That's okay so long as he brings beer and doesn't talk much.  I am still in the Twin Cities as I write, having spent the day with my family at Valley Fair.  Pictures will be available soon.

While traveling I have gotten more than my money's worth from podcasting, which wasn't hard since it doesn't cost anything.  For those of you who don't know, if you have itunes on your computer, or another podcast client, you can subscribe to various sites.  At regular intervals, audio files will be downloaded to your itunes program.  These can be easily loaded onto your ipod.  I am now a proud ipod owner, having won an ipod shuffle (the smallest of the species) in a Radisson Hotel giveaway.  I picked the ipod up on my way to Arkansas, but didn't have much music to put on it.  So I subscribed to several jazz podcasts, including Red Jazz, and In the Groove:

http://redjazz.com/;
http://www.lasternet.com/inthegroove/index.html;

It took me about twenty minutes in my Wi Fi hotel room to put ten hours of music on the ipod.  I also burned a few CD's for the road.  This is what I call progress.

Bob Sahr and the Argus Leader

SD War College is not happy with the Argus Leader and Dave Kranz for helping knock down another Republican office-holder based on rumors:

Who are these multitudes of nameless people? And why, apparently, do they only talk to the Argus Leader, since the mystery letter went to literally every political reporter in the state.

So far, we've got Dave reporting on it, and he's the only one reporting on it. And a select few offering comment in response to his inquries. This is all on a story that no one else will touch because of the anonymous allegations. So far, we don't have an accuser, nor has anyone been named as a subject of investigation. But, according to Dave, there's a story there.

On that whole subject, we're getting down to the wire on the convention, and this is going to be what people are discussing once they get there. There's going to be talk - let's just hope it stays within the realm of proven reality and doesn't wander off into the realm of fantasyland.

I'd like to hear what the candidate (or candidates if John Koskan pulls the trigger as Kranz is reporting) have to say on this, but more importantly, I think the delegates want to hear sincerity and leadership, and truth.

Not a version of reality or knee-jerk responses as driven by the Argus Leader.

McGovern: Daschle Should Run for President

From the Associated Press:

Former U.S. senator and presidential candidate George McGovern said he's encouraged Tom Daschle to run for president in 2008.

McGovern said he offered encouragement to Daschle over dinner "some months ago" in Washington, D.C.

McGovern, 83, lost the 1972 presidential election to Richard Nixon. Eight years later he lost his U.S. Senate re-election bid to Republican Jim Abdnor.

Daschle, defeated by Republican John Thune in his 2004 re-election bid to the U.S. Senate, says he is considering seeking the Democratic nomination for president in two years.

He recently visited early primary states New Hampshire and Iowa and said he will make a decision by the end of the year.

"I think he's a very credible candidate, he's a very good man," McGovern said of Daschle.

"I have a high regard for him and he's a talented political leader. I think that he can have a shot."

McGovern, who lives in Mitchell, said he expects 10 to 12 people to run for the Democratic nomination, and that Daschle has "as good a chance as anyone."

McGovern said he thinks the war in Iraq will be a crucial issue in the 2008 campaign, much as McGovern's opposition to the Vietnam War was an issue in his 1972 campaign.

"I don't see how anybody could now be elected president who supports the war in Iraq," McGovern said. "If you are to run on a platform that the war was a good idea and what we need is more troops, I think you'd be disastrously defeated, and deservedly so."

McGovern carried only Massachusetts in the 1972 election.

"That was the biggest surprise to me in '72, that I didn't carry my home state," McGovern said.

Goings On In the GOP and Democratic Parties

This Kranz column offers a lot of innuendo and no facts about Bob Sahr.  It also includes this tidbit:

When state Sen. Duane Sutton of Aberdeen lost his job in the June 6 primary, he entertained the thought of running for the job as a Democrat. But now he says he decided against it.

Someone losing a primary cannot switch to independent and run, but Secretary of State Chris Nelson says it is permissible to switch parties and be that party's replacement candidate, though. That's what Sutton would have done.

Instead, Brown County Democrats will have Ted Kneebone, their Senate nominee, replace a House candidate and have someone else run against Republican Isaac Latterell.

I happened to predict this turn of events to Mr. Latterell when we chatted a couple weeks ago.  My understanding is that Mr. Kneebone did not want to run for Senate in the first place and was not planning on campaigning hard at all.  So the Dems will replace him with someone who will.  Any guesses?  I predict current House candidate Tom Black (although I am not sure on the rules regarding all of this). 

By the way, after chatting with Mr. Latterell, I am convinced he is a serious and hard working man who will do the 3ed District proud. 

Sahr Is Out

Here is a statement:

STATEMENT OF BOB SAHR

Numerous rumors in the form of personal attacks against me have
circulated throughout the state in recent days.  This has been very
painful for my family and me.

The rumors are untrue.  I look forward to the legal opportunity to prove
that these rumors are untrue, but it would be very difficult to be a
candidate for public office while doing so.

