Wasson Out: Curd v. Nelson Promises Nothing New

Bob Ellis says that Thad Wasson says he's out of the running for the GOP nomination for South Dakota's lone Congressional seat. That's too bad. I didn't plan to vote for him, but Wasson at least showed a refreshing honesty and willingness to think outside the parameters of politics as usual. he had the potential to be the blue-collar straw that woul stir the drink at the debates and show people you don't have to be a rich Republican who toes the party line to get involved in South Dakota politics.

Alas, Wasson got little but condescension and outright scorn from fellow Republicans. And now we're left with careful and competent Chris Nelson versus phony rich guy Dr. R. Blake Curd to fight to see who sounds more like Ronald Reagan or Patrick Henry. We'll get more of the same hoary and insincere platitudes about smaller government. With Wasson, I at least had the sense I was hearing a citizen really trying to frame his values and come up with good solutions, not just craft talking points that would press the buttons of the most voters. It's a shame Wasson doesn't have the money to make a hard run and prove that authenticity doesn't have to be a liability in politics.

Wasson Proposes Trade with North Korea, Cut DoD by Half

GOP U.S. House candidate Thad Wasson keeps the ideas coming: He extends his proposal for bear-hug diplomacy with Iran to include agricultural trade with North Korea. He also proposes the most serious federal deficit-cutting plan I've heard from anyone this year: withdraw from Kosovo, Italy, Japan, and Korea and cut the U.S. military budget by half. Wasson makes the interesting argument that other countries look at our enormous military spending and assume that such expenditures are the route to greatness. A paradigm shift to a less bristly America could lead to a paradigm shift in other nations.

Or so Wasson proposes, and so Wasson would like to discuss on the campaign trail. Not that the mainstream media or even the Republican Party chiefs are interested in hearing big ideas like that. They're more interested in R. Blake Curd's ability to count words. in the health insurance reform bill.

Death of a Pickup Truck: Wasson Shows Sensitive (and Sudsy?) Side

Pickup truck owners, a moment of silence, please, in sympathy and solidarity with GOP U.S. House candidate Thad Wasson, who makes public on his campaign blog his grief at the untimely passing of his 1982 Chevy pickup. Wasson heart-wrenchingly likens the death of his truck to losing the family dog.

Who says ex-Marines don't have a sensitive side?

On the down side, we should note one other telling passage in Mr. Wasson's lament:

This truck had only 90,000 miles on it and was a great pickup to throw hay in, drink a beer in, and over the 4th of July, watch fireworks in [Thad Wasson, "Me and My Chevy," campaign blog, 2009.11.13].

Beer in the truck? Hmmm... I'm trying to picture what would happen if our incumbent Congresswoman mentioned cracking open a cold one in the cab of Grandpa's Old Blue. Someone call the campaign manager!

But wait: maybe this isn't a case of message mismanagement. Maybe Wasson knows exactly what he's doing. He shows his sensitive side (and I'm 100% with him on the value of expressing one's grief and showing one's humanity), but at the same time, he makes a clever play for the hearts of the GOP anti-nanny-staters. Those red-meat Republicans read Wasson's lament and think, "Darn right! Why can't a man choose what to drink and eat and smoke in his own pickup truck? Government has no right to tell him what to do in his God-given property!"

Again, I extend sincere sympathies to candidate Wasson on his significant and expensive loss. But I recommend asking about beer-can holders in the replacement.

GOP House Candidate Advocates Friendship with Iran

Why can't the other Republicans give us conversation-starters like this: GOP House candidate Thad Wasson rejects the neocon-Dick-Cheney snarl and advocates lifting sanctions on Iran and (gasp!) cooperating:

America is getting blamed for all the woes in Iran when the Mullahs can't even keep the natural gas flowing. Lets not lose this Nation to our 'friends' Russia and China. If we offer expertise on natural gas exploration and agricultural commodities, we can win over the 66 million Iranians [Thad Wasson, "Time for a Misdirection Play on Iran," campaign blog, 2009.11.08].

