South Dakota Politics

Other Football News

The University of Minnesota has fired Glen Mason after yet another embarrassing fourth quarter collapse, this time a record setting one in the Insight Bowl.  Now the clock ticks on the Brad Childress era for the Vikings. 

Given the events of the last 48 hours, it is hard to believe that Minnesota ranks ahead of South Dakota as a football state. Perhaps Chad supports increased football funding from the legislature to remedy this condition.

A Question For Todd

Todd Epp states he opposed the war in Iraq from its inception, but is glad that Saddam Hussein,  a "murderous butcher," who finally gotten justice.  Here's a question for Todd: Absent the invasion, how exactly was Hussein going to be brought to justice?  A decade of sanctions had proved worthless; indeed nations such as Russia, France, and China wanted to remove sanctions and deal with Hussein as just another national leader.  Was not an invasion the only way to stop the Stalinst regime of Saddam Hussein?  By opposing the invasion, are you not saying Iraq was better under a murderous butcher than it is now?  I suspect you disagree, so tell me how I am wrong.

By the way, Todd, when I first saw the NFL officials today, I thought that maybe the crew had lost its uniforms and were wearing sweat pants.  I guess I was wrong.  Fashion disaster right there on national television.

More Snow

Northern Campus.

The MJ edition. 

Blog Wars

SDWC:

I just caught the documentary by British filmmaker James Rogan titled "Blog Wars."  If you get this channel, set your TIVO, or else find someone who has it. It's worth your while to watch it.

It's a great look at how blogs can still embody the wild west of the internet, but can also shape political coverage. My favorite quote? "Someday, someone with their video camera is going to be at the right place at the right time, and they'll change the course of an election."

Clearly this was filmed earlier. Because all I could think of was the George Allen "Macacca" comment. And how I need to get a little video camera that I schlep around with me. I have to start hitting the events and toting it along. And try not to feel so darn dorky when I do so.

Focusing on the Connecticut Senate race, it was amazing to see how just plain jane bloggers like myself were taken seriously, and how candidates in races to come need to engage bloggers as a potent political force.

I guess I have something to aspire to.  So, sooner or later, I'll have to ugrade my pajamas. Possibly to a robe.. and an ascot.

Snow in Aberdeen

Here is a shot of campus from a distance.  You can see the glass front of the new edition to MJ in the center. 

Family Christmas

Prof. Blanchard has shared pictures of his trip home for Christmas.  Here are some pictures of my own holiday experience.

Here's a picture of a couple of my brothers trying to take away my favorite present:

It was a bit crowded for Christmas dinner:

Here I ponder the new tax on tobacco in South Dakota:
 

Where's the Beef with the Beef Plant?

My former colleague, Professor David Newquist, has a post on the politics of the beef plant issue in Aberdeen.  He describes his conversations with Aberdeen Alderman Clint Rux.  I would note that Clint was a student of mine and took more of my courses than the FDA recommends.  But no one should hold that against him.  David has this comment on the opposition to the beef plant.

Construction has started on a beef processing plant outside of Aberdeen near the waste water treatment plant. Many people are resisting. A couple of law suits have been filed against the city, the county, and the plant's originators claiming that such a facility will damage the environment, their property values, and create traffic, noise, and stench. But some letters to the editors and comments on discussion boards all boil down to the fact that the protesters do not want "the kind of people" who are likely to seek jobs at the plant in town. The assumption is that they will be Hispanics and people of Asian backgrounds. That assumption is extended to the speculation that they will be illegal aliens. But whoever they are, they will endanger the life style and the security of the community and put a strain on the school system and the government services.

One does not have to have verbal skills to see a subtext behind all these arguments erupting into plain view. The resistance to a beef plant rises from racist attitudes.

Now I agree with David on the substance of the issue.  It would be crazy for Aberdeen to reject the beef plant.  Moreover, I think that the economic benefits are secondary to the fact that it seems likely to bring many new families to our town.  Contrary to what many seem to believe, it is not jobs that Aberdeen lacks, it is job seekers.  This is precisely the kind of enterprise that will bring a lot of new people here, and people is what we desperately need.

Second, there is no doubt that racism is a factor in the opposition.  There are surely those who do not want to see a lot more Hispanic folks wandering around the Lakewood Mall and Target. 

