Pat Powers

UPDATED: Why is Pat Powers still operating a private political consulting business while working for the SOS?

UPDATE: Pat must be a little worried about the press, this is his website’s main page;

I also liked this little snarky graphic before you are sent to the above;

“Safe Elections? No problem. Would you like to buy a brochure? I know this great guy that can help you out with that, oh, ah, yeah, it’s me.”

I was pretty surprised to see that Pat is doing political consulting and marketing while working in the office that is in charge of fair and safe elections. I’m no constitutional lawyer, but if I am the only one that thinks this is a HUGE conflict of interest, there must be something wrong? Pat ran this business when he was still operating Dakota War College (which I still think he has a hand in) But I just assumed he gave it up when he ran off to Pierre with his Burger King buddy Gant.

But according to his website;

500 – Call for 2011-2012 pricing!
1,000 – Call for 2011-2012 pricing!
2,500 – Call for 2011-2012 pricing!
5,000 – Call for 2011-2012 pricing!
*Call for other sizes and quantities

And the address of the business has changed also;

Mailing Address:Pat Powers
DakotaCampaignStore.com
235 West Broadway, Pierre, SD 57501

Hey, I am all for someone making an extra buck, but you probably shouldn’t be profiting from candidate marketing when you work in the SOS’s office.

Ellis points out the hypocrisy of Pat Powers (like he needed to)

I’ve known about this column for awhile. While I offered some quotes, I can see why I wasn’t quoted. Seems there was a little ‘blogger bashing’ going on;

Most bloggers simply regurgitate news from other sources or react to news with their opinions, which range from the reasoned to the deranged.

That sentence made me laugh. I think I lean towards deranged, but more in a Krusty the Klown sort of way, not a Sibby sort of way. But back to the topic at hand, Pitty Patt Powwers and his new found, taxpayer funded, job;

Conservatism has a diverse intellectual origin, but the conservatism espoused by Powers generally was the standard institutional line: law and order – throw the marijuana smokers in jail. Never pass on an opportunity to kick around the Democrats. And always advocate for small government. Though, on this point, some observers find it amusing that Powers isn’t so conservative that he’ll pass up an opportunity to make a living off the taxpayers.

Pat is a ladder climber, he’d sell his own dog if he knew it would push him two inches forward in the SD GOP.

But Adelstein thinks Powers was dishonest as a blogger. Now, the senator worries that Powers will have access to the sensitive business filings that are held at the secretary of state’s office. Powers, he thinks, is a creature of some nefarious faction at work in South Dakota.

“I don’t know who his masters are, but I think he’s got one or two,” Adelstein said.

Pat, Nefarious? Get out of here. He has masters alright, conspiracy theories and twisting campaign rhetoric.

Powers said he’s focused on the task at hand, and that’s updating the secretary’s computer system and website. And that could mean easier access to records for the public. As for being too partisan?

“At the end of the day, they need to just sit and watch the results instead of having a knee-jerk reaction,” he said.

Indeed, sound advice from one of the state’s most prolific bloggers. Knee-jerk reactions are usually unwise, and they’re usually par for the course on political blogs. Which makes this whole episode pretty amusing.

Yes it is amusing. Unfortunately the taxpayers of South Dakota are the ones that won’t be laughing once this hypocritical partisan hack takes over in the SOS’s office.

More about Pitty Patt Powwers new job as Director of Operations for the SOS

The face of hypocrisy

For some reason I didn’t checkout the Kevin Woster story about Patt until today, and the comments section of the column had me in stitches (and we will pick apart the better parts in a moment). But, first I want to say that Patt is becoming more ironic then Thune these days. This is a guy who railed against big government and state employees then turns around and takes a job with the state? Huh? But no surprise, his father worked for the Feds, so Patt knows how to bring home the bacon on the taxpayer’s dime.

Saying government is bad = Good. Taking a job from the government = Even better.

It is pretty obvious that Jason Gunt appointed Patt as a political reward for his years of successfully attacking the libs even when there was no harm done by the libs. I’m mean, really kids, what does a Brookings Real Estate Agent know about running statewide elections? LMAO!

Of course, Mr. Gunt scares me more then Patt. Remember, this is the clown who made a false issue about the Feds taking over our state elections. I’m sure that is something Pitty Patt dug up for him on his internets blogs.

But Jason says Patt is qualified because of his ‘computer skills’;

Gant says he’ll be working, in part through Powers’ computer skills, to upgrade the system at the SOS office and make the elections and campaign finance information, as well as the corporate data, more easily accessible and transparent.

