From the N.Y. Times:
WASHINGTON — Dozens of senators who voted to ban the practice of earmarking nevertheless requested nearly $1 billion for pet projects in the spending bill released Tuesday.
… Mr. Thune requested nearly $38.5 million, most of it with his fellow South Dakota senator, Tim Johnson, a Democrat. About $25 million was for construction at military installations.
Asked about the earmarks, Mr. Thune said he supported the projects, but opposed the spending bill.
Roll Call has a story about our own Sen. John Thune’s presidential aspirations. The best part is this quote from Sen. John McCain:
“I’ve said a thousand times: If I looked like John Thune, I’d be president of the United States,†McCain quipped, before adding: “I certainly think he’s a viable candidate, but it’s way too early to start handicapping.â€
Former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle wrote an op-ed piece recently for The Washington Post titled “How to govern with a deeply divided Congress.” We subscribe to The Washington Post News Service and can therefore deliver that piece to you.
New from Rasmussen Reports:
When challengers take on an incumbent member of Congress, they almost always get a bounce in the polls following a victory in a contested primary. That appears to be the case in South Dakota following state Rep. Kristi Noem’s Republican primary victory last Tuesday which earns her the right to challenge Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey, conducted two nights after the primary, finds Noem attracting 53% of the vote, while Herseth Sandlin earns just 41%. Just five percent (5%) prefer some other candidate or are undecided.
As I was watching Kristi Noem on TV last night, I began thinking of her as South Dakota’s Sarah Palin. She’s a young, energetic, conservative woman who is railing against liberalism and positioning herself as an anti-establishment candidate.
The difference is that when Noem opens her mouth, people don’t cringe. Noem appears to have many of the qualities that people liked about Palin at first, but few or none of the qualities that ultimately caused Palin to become one of the most maligned people in America.
So Noem’s win makes for a very, very interesting race between two formidable women. Do you think Noem has a chance to upset Stephanie Herseth Sandlin?