But a lot of the opposition is not racist at all.  Some of it "rises" from a desire to keep things the way they are, or better yet, turn back the clock to some imagined past.  I think these are vain and self-destructive conceits; but they are not in themselves racist.  Moreover there are perfectly legitimate concerns about the effects of growth as well as problems like rising crime rates. 

But if Aberdeen is to have a future at all we must reverse the effects of depopulation in the region.  The problems of growth are problems we should want to have to worry about.  And the more Mexican and Oriental restaurants, the better. 

Saddam Meets His Maker

Most cultures have euphemisms for death, largely due to superstition.  The Romans did not like to say that someone died, preferring to indicate the fact by saying "he has lived."  The reason for this is the ancient idea that the name of something contains at least a little of the original power of what is named, and to name it is thus to bring it into presence.  On that premise, one is understandably cautious about naming death.  But I especially like the euphemism "he met his Maker," for it is pretty much true no matter what you believe about the after life.  In some sense it is certain that when we die we go back where we came from. 

Well, Saddam has lived, and it certainly seems fitting as he made sure that so many human beings, men, women, and children, have done all the living they would do.  Todd Epp has blogged extensively on Saddam's execution, and has a link to a video of the event.  It is absurdly chaotic, but if you want to see the bitter end, you can see it.

Todd has this reflection:

Whether he was convicted and executed properly under the laws and constitution of Iraq and in accordance with international standards is an open question.  But at a cosmic level, Saddam got what he deserved.

I have no quarrel with this, but I am less willing to say what anyone deserves, on a cosmic level or otherwise.  Part of the problem is a certain conservative caution that was expressed well by the Wizard Gandalf.  When Frodo says that Gollum deserved to die, Gandalf replies (this is from memory) "I dare say he does.  Many who live deserve death and many who die deserve life.  Can you give it to them?  Then do not be so quick to deal out death in judgment."  I hope I got that close to the text.  Gandalf does not deny that death may be deserved, he just questions our ability to weigh the scales or get them balanced.  I am sure that Saddam deserved a lot more punishment than we can give him.

I am not so certain that I can figure out the meaning of life and death, except in a formal, political sense.  While I am not a supporter of the death penalty in the U.S., I do not think that it is morally wrong in many cases.  Governments have the right to decide the penalties for crimes, and I can see no reason that death is not appropriate in some cases.  The Iraqis had the right to execute Saddam for his crimes, and since they decided to do so, quicker was better.  As everyone realizes, Saddam's death does not mean that the troubles are over.  It will probably have little effect.  All it means, in a larger sense, is that murderous dictators sometimes end up suffering the fate of their victims.  Maybe that is cosmic meaning enough.

UPDATE:  The Washington Post has a nice obit for Saddam, under the fine heading: "Arc of Power Ends in Utter Ignominy."  I would like to believe that that is the meaning of Saddam's drop, dangle, and strangle.  But one has to say that this is rare for 20th century tyrants.  More often, they live and rule to a ripe old age.  By the way, has anyone seen Fidel lately?

Pictures from Arkansas

I risk turning SDP into a Blanchard family scrapbook, but I did get this cool digital camera from Santa Klaus, and I hope soon to turn its powers from evil to good.  I intend to spice up SDP with occasional photos of Aberdeen and the surrounding area, for the benefit of our expatriot readers.  Meanwhile, here are some images from my hometown below the Mason-Dixon line.

Here is a shot from my old backyard, of a flag flying in a neighbor's yard. 

Here is a shot I was a bit proud of.  I pointed the camera straight down by accident, and saw this in the view finder.  It is just the old driveway, with an oak leaf on it.  I think the color and texture are worth a glance.

Sports Blogging

I was at the two basketball games of DSU vs. USF and DWU vs. Peru State last night and during halftime they announced Minnesota's tremendous lead over Texas Tech in the Insight Bowl (35-7 at that time).  Yet, Texas made a huge comeback and, in the process, entered the record books:

The Gophers football team played arguably its finest half of football this season before halftime and built a 38-7 lead against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the third quarter of the Insight Bowl

. . .

And then gave it all away.

