SD War College blog is noting some interesting SD political history:
Back in the day, when Joe Barnett was in charge of the GOP in the State House of Representatives, he ruled the GOP Caucus with an iron fist (in a velvet glove). Joe laid down rules that there would be no intra-party caucuses. Period. No east river caucuses, west river caucuses, conservative, moderate, whatever. And it was a BY GOD rule. Nobody violated it.
I was visiting the legislature when Joe Barnett's name was included in the memorial to the legislators who had passed the previous year. At the mention of his name, I was taken aback at how many grown men openly wept out of loss and respect for their departed colleague.
Joe Barnett was in the legislature for 19 years, and was majority leader from 1979, until his death in 1985. For better or worse, with term limits, I think we've lost a little of that cohesiveness and authority to keep the troops in line on both sides of the aisle. I don't want to call it a free for all, but it seems there is more jockeying for position than before term limits.
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