Adelstein

A reader raises a good point in the ongoing debate over at SDWC about what Adelstein will do:

RiverRoader said...

People are missing a central point in this debate: convenience and opportunism. The fact is that Senator Adelstein lives in Republican-heavy Rapid City so he ran as a "Republican." Despite his support for tax increases, his great affinity for AIM, his love of Tom Daschle, and his pro-choice politics as recognized by Planned Parenthood with an award, he decided to run as a "Republican," throw around his millions, and he won. Nobody should be surprised that some people aren't happy that he's not really working for Republican causes in Pierre and financing attacks on his fellow Republicans. How arrogant does Adelstein think he is that he can simply use the Republican Party like that? Instead of being thankful for years of support from Republicans who were probably naive about his real priorities and going out with dignity, he just bashes his party and complains like, well, a spoiled arrogant rich guy. The point is this: Adelstein was an opportunist and it's finally coming back to bite him.

UPDATE:  State Senator Lee Schoenbeck comments on the Adelstein flap:

Two comments:
First - the RCJ article's comments by Dave Knudsen are outstanding, and under-reported and under-accounted for in the comments above. Dave brings a varied and valuable (and very analytical) perspective to the GOP senate caucus.
Second - Tom Dempster has been a good Republican since Moby Dick was a guppy, and I have been lucky to count him as one of my best friends these past four years (and a person I can regularly whip on the golf course).
Both of these fine senators serve as committee chairs, do a great job, and are valued members of the GOP. I have a sense that some of your readers struggle with the idea that they serve as such. While they and I differ on some aspects of the abortion debate, there has NEVER been a caucus position where they didn't do their part for carrying forward the work that goes with being in the majority --- balancing the budget, increasing aid to education over the state formula,or doing the not-at-all-glanorous work of reading legislation to find those ways that somebody is trying to sneak a little government expansion in on us one paragraph at a time.

All the way from Abdalah and Albers and Apa --- through Dempster and Knudsen,to Schoenbeck and Smidt - the GOP is alive and well in the SOuth Dakota Senate.

PS -- like the attack ads directed at Chris Nelson that are too embarassed to disclose their name or source, I laugh to myself at those cowards that hide behind annonymous personal attacks -- and I am impressed with those of you with the courage to claim what you write - it ads to the debate that makes good policy. Lee