Shannon Woods' 3-yard touchdown run in overtime capped the largest comeback in NCAA Division I-A bowl game history as Texas Tech stunned Minnesota 44-41 before an announced crowd of 48,391 at Sun Devil Stadium.

"Needless to say, that was a game of two different halves," Gophers coach Glen Mason said. "All coaches preach that no lead is sufficient until the clock says it's mathematically impossible to come back."

Dakota Wesleyan won their game last night and will face DSU tonight.  They won their last game against them, but DSU is sure pesky on defense so we'll see what happens.  Later today, my Iowa Hawkeyes face the Texas Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl.  Go Hawkeyes!

UPDATE:  Well, things didn't go so well for Iowa.  Tomorrow the Broncos play San Francisco, and Denver must win to make it into the playoffs (depending on the results of the Kansas City game).  Hopefully their game goes a little better.

More Troops Or Fewer Troops, That Is The Question

Joe Lieberman calls for more troops in Iraq.  Barak Obama dissents.  Both agree that the status quo cannot continue.  Obama's piece is indicative of a remarkable phenomenon taking place in certain quarters on the left wherein their deference to the opinions of the military is breathtaking.   It is not up to the generals to make policy; that is a civilian job.  First, it is not as though the military speaks with one voice on any particular matter.  Also, as has been discussed on this site before, Lincoln did not defer to his generals' desires, indeed he opposed them frequently.  Was President Truman wrong to fire Douglas MacArthur in Korea for opposing administration policy?   History is on Truman's side.  One foolishly ignores military opinion, but war is a political act, so it should be political leaders who set policy.  A couple decades ago one would never have heard the call from certain left-leaning circles to defer so easily to military opinion.  Of course conservatives have found a new respect for the civilian management of war.  I guess times have changed.

My Great Grandmother's Grave

Maudy, as we called her, was born fourteen years after the end of the Civil War. 

Hussein Execution

If my TV is correct (and it has never lied to me), Saddam Hussein is to be executed at 10:00 EST, or about 4 minutes from when I type this. 

Another thought: Why does the Family Research Council need a military analyst?  The guy is on Hannity and Colmes right now.  I am watching this show because of the execution.  Watching tonight confirms my wisdom in failing to watch every other night.

Update: According to Arab news, Saddam Hussein is dead.  Ding Dong. 

Update II: I guess both Fox and CNN are saying Saddam is dead. 

Fate Worse Than Death

Maybe instead of executing Saddam Hussein, we can force him to watch The View for the rest of his life.  That must be a kind of living Hell. 

The Vanishing Family Farm

Check out this thorough take on the plight of the family farm and how federal policy encourages the dissolution of smaller farms.  One effect of the decline in the number of farms and, naturally, farmers is the depopulation smaller towns that existed to support the farm community.  The article points to an issue that agriculture communities must struggle with: the small family farm no longer makes much economic sense, but we still like the idea of its existence.  Economically, the nation would be better off with few large and efficient farms.  But as is usually the case with the creative destruction caused by the market, overall economic gain is small solace for those left behind by economic efficiency. 

More On Moderation

A few weeks ago I blogged on moderation, in part using Harry Jaffa's interpretation of Lincoln to argue in defense of moderation and against extremism.  Reader James Drake reminds us via email that Harry Jaffa in fact wrote the Goldwater line "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice."  See here for some thoughts and a fine corrective.  We should advocate strongly for liberty, courage, and all other virtues.  But I still maintain that we should not argue for extreme interpretations of liberty or courage.

Snow Blogging

Many of our readers are South Dakota expatriates who enjoy us blogging on the rather, um, exciting South Dakota weather.  Today we got our first real snow here in Aberdeen.  Here are a couple pictures from the South Dakota country side.  More specifically these were taken today on the north side of Richmond Lake, northwest of Aberdeen.

Arafat

Captain's Quarters:  State Dept Confirms Arafat Masterminded Murder Of American Diplomats

Saddam Execution

Just over three years after Saddam Hussein emerged from his spider hole in Iraq, the Iraqi people finally will have vengeance.  Saddam attempted, with some success, to transform his trial into political theater, using it as a platform to speak against the American occupation and inspire Ba'athist remnants to conduct terrorist attacks.  Despite several members of the court being assassinated or attacked, the tribunal convicted Saddam for crimes consistent with the evidence.  But the New York Times isn't happy:

The important question was never really about whether Saddam Hussein was guilty of crimes against humanity. The public record is bulging with the lengthy litany of his vile and unforgivable atrocities: genocidal assaults against the Kurds; aggressive wars against Iran and Kuwait; use of internationally banned weapons like nerve gas; systematic torture of countless thousands of political prisoners.