In light of this reality, and to give the Republican Party an
opportunity to pick another candidate, I am announcing that I will not
seek the Public Utilities Commission nomination at the Republican Party
Convention this week.

I thank my supporters for all their help over the years.  I will finish
the remainder of my term as Public Utilities Commissioner for which I
was elected to serve by the people of this great state of South Dakota.

Connie Chung: American Idol

This is the worst thing I have seen on TV since every episode of Full House.  HT, NLT.

On The Ballot

The repeal of South Dakota's abortion bill has made the ballot.  Prediction: all sides lose sanity quickly. 

Reading this Chet Brokaw AP piece, one must chuckle at the Alan Guttmacher Institute being called a "reproductive rights organization."  Another accurate description could read "the research wing of Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading abortion provider."  The latter description might add useful perspective. 

Go West Young Man

Greetings from the American West.  Boise, Idaho to be specific.  Once again I find the American West awe inspiring.  The last time I made this drive we took the "northern route" through Montana.  This time we went through Wyoming.  That included a brief stop in the Black Hills and a homage to Deadwood (The worst thing about this trip is I am missing my favorite TV show.  Prof. Blanchard, do you think you could record it for me?).  While in Deadwood we found out that Rev. Smith was a real man who did not die the way he does on the show, although, interestingly, he did die the same month as Bill Hickok and shortly after the arrival of Seth Bullock and Sol Star to Deadwood.  The last time I was in Deadwood was three years ago.  It was fun to be back after watching the series and being able to piece some thngs together.  One thing is for sure, I have a lot more respect for Seth Bullock, who three years ago was "Seth who?" 

I also highly recommend Cody, WY.  We didn't get to spend much time there, but I am eager for a return visit.  It is in a beautiful area with lots to do and see.  When you go, stop off here for a good breakfast and see a bar donated by Queen Victoria. 

Faithful readers will recall that my digital camera met its maker in a Minnesota river a few weeks back. It has not been replaced yet.  But stay tuned because pictures of the American West are on the way.  They just need to be developed (how quaint). 

Next week Prof. Blanchard will join me in Boise. We will do a week long seminar on the role of judicial review in American history, although given the fact that we have never publicly backed guaranteed pre-school it is hard to see how our views on Cooper v. Aaron are valid. 

By the way, I see the Minnesota Twins are on fire. 

All Eyes on South Dakota

The current issue of the New Yorker has as a report by Cythia Gorney on South Dakota's abortion ban.  I just bought it off the shelf at Barnes and Noble, and haven't had time to read it yet.  You can find an online companion piece here.  It seems to be one of those: "both sides will rue the day" sort of things.  Anyway, SD has gotten more than its fifteen minutes of fame lately.

Fund

John Fund in the Wall Street Journal looks at the Democrats' problems with the war.  Excerpt:

During last week's congressional debate over the war in Iraq, critics of the Bush administration's policy made three arguments: that President Bush more or less lied when claiming Saddam Hussein was a threat to the U.S., there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and that no progress is being made in the war there.

All three assumptions rest on shaky ground, so it is remarkable how much critics have seized on them with such fervor and certainty--the very vices of which they accuse the war's supporters. Indeed, one wonders how Democrats would react if real evidence of weapons of mass destruction, say the discovery of chemical weapon shells, surfaced. Would they step back and re-evaluate their assumptions, or would they accuse the Bush administration of planting the evidence as part of a Karl Rove-inspired pre-election dirty trick? Far from politics ending at the water's edge, today's partisan battles seem to take on added ferocity when they concern foreign policy.

Let's examine the three assumptions critics of Mr. Bush's Iraq policy make.

Read the rest.

Abortion Ban

The abortion ban will be sent to a vote.  Argus Leader excerpt:

Opponents of South Dakota’s new law banning nearly all abortions will have their chance to vote on the issue.

Secretary of State Chris Nelson said today that a petition to refer the law to a public vote has sufficient signatures to put the measure on the November election ballot.

The ban, passed by the 2006 Legislature and signed by Gov. Mike Rounds on March 6, was slated to become law July 1.

The successful petition drive puts the law on hold until after November’s vote.

Voters who favor the ban will vote yes, while those who oppose it will vote no.

Third Party

Argus Leader:

South Dakota's two third-party candidates for governor want an active part in campaign forums, and the major-party candidates say they're welcome to enter the fray.

For the second time in as many elections, South Dakota voters will have four choices for governor.

Conventional political wisdom holds that the third-party candidates have little chance of winning, but Republican Gov. Mike Rounds and Democrat nominee Jack Billion say a third-party voice can add to public conversations.

"I think everyone should have a voice,'' Billion said. "I suppose sometimes they could muddy the waters a little when you might want a straight one-on-one with your main opponent. But they deserve a place in the process.''

Rounds was one of seven candidates to start the primary nomination process four years ago.