More flies with honey...

This isn't one of us progressive wienies talking; this is an ex-Marine who's spent some time around guns and tanks. I can't wait to see Wasson bring ideas like this to a room full of Republicans and a live debate with Chris Nelson and R. Blake Curd.

Wasson Goes Web, Questions Iraq Occupation, Flies Flag for ACESA

Hey, that Wasson character must be serious about running for Congress: he's got a new website, just the big kids! Among other things, candidate Wasson notes that American troops in Iraq will be protecting Chinese oil interests. I can't wait to hear the policy implications of that point on the stump!

Wasson is also blogging with my favorite free blogging tool, Blogger. On his blog, Wasson has the temerity to disagree with the rest of the GOP field and suggest South Dakota might be able to use climate-change legislation to its advantage. (Interesting: Wasson expressed the opposite position back in July. He's obviously cleared his head by reading the Madville Times.) I'm still voting Dem, but this guy could be the straw that stirs the Republican drink in the primary debates.

I also hear Wasson is planning some East River trips—expect some stern critiques of South Dakota's own East Coast intelligentsia. ;-)

Primary is just seven months away: bookmark those campaign websites now!

SD House (Dem):

• Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

SD House (GOP):

• Thad Wasson
• Chris Nelson
• R. Blake Curd

SD Governor (Dem):

• Scott Heidepreim

SD Governor (GOP):

• Scott Munsterman
• Ken Knuppe
• David Knudson
• Dennis Daugaard

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Update 10:32 CST: I notice Wasson is busy updating already. His blog sidebar includes a South Dakota blogroll that includes conservative and liberal blogs. Making Candidate Wasson's blogroll: Madville Times and Dakota War College, both of which have dished out criticism of Wasson's campaign. Now how many candidates do you know who have the moxie to allow opposing content on their website?

Wasson Says Give Black Hills Back; Hickey Supports U.S. Apology to Tribes

By turning a South Dakota spotlight toward Aaron Huey's disturbing photo essay and commentary on our Pine Ridge Reservation, Dr. David Newquist generated some valuable conversation about one of the biggest and most ignored problems in South Dakota. (His post also provoked some predictable hot air.)

Among some of the noteworthy comments elicited:

U.S. House candidate Thad Wasson wins the award for gutsiest politician in South Dakota by declaring he supports returning land to the Sioux Nations. Not just a few more scraps of land in or around existing reservation boundaries, but prime turf like the Black Hills. "[T]he reason no politician wants to address this is greed," says Wasson. The man from Piedmont (yes, Wasson lives in the territory he would consider giving back) may have guaranteed himself expulsion from the South Dakota GOP, but he has proven he can shake up any political discussion.

Pastor Steve Hickey, who is to me as ACESA is to John Thune (i.e., something I fight with every fiber of my being), points to some good things happening in Indian country. He also celebrates—yes, celebrates—the formal apology to American Indians Congress has passed. "I'm sorry" may not seem like much after five centuries of cultural decimation, but Pastor Hickey says the apology "will have spiritual implications that few realize." Pastor Hickey never ceases to surprise me... sometimes in a good way.

Dr. Newquist himself follows up with more commentary. The Brown County Democrat supports the Pennington County Republican's call to give back the land.

Politico Ignores Wasson and Democrat Dissatisfaction in Herseth Sandlin Piece

Politico.com finds the South Dakota House race heating up enough to warrant a little attention. Josh Kraushaar finds the potential of incumbent Stephanie Herseth Sandlin facing an actual race in 2010 reflecting a trend in other states where conservative Democrats are facing Republican challengers energized by the more vigorous national Democratic agenda.

Not warranting Kraushaar's attention:

• Thad Wasson, SHS's first declared challenger. Kraushaar doesn't mention the Piedmont telecom technician once. (Why do I always have to fall for the underdog? Why can't I keep my heart from going out to the low man on the totem pole in the other party?)
• Shantel Krebs, the other Sioux Falls state rep. occasionally touted as a possible challenger. My side bet: odds are Krebs defers to Nelson. She stays out unless the state party orders her in to dilute Curd's base in Sioux Falls and clear the way for Nelson to win in June.
  