What really mattered was whether an Iraq freed from his death grip could hold him accountable in a way that nurtured hope for a better future. A carefully conducted, scrupulously fair trial could have helped undo some of the damage inflicted by his rule. It could have set a precedent for the rule of law in a country scarred by decades of arbitrary vindictiveness. It could have fostered a new national unity in an Iraq long manipulated through its religious and ethnic divisions.

It could have, but it didn’t. After a flawed, politicized and divisive trial, Mr. Hussein was handed his sentence: death by hanging. This week, in a cursory 15-minute proceeding, an appeals court upheld that sentence and ordered that it be carried out posthaste. Most Iraqis are now so preoccupied with shielding their families from looming civil war that they seem to have little emotion left to spend on Mr. Hussein or, more important, on their own fading dreams of a new and better Iraq.

This is comical.  The New York Times wants a trial that doesn't "rush" to judgment of his "vile and unforgivable atrocities" because it won't "nurture hope" or create "a new and better Iraq."  Yet, the purpose of trials is not to nurture hope but rather to determine the guilt or innocence of the accused.  Trials serve to protect society and work as a deterrent.  But the Times simply complains about a verdict and sentence that even they admit is justified by the evidence.  To echo various other bloggers, perhaps the Times should not "rush" to opine.

War Protest?

Remember the war protest that the South Dakota Peace and Justice Center was going to hold?  I guess attendance was pretty low:

In Rapid City, about a dozen people read the names of some of the 2,984 U.S. military deaths to date in Iraq in front of the congressional offices of Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., before moving to the offices of Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., to do the same.

...

"As many have remarked in recent months, there are no good options left in Iraq." Herseth said. "What is clear is that we need to do more to train and equip Iraqi security forces so that we can turn over a stable democratic Iraq to its leaders. Like all South Dakotans, I am extremely proud of the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces, and I share concerns regarding the safety of our soldiers serving in the Middle East.

"I will continue working to ensure our servicemen and women receive the equipment and resources they need and deserve to successfully complete their mission and return home," she said.

SDWC asks the most important question: "If a protest was held and a reporter hadn't been called..... Would anyone have noticed?"

Media Whore Alert

After spending some time decking the halls, I am back in the state.  I will celebrate by being on KELO radio Friday morning during the 9:00 hour.  We will discuss energy policy and other items facing the new Congress.

Microsoft Handing Out Free Laptops

If I could only be so lucky:

"According to at least six bloggers, Microsoft has been sending out free top-of-the-line laptops pre-loaded with Vista as a 'no strings attached gifts'. This 'reward' for their hard work on covering tech in general is coincidentally right before the launch of Vista to consumers. To be clear, these weren't loans, they were gifts, and they were top-of-the-line Acer Ferrari laptops. Microsoft blogger Long Zheng broke the silence over the source of the freebies."

So, in other words, don't be surprised if the amount of computer tech information and reviews suddenly go on the rise at SDP!  Is it a bribe?  Perhaps.  But it comes with a free Acer Ferrari (not to mention Windows Vista) which is far better than my Dell Inspiron 1100 and 8200 (I've become somewhat disenchanted with Dell computers, but that's a story for another time).  Plus, it'd be fun to give Vista a spin.  Who would I be to complain if I get one?  Then again, I might start feeling guilty and decide to give away or auction off the laptop.  We'll never know, because I'll never get one.  Hat tip to Insty.

Saddam to be Hanged by Sunday

NBC News:

Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, sentenced to death for his role in 148 killings in 1982, will have his sentence carried out by Sunday, NBC News reported Thursday. According to a U.S. military officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, Saddam will be hanged before the start of the Eid religious holiday, which begins at sundown Saturday.

The hanging could take place as early as Friday, NBC’s Richard Engel reported.