He says his experience with debates during that time, as well as in the general-election campaign, when he ran against Democrat Jim Abbott, Libertarian Nathan Barton and independent James Carlson, convinces him the lesser-known candidates bring unique views to policy forums.

"Based on 2002, I thought it added to the discussion,'' Rounds said. "They come at it with a unique perspective, different ideas, different ways of looking at policies and problems. It adds to the conversation.''

Billion said in some cases, it's probably up to the organizers or sponsors of a forum whether the third-party candidates will participate. "But they should have the opportunity to be included in most of them.''

Steven Willis of Sioux Falls is running as a Constitution Party candidate this year.

Tom Gerber of Sturgis seeks the governor's office as a Libertarian Party candidate.

Both candidates say they intend to engage voters between now and the November election.

Republican Recovery on Iraq?

Joe Klein has this analysis of why the Democrats can't capitalize on public doubts about Bush and Iraq.

How is it possible—with 2,500 U.S. solders dead, no discernible progress on the ground and a solid majority of the public now agreeing that the war in Iraq was a mistake—for the Democrats to seem so bollixed about the war and for the President to seem so confident? A good part of it is flawed strategy. Democrats keep hoping that the elections can be framed as a referendum on the Bush policy, and Republicans keep reminding the public that elections are a choice, not a referendum. Last week, in the opening salvo of the 2006 congressional elections, Bush and Rove were reminding voters that the choice would be between the Democratic strategy of "cut and run" and the Republican war against Islamic "fascists," as the President called them. It was clear, yet again, that Bush and Rove would surf the complexities of the conflict for their political advantage. "See, Iraq is part of the global war on terror," the President said. "And if we fail in Iraq, it's going to embolden al-Qaeda types."

Iran

Hossein Khomeini, the grandson of the Ayatollah Khomeini that overthrew the Shah of Iran and established the Islamic Republic, wants the United States to invade Iran and establish a representative democracy to replace the mullahcracy his grandfather established:

The grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, the inspiration of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, has broken a three-year silence to back the United States military to overthrow the country's clerical regime.

Hossein Khomeini's call is all the more startling as he made it from Qom, the spiritual home of Iran's Shia strand of Islam, during an interview to mark the 17th anniversary of the ayatollah's death.

"My grandfather's revolution has devoured its children and has strayed from its course," he told Al-Arabiya, an Arabic-language television station. "I lived through the revolution and it called for freedom and democracy - but it has persecuted its leaders."

He also made clear his opposition to Teheran's alleged development of a secret nuclear weapons programme. "Iran will gain real power if freedom and democracy develop there," he said. "Strength will not be obtained through weapons and the bomb."

...

"As for his call to President Bush to come and occupy Iran, Hossein Khomeini explained that 'freedom must come to Iran in any possible way, whether through internal or external developments.

If you were a prisoner, what would you do? I want someone to break the prison [doors open]'."

Dem Agenda

Be sure to read Ed Morrissey's examination of the Democrat's new plan, "A New Direction for America."  Oddly enough, the plan never mentions al Qaeda, terrorism, or any aspect of national security.

UPDATE:  More bad news for the Democrats:

When registered voters polled were asked if they were more or less likely to vote for a candidate Bush supported, 47 percent said they were less likely, while only 27 percent said they were more likely. Twenty percent said it made no difference. The sampling error for the question was plus or minus 4 percentage points.

However, the poll showed that Democrats have so far not been able to capitalize on Bush's political difficulties.

When voters were asked which party would be their choice for Congress in November, 45 percent said Democrat and 38 percent Republican. Twelve percent were unsure. However, in May, Democrats captured 52 percent in the same generic ballot question, showing their support had dropped 7 points in a month.

Saddam-Taliban Connection

I just got back from a wedding in Minnesota, which explains my lack of blog posts today.  For now, note this from Fox News, which claims that a Saddam-Taliban connection exists based on captured Iraqi documents. 

In related War on Terror news, Time reports this:

Al-Qaeda terrorists came within 45 days of attacking the New York subway system with a lethal gas similar to that used in Nazi death camps. They were stopped not by any intelligence breakthrough, but by an order from Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman Zawahiri. And the U.S. learned of the plot from a CIA mole inside al-Qaeda.

...

The news left administration officials gathered in the White House with more questions than answers. Why was Ali cooperating? Why had Zawahiri called off the strike? Were the operatives planning to carry out the attack still in New York? "The CIA analysts attempted answers. Many of the questions were simply unanswerable."

One man who could answer them was al-Ayeri — but he was killed in a gun battle between Saudi security forces and al Qaeda militants, who had launched a mini insurrection to coincide with the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Suskind quotes a CIA operative as questioning whether it was an accident that the Saudis had killed the kingpin who could expose a cell planning a chemical weapons attack inside the U.S. "The Saudis just shrugged," the source tells Suskind. "They said their people got a little overzealous."