• Local Dem dissatisfaction. Kraushaar notes that SHS's campaign war chest is a bit light right now ($157K? hey, that'll still buy a lot of ads on the Madville Times). Kraushaar does not note that what might keep them light is a lot of talk from South Dakota Democrats who are sick of triangulation and appeasement of a GOP that won't be appeased. After three terms of solid support, a number of South Dakota Democrats want SHS to act like a Democrat. The frustration I hear is particularly strong on health care reform, where lots of Dems in the trenches recognize the value of the public option.

Wasson: Not Serious, or Just Working for a Living?

Munsterman campaign director Pat Powers dings gubernatorial candidate Dave Knudson and U.S. House candidate Thad Wasson for not attending the first annual Republican Jewish Coalition Great Plains Chapter dinner last night in Dakota Dunes:

Dave Knudson and Thad Wasson were the only major candidates for office who didn’t make the event. Which in at least Dave’s case was surprising – this was a great crowd for candidates to make contacts and to cultivate relationships – there were some real power players there. And Thad, as the darkhorse in the race, if you want to be viewed as a serious candidate, you need to make these types of events [Pat Powers, "Another Quick Hit from Last Night's Republican Jewish Coalition Event," Dakota War College, 2009.10.05].

I love the smell of elitism in the morning. Talk to the voters all you want, but in the eyes of the GOP, if you won't spend $100 to eat dinner at the country club with "power players" and listen to a Bush flack who thinks investigating torture is "disgusting," you're not a serious politician.

Oh well. Maybe folks who have to clock in on Monday morning (Dakota Dunes–Piedmont travel time: six hours) just don't get to play with the GOP big boys.

(You have my sympathy, Thad: I won't spend $100 to take my whole family to dinner.)

MSM Covers New Tea Party Mansion Candidate, Ignores Wasson

Thad who?

That's what KELO is saying tonight, after running the AP story announcing the U.S. House candidacy of Republican Dr. R. Blake Curd, frequent Tea Party guest and perhaps the richest man currently running for anything in South Dakota.

Interestingly, KELO makes a glaring omission in its list of Curd's potential opponents:

Other Republicans who have expressed interest in a House race include Secretary of State Chris Nelson and state Rep. Shantel Krebs of Renner ["State Rep. Blake Curd Running for U.S. House," AP via KELOLand.com, 2009.10.01].

Wait a minute: Where's Thad Wasson, until now the only declared Republican in the race? He's been in since July. PP broke the story himself and cross-posted immediately on KELOLand.com. Everybody in the blogosphere knows he's running. Well, almost everyone: Bob Mercer, who is living between worlds as reporter and new blogger, doesn't appear to have gotten the Wasson memo.

But KELO, premier professional news outlet, doesn't mention Wasson. What gives?

The Mitchell Daily Republic has the good sense to list Wasson the declared candidate first, before descending into the list of those still sitting on the pot.

As I mentioned to Mr. Wasson earlier this evening, I'm not switching parties to vote for him... although if he keeps saying good things about solar panels and bike paths,... well, anything is possible. But regardless of who'll get my vote next year, if you're going to cover politics, objective journalism obliges you to give an accurate description of the race as it stands. And right now, the GOP House nomination is a two-man race between Wasson and Curd.

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Update 09:24 CDT: KELO fixes the error, without apology or acknowledgment, as it runs AP's morning update on Chris Nelson's entrance into the race.

NPR: Herseth Sandlin Faces "Substantial Challenge"

I'm perusing NPR.org this morning for news on health care when I find an interesting political note. On a map that breaks down percentages of uninsured Americans by state and Congressional district, NPR includes a filter for "swing districts," "75 House districts... identified by NPR News as districts in which incumbents face substantial challenges in the next election."

