I know, there hasn’t been many hints or clues that Brendan is interested in the position, but there have been two recent events that have us wondering. Last weekend Brendan’s father and SHS had a big fundraiser for the SDDP. Brendan also hosted a Clinton fundraiser during the presidential campaign.

There is also the fact that Noem is NOT running for the seat again and leaving it between Republican Dusty Johnson, a possible congressional run by Huether who is now a (Trump sympathizing) Independent. I have told people I believe if the Dems put up a strong candidate, early, they could pull it off. If Huether does decide to run for Congress, he will pull votes from Dusty leaving it a 3 way race where the Dems could pull it off, especially if Trump and Washington are in the toilet when November 2018 rolls around.

Also recently a former Tim Johnson Service Representative Staffer was appointed to the SDDP team;

Appointing Sharon Stroschein as ad hoc senior advisor to E Board (non-voting member)

An insider for Brendan? We will see.

shark_fin_soup_250163

Add some prairie dog gizzards to this shark fin soup, and you will really have a treat

Not sure how talking to Tim Johnson about shark finning is going to do any good since we border no oceans. I suggest January take up another endangered species like Prairie Dogs 🙂

January Jones, who plays the character Betty Draper on the TV show Mad Men went to Washington DC to talk to legislators about her favorite cause: ending shark finning. Shark finning is a practice where fishermen cut off a shark’s fin and throw the shark back into the water, often while it’s still alive. Though illegal, there are loopholes — and Jones showed up in DC to lobby for legislation that would strengthen the law.

Several Senators made time to talk to the star about the issue, including New Jersey’s Frank Lautenberg and South Dakota’s Tim Johnson. She also got a meeting with former presidential candidate John McCain, who tweeted afterward:

“Great meeting and tour of the Capitol with January Jones, who is an advocate for sharks. I’m a huge fan of Mad Men!”

I got a newsletter today from Senator Johnson. I found this pie graph from the New York Times interesting. I wonder how many teabagger heads exploded after reading this. I’m sure something like “Lying Socialists!” was shouted in living rooms across the state. The truth hurts.

Scan10001

Dodd to Remain Senate Banking Chairman
By COREY BOLES

WASHINGTON — Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.) is to remain as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, having decided not to take the gavel of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, according to two sources.

Dodd won’t succeed Kennedy as committee chairman
Washington Post
Updated: 09/08/2009 11:50:17 PM EDT

WASHINGTON — Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., has decided against succeeding his close friend and mentor, the late Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., as chairman of the Senate’s health committee, a senior Senate aide said Tuesday night.

Dodd has scheduled a Wednesday news conference for 11 a.m. to announce his decision. His aides did not respond to questions about the decision Tuesday evening.

While Kennedy battled brain cancer for 15 months, Dodd, Harkin and other Democrats on the committee divided up the chairman’s responsibilities, with Dodd overseeing the panel’s health-care legislation. When the Senate takes up that critical legislation later this year, Dodd is expected to continue being the public face of that committee’s effort, a decision that might give him a boost in a tough reelection battle in 2010.

By remaining as banking chairman, Dodd will now oversee a complex rewrite of the regulations overseeing the financial services industry.