The U.S. military received a formal request from the Iraqi government to transfer Saddam to Iraqi authorities, NBC reported on Thursday, which is one of the final steps required before his execution. His sentence, handed down last month, ordered that he be hanged within 30 days.

DM&E

Argus Leader:

The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday ruled on three issues dealing with the Dakota Minnesota & Eastern’s plan to extend its line more than 200 miles to Wyoming’s Powder River Basin to haul coal mined there to power plants in the Midwest and East.

Those three issues were the only remaining legal challenges to the federal Surface Transportation Board’s approval of the DM&E proposal.

The court ruled in favor of the railroad on all three points.

It concluded the STB was not required to take into account the DM&E’s purchase of a railroad on its eastern end, the IMRL, when the STB reviewed the environmental impact of the coal-hauling project.

Johnson Improving

The Argus Leader reports that Senator Johnson's medical condition is thankfully beginning to improve:

A doctor for Sen. Tim Johnson today said the senator is gradually being weaned off medication that has kept him sedated since brain surgery Dec. 13.

“Senator Johnson’s overall general medical condition has improved and he is gradually being weaned from the sedation,” Dr. Vivek Deshmukh, a neurosurgeon at The George Washington University Hospital in Washington, said Thursday. “He is opening his eyes and is responsive to his wife.”

Johnson is in critical but stable condition recovering from arteriovenous malformation, a condition that causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large and sometimes burst. He had bleeding in his brain Dec. 13 and underwent emergency surgery that day.

Johnson’s 60th birthday is today. Spokeswoman Julianne Fisher said the Johnson family has gathered at the hospital to mark the occasion at the senator’s bedside.

“They had planned a party for him, but it’s been postponed,” Fisher said. “He’s responding to (his wife, Barbara) and the tests are encouraging.”

The Surfer Cometh!

Marvel Comics's first Fantastic Four movie was big disappointment due to a weak plot.  But the casting and special effects were great.  A sequel is due out in 2007.  It includes one of my favorite comic book characters: the Silver Surfer.  The surfer was the sidekick of an immensely powerful being called Galactus.  The latter made his living devouring whole worlds.  The surfer saved his own, far off planet, by agreeing to become the servant of Galactus.  That is how the Surfer got his own considerable powers (flight, energy beams, etc).  The Surfer betrays Galactus when his master attempts to devour the Earth, with terrible results for himself.  Okay, so I'm seven years old again.  But I am looking forward to this one. 

President Ford

Almost all of the commentary on Gearld Ford's passing has been positive, as is quite proper.  He was an entirely decent man who became President through no fault of his own, and served during one of the most difficult episodes in the nation's history. 

He was also in well over his head.  I had the pleasure of meeting Ford when he came to campus at Claremont Graduate School.  The Head of the Government Department, George Blair, managed to be myself and another Grad student into a "closed" talk that Ford gave.  He could not answer any interesting questions and in fact got some basic stuff wrong.  Lots of people said the same thing about Reagan, but Reagan had a quality of judgment that Ford lacked.  Still, he made way for Jimmy Carter's presidency, and that in turn paved the way for Reagan.  Maybe that alone is enough of an achievement. 

Powerline mentions Ford's ridiculous Whip Inflation Now campaign.  The idea that price controls and citizen spirit could alter basic economic facts is a pretty good indication of the low-watt thinking that characterized Ford's time in office.  There was in fact no conservative wing yet in existence in government.  The worse that one can say about President Ford on that score is that he was typical. 

Memphis Ribs

I have been out of WiFi range for several days, while spending Christmas with the family.  Today I managed to get connected in a Hastings which, unlike the Barnes and Noble, doesn't charge for internet connections. 

I spend the day in Memphis with the family.  We ate at the Rendezvous, possible the best place for pork ribs on the planet.  They cook them with a dry rub that is wonderful, but they do provide sauce.  I tend to alternate between the dry, authentic taste, and their special vinegar sauce. 

Our waiter is the last guy on the left, Percy.  He served Presidents and Vice Presidents on Airforce One and Two, and joined the Rendezvous in 1970.  This is not your average rib place.

Percy took the picture below. They guy in the hat is my kid brother, Dave, who makes guitars around the cornor at the Gibson plant. 

More on Ford

It should be noted that former President Ford was a local boy, hailing from Omaha, Nebraska.  Mount Blogmore also takes the time to remember Ford's visit to South Dakota.