Making that list: South Dakota, where incumbent Stephanie Herseth Sandlin has won two straight landslide victories and faces one declared 2010 challenger, party outsider Thad Wasson of Piedmont. I wonder what tea leaves NPR is reading....

GOP House Candidate Wasson Responds: Lady Leaders O.K., Tiller Killer Also Terrorist

Newly declared GOP House candidate Thad Wasson is on a new media tear this week. He announces his candidacy on Dakota War College, gives Dakota Voice a lengthy interview, and now responds to the nagging questions of this leftist gadfly. Will Chris Nelson and other GOP contenders for Stepahnie Herseth Sandlin's seat be so vigorous in their pursuit of online press? We can only hope.

To my relief, Mr. Wasson has offered reasonable answers to two questions offered here to test just how deep (or crazy) his social conservatism may be. First, he says his church's position that women should not exercise authority over men applies only in church. He has no problem with women serving in secular leadership positions: to my list of powerful South Dakota women, he adds, "Margaret Thatcher from Great Britain was also a leader of men."

Second, Wasson responds to Angie B's sharp question yesterday about whether he considers the murderer of Dr. George Tiller a domestic terrorist. The candidate's position:

Yes, I consider the man who shot George Tiller a domestic terrorist. He could have killed many more in that church, I am glad that he was arrested [Thad Wasson, e-mail, 2009.07.16].

I can live with that answer, but I still can't swallow his characterization of the Greenpeace Rushmore protesters as domestic terrorists. His response reflects a bit too much of that familiar conservative fearfulness:

For the Mt. Rushmore attack, I hope it was only a stunt but it might have been a dry run for something worse. My concern is for the public, I would like Greenpeace to have their assets seized to pay for the court costs and damage to our National Monument [Wasson, e-mail, 2009.07.16].

Every statement Greenpeace has made has indicated they intended no harm to the monument. They took clear precautions to avoid such harm. To suggest they have "something worse" planned is unwarranted fearmongering... which makes Wasson a perfect fit with the Republican Party.

Question: Does WELS Ban on Female Authority Apply to Politics?

Freshly declared South Dakota Congressional candidate Thad Wasson reads the blog. He e-mails me last night to say he's ready to answer questions.

Check that out: Republican, conservative, Wisconsin Synod Lutheran, and he reaches out to the leftist, secular humanist press. That wins him props in my book. (Don't get excited, folks: props ≠ vote).

[Update 08:30 CDT: But canceling out those props: Wasson's declaration that the Greenpeace activists who draped a banner on Mount Rushmore are domestic terrorists. Ugh.]

There are numerous questions I would like to ask Mr. Wasson. But we have more than ten months before the primary. We'll have plenty of time to cover all the issues. For now, let's focus on an issue I raised Tuesday: the role of women in church and politics.

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, to which Mr. Wasson belongs, takes this position on women and positions of authority in the church:

We believe that women may participate in offices and activities of the public ministry except where that work involves authority over men (1 Timothy 2:11,12). This means that women may not serve as pastors nor participate in assemblies of the church in ways that exercise authority over men (1 Corinthians 11:3; 14:33-35).

["This We Believe," Commission on Inter-Church Relations, WELS, 1999, p. 20.]

This statement raises the following questions:

1. Does this restriction apply exclusively to church affairs?
2. Does this Biblical position suggest that it is in any way unseemly, inappropriate, or sinful for women to perform work or participate in assemblies in ways that exercise authority over men in secular affairs?
3. (A more concrete rephrasing of question 2): Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, State Rep. Kristi Noem, Dr. Kari Forbes-Boyte (DSU Dean of Arts and Sciences), Brenda Young (Pennington County Commission Chair), and Sarah Palin all exercise prominent positions of authority over men. Do any of these women violate Scripture by holding these positions?

I look forward to reading Mr. Wasson's answers and sharing them with you, my readers.

Update 11:15 CDT: An anonymous commenter misses the point (and the comment policy) but nonetheless inclines me to clarify. These questions are not preamble to an attack on Mr. Wasson's religion. I want to understand how his religious views influence his political views.