Rounds

Is Marion Mike Rounds running for re-election?

I have been saying for a long time that he is not. These rumors got started when Dusty Johnson had a cow over Borglum running against Rounds in the primary. At the time, the assumptions going around were that Rounds would NOT run and Dusty would run for that seat while TenHaken or someone else would run for Congress. There seems to be a lot of ‘grooming’ going on.

There is also the obvious, Jean Rounds’ continued health issues (which I’m sure would be part of the reason he decides to not run – even though I think the plan was floated before she got ill).

Many have been wondering though about his continued fundraising? There is a simple solution to that, he can transfer those funds to anyone else, so why would he NOT continue to fundraise?

But what if he does run in the primary and wins, but decides to drop out after that? I’m not sure how the rules would work, but I think the SD GOP delegates could pick a candidate, and if they were smart, they would choose the candidate who came in second in the Republican primary. But that may NOT be the case.

Ethically, most would say Rounds would drop out before the primary, but this guy hasn’t had an ethical bone in his body his entire time as a public servant, so I would not put it past him to run and win the primary than drop out. I have often felt that Rounds was more corrupt than Janklow by two-fold. He had many scandals throughout his governorship and it shocked my he got elected to the Senate to begin with.

But some wonder why he would not run again. There are some pretty obvious reasons besides Jean’s health. Rounds doesn’t like DC and has a very large family he is not seeing as much as he would like. It’s also a long term, 6 years. It’s hard to make plans for the future when have those kind of terms. He got some legislation thru he wanted that benefits his private insurance business. And lastly, Marion Mike Rounds does what is good for him, that is why he is such a devote fan of Trump. While Thune-Bag and Howdy Doody sometimes waiver on their support for Donny, Rounds is always quick to defend him.

Mike got what he wanted out of his Senate seat, and now he is ready to boot scoot along. Maybe this will give him time to explain to us how you can shoot yourself using a shotgun and a 5-foot branch.

If he does drop out, it will be one of my better political predictions in a very long time.

Will Marion Mike Rounds run for another term? DaCola says NO.

There is a story in the Argus today (I can’t read it because it is for subscribers) but the headline suggests that Rounds may not run for re-election due to his wife’s illness.

I have felt for awhile that he would NOT run anyway, even before his wife was diagnosed. I have heard from several Republican insiders that he doesn’t like Washington so much, and secondly, six years is a long term.

I have been suggesting for awhile that he will choose NOT to run and Dusty Johnson will run for the seat. This is the gossip going around, and one of the reasons he is so upset with Borglum.

As for money raised, both Rounds and Johnson can easily move those funds.

So who would run for Congress on the Republican side? I think it is Paul TenHaken, who I don’t think has the appetite for another term as Mayor.

I think this will open it up for a special election (if TenHaken wins) for Sioux Falls Mayor, which we will see Huether return, but I could also see other opportunists like Greg Neitzert looking at running.

This of course is all speculation, and just some early predictions.

In the Trumpist sphere, I agree with a letter writer Cory Heidelberg scrounged up. I have been thinking for awhile that the reason Romney is supporting impeachment is so he can be the GOP’s presidential candidate in 2020. Think about it, he has ran before, he has name recognition, and he is a moderate (more like a corporatist). He will still lose, once a loser always a loser. I’m still on the fence whether or not the Senate will kick the bum out of office, but that political circus changes by the day. If the polling is 55% or higher with American support for resignation, the Senate will remove him. Guaranteed. And our Nightmare maybe finally over with . . . for awhile anyway.

Trump’s payments to porn stars ‘was for love’ according to Rounds

(FF 6:30)

From Drinking Liberally;

In Politics: In an effort to demonstrate his absolute supplication to Donald Trump and Trump’s demands of total fealty to whatever his whim of the moment might be, our own Senator Rounds defended Trump’s $130,000 hush money payment to Adult Film actress Stormy Daniels by stating that Trump “made the payment because he loved his family….” Rounds really said that. I didn’t make that up.

So to follow Rounds’ logic, Trump may have sent his wife Melania a valentine card this year that read something like this, ” Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m having sex with a porn star again to show my love for you.”

Last week I speculated that our Senator’s, Thune and Rounds, could rationalize just about anything to support Trump’s right-wing and often fascist agenda. Unfortunately for all of us and for our Country, even I didn’t know how right I was.

Our Republican leadership is feckless. If you are a Republican and love our country, it is time to look elsewhere for leadership. But then again, according to Senator Rounds, you could demonstrate your love of country by having sex with a porn star.

Mike Rounds, “It’s like Ronald Reagan all over again.”

I just about had a coronary on the way to work this morning when I heard Senator Rounds say this to Belfrage.

They were talking about the tax cuts and the federal budget. Rounds went on to say that the policies that the Reagan administration implemented created the booming economy of the 90’s.

First off, Reaganomics destroyed our economy which has been a roller coaster since it’s implementation and has caused the biggest gap between the rich and the poor ever in the history of our country. If Mike Rounds is hoping for the trickle down economics of Reagan to work in 2018 like it did in the 80’s, God help us.