UPDATE:  Ford biographer Yanek Mieczkowski remembers the former president in "Lessons from America's Oldest President."  Hat tip to Cliopatria.  And speaking of history, Ed Morrissey looks at Ford's pardon of Nixon.  I'm in Morrissey's camp on this one.  Ford's pardon was well-intentioned, but ultimately the wrong move.

The Argus Monopoly

Scott Hudson:

10. Argus Leader Magazine Monopoly. The daily paper is guilty of plenty of indiscretions, but their underhanded attempt to get rid of the city’s independent publications was indefensible. Businesses across the city were (supposedly) asked to sign contracts that removed any non-Gannett publication from their stores…unless these publishers paid the Argus for rack space. Luckily, an outcry from not only the publishers but businesses who claimed to have never seen this contract forced the daily paper to back down.

Dems Trying to Force Out Sutton

South Dakota War College:

The word is that his new caucus leader has already asked him to resign. They know they don't want him to put them through the unenviable task of trying to defend him on the senate floor. Allegedly groping a young male employee sexually is going to put national level media here to cover it.

Defending him before the hearing is one thing. Defending him after the tale is told is another.

If he puts them through it, I don't think they're going to very nice about it. No matter how good his attorneys are. The Dems know if the story is compelling enough, (which I hear it is) they have no other choice.

Obit Blogging: Gerald Ford

The Associated Press reports that former President Gerald Ford has passed away:

Gerald R. Ford, who picked up the pieces of Richard Nixon's scandal- shattered White House as the 38th and only unelected president in America's history, has died, his wife, Betty, said Tuesday. He was 93.

"My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age," Mrs. Ford said in a brief statement issued from her husband's office in Rancho Mirage. "His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country."

The statement did not say where Ford died or list a cause of death. Ford had battled pneumonia in January 2006 and underwent two heart treatments _ including an angioplasty _ in August at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

He was the longest living president, followed by Ronald Reagan, who also died at 93. Ford had been living at his desert home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.

Related thoughts from Ed Morrissey.  I'm afraid I don't know enough about his presidency to add any commentary (as Mr. Morrissey has done), but I hope my colleagues will be able to weigh in.

Eating Alone

Power Line:  Troops halp Jon Carry in Irak

Star Tribune Sold

From the Star Tribune:

A private equity firm has reached an agreement to buy the Star Tribune from the McClatchy Co., publisher Keith Moyer announced today.

Avista Capital Partners, an investment group focused on media, healthcare and energy companies, will pay $530 million for the newspaper, which Sacramento, Calif.-based McClatchy bought from Cowles Media Co. in 1998 for $1.4 billion.

UPDATE:  More thoughts from the Minnesota bloggers at Power Line and Captain's Quarters.

Protest Outside of Herseth's Office

Argus Leader:

The South Dakota Peace & Justice Center members will hold a memorial Thursday  for all those who have died in the Iraq war.

Honored will be the men, women and children civilians; Iraqi soldiers; soldiers from other countries; civilian contractors, and the 3,000 U.S. soldiers.

The names of the deceased soldiers from South Dakota will be read.

The events are scheduled as follows for Thursday:

4 to 6 p.m. at U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth's office, Sioux Falls;

Noon to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. at the U.S. Post Office in Brookings;

Noon to 2 p.m. at Herseth's office in Rapid city;
7 p.m., Presentation Convent chapel in Aberdeen.

Also, there will be a meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at Third and Dakota in Huron.

We Are Marshall

My family and I went to the movie We Are Marshall yesterday and, to anyone considering it, I highly recommend going.  On November 14, 1970, the Marshall Football team, except four injured starters and the freshman, were killed in a plane crash while returning from their game against the East Carolina University Pirates.  The film centralized around the community's recovery and the film was truly heartfelt, the acting superb, and is probably one of the best movies I've seen in a while.  Give Michael McBride's review of the movie a read, which is better than anything I can muster up at the moment.

