July 2012

UPDATED: As I suspected, Powers resigns

I still hope the investigation continues in the SOS’s office, as many people have pointed out, these are mostly Gant’s mishaps, not Pat’s. If this is some game to stop the investigation, I hope the AG isn’t tricked so easily;

Embattled Secretary of State employee Pat Powers has resigned.

Powers, who worked on online and technological innovations for Secretary of State Jason Gant, had been criticized for allegedly continuing private, election-related business activities at the same time as he was employed by Gant.

At the request of state Sen. Stan Adelstein, R-Rapid City, Attorney General Marty Jackley is investigating accusations that Powers behaved improperly in the Secretary of State’s office, as well as other accusations against Gant.

Before working for Gant, Powers ran a popular conservative blog, the South Dakota War College.

In a statement, Gant thanked Powers for “his efforts in helping modernize this office and advancing the common goal of making it more transparent.”

Gant said Powers was resigning to “spend more time with his children and pursue business opportunities in the private sector.”

UPDATED: It seems the spin doctors are already hard at work;

Joel Rosenthal, a former head of the South Dakota Republican Party who also blogs about politics, said Powers’ time on that feisty, combative blog might be behind some of the criticism he received working for Gant.

“It seems that Sen. Adelstein has other motives that allegedly go back to what he feels the War College blog (attacked) him some years ago,” Rosenthal said. “This is maybe some kind of payback, vendetta.”

Adelstein insisted that his complaints aren’t about vengeance.

Last I checked Joel, vengeance is about spite and being intentionally hurtful to others. This sometimes includes saying things about people that are not truthful. Stan simply pointed out the truth about Powers. Pat WAS running a campaign consulting business while working for Gant and Pat DID sell campaign materials to a candidate that Gant endorsed in the primaries. How is pointing something out like this being ‘intentionally spiteful’?

Joel obviously comes from the ‘When you point out the truth, and it is ugly, you are being negative’ crowd. I get so sick of that boloney. Lying and lacking integrity is NEVER positive. Stan pointed out the truth, and it stung.

 

 

Thune agrees, Obamacare is killing people (H/T – Helga)

I’m amazed that our local media never picks up on this stuff;

Unimpressed by the timeline, Hewitt pressed Republicans to move faster. He compared the urgency of repeal to Congressional action in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and argued that people are already “dying” from the law. Thune seemed to agree with the sentiment:

HEWITT: Yeah, the reason I balk a little bit is only because I know people are out there dying under the burdens of this thing.

THUNE: Yeah.

HEWITT: And they expect, you know, the light speed for Congress is like molasses for the rest of the real world.

THUNE: Yeah.

HEWITT: And so it just seems to me that after 9/11, you guys moved fast, and I would hope it would happen again.

Like I have said in the past, I don’t agree with everything in the healthcare bill, but it certainly isn’t ‘killing’ people. That is the Republican’s plan. Ironic Johnny is famous for calling the kettle black.

As Helga pointed out to me;

Apparently people are dying right and left because of “Obamacare.”  Even though it hasn’t gone into effect yet, only portions have gone into effect, Thune says “yeah” people are dying. It appears, surprise, surprise, he doesn’t give a shit about the people of South Dakota, the people who need healthcare the most. But why should he care, he has his healthcare.”

I have often said that is the motto of rich powerful Republicans, ‘F’ck U! I got mine!’