As noted previously, I've been in the process of moving to Lincoln, Nebraska, where I'm enrolled as a graduate student in the history department, so blogging (and a current lack of Internet at the apartment) has kept me from writing on South Dakota Politics. My graduate reading load is fairly intense, so I expect that blogging will remain light for some time. But, here are thoughts and opinions on a week's worth of news that I haven't had the opportunity to comment on.
Saturday, September 1 - GAME DAY
Yes, this story comes first because it's the most important. The Nebraska Cornhuskers kick off their regular season at home against Nevada this weekend. The game is in Nebraska's bag. The Corn Nation blog has several good observations about the Huskers this season, as well as tons of other great information.
Tim Johnson Returns Home, and Will Be Running For Re-Election
Tim Johnson made his first public appearance this week in South Dakota since suffering his ailment several months ago. Despite some people's attempts to demonize us, we all hoped for a complete recovery and, as I stated on more than one occasion, I hoped he would be running for reelection. I'd never want to see someone's political career end because of disability, no matter the politician or political party. I'm glad to see that Senator Johnson has made an excellent recovery and that he will be seeking his seat for another term.
Frontloading Primaries - The Debate Continues (well, not on this blog anymore, but elsewhere)
In a foolish move, the Wyoming GOP has moved its nominating vote to January 5th. Will this matter? Absolutely not, since other states will jockey for the front position. As my colleagues wrote about a few days ago, there's been much talk of moving the primaries forward in South Dakota. It's a move I once supported but, as I pointed out in the addendum to the aforementioned post, it's no longer a position I support. I'm in complete agreement with my colleagues that the moving of primaries only hinders our ability to choose presidential candidates. As I wrote a while back, do we want a scenario where we vote in midterm elections and then prepare for the first primaries within ninety days? Do we want a perpetual campaign, or do we want to see issues addressed and settled with significant time to hear from all who are willing to pursue the highest office in the United States? At this rate, we'll create a position where no political party can afford to act outside its own partisan electoral interests. Luckily, they're starting to strike back. Earlier this week, the Democratic National Committee warned the Florida state party that their delegates would not be welcome if they didn't change their primary date to comply with the rules. The Republican National Committee did the same, warning four states who have tried to move to the front of the line in primary election dates. Florida, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Michigan would face a loss of delegates to the convention if they do not act to comply with the party scheduling rules.
Larry Craig
Larry Craig's conduct in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport was reprehensible, and the conduct during his arrest even more so. Trying to intimidate the arresting officer by flashing his Senate credentials won't win any friends. Looking for sexual partners in public restrooms is just bizarre. Senator Craig cannot be taken seriously as a representative of Idaho, or anywhere else. Republicans have made their distaste with Craig clear, including filing a complaint to the Ethics Committee. In the end, this comes down to Idaho deciding whether he can represent them. I would suspect that Idaho will hold a recall or, if that doesn't go forward, Idaho's governor will appoint someone who isn't an embarrassment.
New Orleans - The Need for Law and Order; or, Give Citizens Guns
Things are improving, but not entirely. As we look back today on the second anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Katrina, we can see that New Orleans is rebuilding slowly. Yet, I read in the New York Post this morning that New Orleans now has the highest murder rate of any first-world city. As the Post story points out, families can't even protect themselves from violence. Recall that after the hurricane, Mayor Ray Nagin confiscated as many guns as he could in an effort to prevent violence. That worked out well, didn't it? Instead, people are defenseless.
Sadr Backs Down
The Associated Press reports that Moqtada al-Sadr announced his Mahdi Army will be standing down to reorganize itself and will halt offensive operations in Iraq, including action against American forces. This doesn't mean that he's necessarily backing down, but a six month reprieve may be what the Iraqi government needs right now to keep reforms moving forward. Not to mention that Sadr's political position has eroded greatly since the military surge began. It's yet another sign that stability and progress can be made in Iraq. In a related story on the war, MSNBC and CNBC are refusing to run pro-war ads.
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