The Top SD Stories: The Media's View

A couple weeks ago SDWC put together an excellent list of the top South Dakota political stories of 2006.  The Associated Press has also prepared a list of the top South Dakota stories (not necessarily political news, but most of the results are).  Here was their take:

Here are the year's top 10 news stories:

1. South Dakota voters defeat an abortion ban.

2. Gov. Mike Rounds orders a last-minute delay in the Elijah Page execution.

3. South Dakotans decide 11 ballot issues.

4. Sixty school districts sue the state over education funding.

5. A state senator from Flandreau is accused of groping a legislative page.

6. South Dakota suffers through a continuing drought.

(tie) The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern coal train project gets final regulatory approval.

8. A philanthropist donates $70 million toward the Homestake science lab effort.

9. Ellsworth Air Force Base is picked for a financial services center.

10. Gov. Mike Rounds wins re-election.

Be sure to read the whole thing.

The New Media

The Christian Science Monitor looks at the changing status of blogs and the new media.  HT to Instapundit.

Saddam Hussein Headed for Execution?

Rumor has it that Saddam Hussein has lost his court appeal and, if true, will face execution within thirty days.  Check back later today for updates.

CONFIRMED:  Hussein will get the short rope within thirty days.

Merry Christmas!

"For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

We wish all of our friends, supporters, and detractors a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and a happy new year!  It's been a fun year and, with a new Congress coming in and a presidential race intensifying, the coming year should be a great time to debate policy and direction.  We greatly appreciate all of your support.  I'll be spending the day with family and I hope all of you have the opportunity to do the same.  Keep in your thoughts and prayers our soldiers laying their lives on the line all over the world; remember Senator Johnson today and continue to pray for his recovery; and remember all of those who cannot enjoy this Christmas Day for whatever reasons.

Target Pulls Che Merchandise

From the Associated Press:

Target Corp said on Friday it had pulled a CD carrying case bearing Ernesto "Che" Guevara's image after an outcry by critics who label the Marxist revolutionary a murderer and totalitarian symbol.

Target had touted a music disc carrying case for Che admirers emblazoned with the Argentine-born guerrilla's iconic 1960 portrait by Alberto Diaz, or "Korda." A set of small earphones was superimposed on the image, suggesting he was tuned in to an iPod or other music player.

"It is never our intent to offend any of our guests through the merchandise we carry," Target said in a statement. "We have made the decision to remove this item from our shelves and we sincerely apologize for any discomfort this situation may have caused our guests."

Che must be spinning in his grave.  Imagine the irony of the anti-capitalist firebrand becoming a capitalist brand.

Iranians Detained in Iraq

New York Times:

The American military is holding at least four Iranians in Iraq, including men the Bush administration called senior military officials, who were seized in a pair of raids late last week aimed at people suspected of conducting attacks on Iraqi security forces, according to senior Iraqi and American officials in Baghdad and Washington.

...

Gordon D. Johndroe, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said two Iranian diplomats were among those initially detained in the raids. The two had papers showing that they were accredited to work in Iraq, and he said they were turned over to the Iraqi authorities and released. He confirmed that a group of other Iranians, including the military officials, remained in custody while an investigation continued, and he said, “We continue to work with the government of Iraq on the status of the detainees.”

Top Taliban Commander Killed

Good news out of Afghanistan: top Taliban military commander Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani was killed in an airstrike earlier this week, along with two companions:

A top Taliban military commander described as a close associate of Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar was killed in an airstrike this week close to the border with Pakistan, the U.S. military said Saturday. A Taliban spokesman denied the claim.

Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani was killed Tuesday by a U.S. airstrike while traveling by vehicle in a deserted area in the southern province of Helmand, the U.S. military said. Two associates also were killed, it said.

Stewardship

I note with interest Jason's reference to the "Land Owner Privacy Act."  In my experience, responsible hunters have no problem getting checked by game wardens and recognize the importance of the game warden's job.  I was checked this past fall (on walk-in land, which is private land open to public hunting), and was glad comply.  The warden had just busted a bunch of guys who were over limit on mallard ducks.  As a duck hunter I am glad he did so.  Our wild game are a public resource that need public protection.  Instead of getting angry about wardens entering private land (and I note that by definition this is not trespassing, since it is legal entry by a public official), why not thank the warden for protecting our resources so we can continue our enjoyment of hunting for years to come. 

