(Image: Lara Neel/Argus Leader)

Bill passed away today. He is probably enjoying a drink with Hunter S. Thompson and JFK somewhere in the afterlife and talking about the good old days. I first met Bill at a Howard Dean Meetup and have had several great conversations with him over the past few years. He will be missed.

William Dougherty, a former lieutenant governor, a long-time lobbyist and a legendary figure in South Dakota politics for decades, died today after a long battle with cancer. He was 78.