OMG. Laughing this hard in the morning really gets the bowels moving. Thanks Jason, never thought the SOS could help me drop the kids off at the pool. Anyhoo, first off, what computer skills are you talking about? This is a guy who paid through the nose to host his own blog. Who is that foolish? Do I pay for my blog space? Yes, but trust me, It costs me less then a Starbuck’s coffee. Makes you wonder what kind of new expenses the SOS office will occur? Remember Patt, big government is badddddd! Better keep those expenses to a minimum.

Data ‘more easily accessible and transparent’ LMFAO! This from a guy who deletes his entire blog?! Let’s be honest here folks. Will I ever run for office someday? Maybe. Will I delete my blogs on the internets if I do? Nope. In fact I would continue to blog up until the day I was elected and I might even continue after I am elected. I might even make it into a campaign issue and refer people to my archives. That is where the hypocrisy of Patt exists, this is a guy who railed against government then turns around and takes a job with them. And to add insult to injury, he deletes his past. Oh, but Patt claims that no one has the whole story;

PP (formerly) at the SDWC Says:
December 13th, 2010 at 4:30 pm

Kevin –

I “apparently decided to kill and hope folks would forget most of what (I) said?” Any thought towards actually asking my motivations instead of assuming? Because you know what happens when you assume. :)

PP: Yeah, don’t you hate that about bloggers, when they assign motives without first discussing it with the assignee and pass judgment without getting all the facts? Boy, I’m glad that you never did that on your blog. What? Hello? (Rim shot, please). But I am, really, seriously, glad that you jumped in to explain. Wanna talk here, or should I give you a call? K.W.

And instead of finally filling us in, Pitty Patt gets his shorts in a bunch;

PP (formerly) at the SDWC Says:
December 14th, 2010 at 5:49 am

Kevin –

Sorry. I thought you worked in a newsroom.

PP: Wait, was that snotty? Because you didn’t include any smiley face. Surely you couldn’t be getting snotty already? Jason is never snotty with me, even when he doesn’t like something I’ve asked or written. Maybe you don’t understand the new rules. You’re not a private blogger anymore. You’re a soon-to-be state employee. That means you have to be nice to reporters. Even me. :-P Some might suggest you have to be nice to legislators, too. Even Adelstein. :-( K.W.

I’ll have to agree with Bill Fleming on this one;

Bill Fleming Says:
December 15th, 2010 at 10:59 am

“PP: Wait, was that snotty? Because you didn’t include any smiley face.”

Above: My favorite KW blog comment to date, right behind the time he told us that when he goes into the woods, he sings “Smo-o-o-oke on the Waaa-ter” to scare off the mountain lions. Great chops, BlogSensei. (…bows, mouths the words “I’m not worthy.)

PP: Who loves ya, baby?

So, in conclusion, I’m considering starting a pool on South DaCola to see how long Patt lasts in Mr. Gunt’s office. I give him at least two weeks.

Pitty Patt Powers is worried about Barry being worshipped? BAHAHAHAH!

Apparently, PPP has not seen ‘Jesus Camp’

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxdt_f0hwUg[/youtube]

Here is PPP’s crybaby story.

Want more?

Conservatives have been up in arms over a tape showing schoolchildren in New Jersey singing a song in praise of President Obama. Glenn Beck said the tape showed “indoctrination that is going on.” Sean Hannity ranted, “This video makes me mad…Mao would be proud.” Typical of this overblown outrage was this statement from RNC Chairman Michael Steele:

Friend, this is the type of propaganda you would see in Stalin’s Russia or Kim Jong Il’s North Korea. I never thought the day would come when I’d see it here in America.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/25/flashback-students-sang-b_n_300372.html Same story about r’s going nuts and George being sung to.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/04/17/katrina-song/ April 17, 2006, Kids sang to George and Laura  “ To the tune of “Hey Look Me Over,” the kids from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama sang:

Our country’s stood beside us
People have sent us aid.
Katrina could not stop us, our hopes will never fade.
Congress, Bush and FEMA
People across our land
Together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxdt_f0hwUg Kids at Jesus camp with a cardboard George
http://www.break.com/usercontent/2008/7/Children-s-Choir-Greets-Bush-and-Peres-544702.html And children singing to George in a foreign language……ohhhhh no
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP_oOJiuvW4&feature=PlayList&p=6AE90595B49D8C31&index=16 Go in 3 minutes and a choir of kids in front of the White House are singing we love you Mr. President, oh yes we do……………..to Richard Nixon.