SD Students Outperform Peers

The Rapid City Journal reports some good education news for South Dakota:

Students at South Dakota’s public universities outperformed their counterparts nationwide in two tests of academic progress, the South Dakota Board of Regents reported.
...
On average, South Dakota public university students who took the proficiency exam in the 2005-06 school year exceeded national averages in all four areas of the test: writing skills, math, reading and science reasoning.

For the first time since the proficiency exams were required in 1998, all six public universities had scores above the national average in each of the subject areas.

Pine Ridge

The political strife on Pine Ridge continues:

Controversy that has surrounded tribal elections since October continues to swirl here as the Oglala Sioux Tribe attempts to seat a new government.

Supporters of former tribal President Alex White Plume are calling on the Bureau of Indian Affairs to set aside the results of Nov. 7 balloting and a Dec. 5 swearing in of a new administration and council. That would force the tribe to hold a new election.

The tribal election board and election court of appeals throughout the fall exchanged conflicting opinions on whether White Plume's name should have been on the ballot since there was a question whether he had been convicted of a felony, and tribal law prohibits convicted felons from holding tribal office.

White Plume insists he does not have a felony on his record.

The controversy appeared to be resolved when White Plume called for himself, other tribal officers and the existing council to remain in office until March while new primary and general elections were conducted - presumably after White Plume was able to clear his name.

William Birdnecklace, a tribal member who is petitioning the BIA to hold new elections, said the council concurred with White Plume's call for extended terms and new elections.

Thune Committee Appointments

Argus Leader:

Some of the Senate's biggest battles next year will be over the new multiyear farm bill and the size of the U.S. military. South Dakota Sen. John Thune expects to be in the middle of both of them, by virtue of his new committee assignments.

Next year, when Thune takes his seat on the Armed Services Committee, he'll probably be considering a plan to temporarily increase the number of troops in Iraq to try to quell sectarian violence.

The committee also might consider a plan to increase the size of the nation's permanent active-duty military in the coming years by as many as 70,000 new troops. The military is under strain due to multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

...

Also on the horizon for Thune are critical decisions on agriculture policy. At his request, he will join the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee for the first time in January, just months before the committee is expected to kick its farm bill hearings into high gear.

Agriculture is South Dakota's biggest economic engine, and despite being in the minority party, Thune, a Republican, still will have plenty of influence on the Democrat-controlled committee. He helped craft the 2002 farm bill when he was a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

The farm bill is a blueprint for defining the federal government's role in agriculture, ranging from crop subsidies and trade to conservation and nutrition programs.

"It's always a big fight, but it tends not to be as much a fight between Republicans and Democrats as it is between regions," Thune said. "It tends to be Midwesterners versus Southerners and Easterners."

It's good to hear Senator Thune is receiving these committee positions.  Congratulations, Senator!

SDDP Shake-Up

Our blogosphere colleague Todd Epp is reporting news about changes in the South Dakota Democratic Party:

The following comes from a very good local Democratic source who has provided accurate information in the past.

Kristen Peterson and Rick Hauffe, late of the Billion for Governor campaign, have apparently been tapped for staff positions in the S.D. State Democratic Party.  Deb Elofson, legislative director, has resigned.

My source also tells me that April Ries will be kept on in the Pierre office, which will be downsized.   New, local party offices will be opened in Sioux Falls, Aberdeen, and Rapid City.  I also understand that Don Carr will also stay on as press secretary.

If you have additional or contradictory information, please email me at epplaw(at)gmail(dot)com.

My own view having worked with both Rick and Kristen is that they are both very capable and hard working people.  I’m also glad to see April staying on board, as she is always  helpful.  I’ve had my issues with Don this past year, but he works hard and has done an excellent job with the SDDP website.  I also think the field offices are also a great idea.

In all, these are good moves (and non-moves) that start to put in place an excellent team for the 2007 Legislative session and towards the 2008 election.

"Nuts!"

Scott Johnson of Power Line remembers the sixty-second anniversary of the Nazi Germany surrender at Battle of the Bulge.

More Criticism of Carter

Two weeks after Emory professor Kenneth Stein resigned from the Cater Center and criticized Jimmy Carter's latest polemic Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, another Emory professor has come out against Carter's book:  "Carter's bizarre book is a poisoned holiday gift for Jews and Christians, and a danger to Jews throughout the world."