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| SD Governor Kristi Noem |
The exchange between the two was not as intense as it might appear. Politicians generally had more collegial relations then - not the bite of partisanship all over the place. Really. I read an analysis that suggested a "feud" of this type served to better the position of both governors. Each was going to bat for his own state.
Oh, Mr. Linton had a South Dakota background and I'm sure he had a response of some levity. I interviewed him at the local Wohlers residence. I can't remember what he said.
Perpich left this life in 1995 and would you believe, Janklow gave one of the eulogies. Yes, different times. I remember Perpich had kept his health issues under wraps, so we weren't prepared emotionally for his passing. Some people were upset about that. I think he left public life with some bitterness. Let's not say "politics ain't beanbag" - its so cliche.
Remember the chopsticks factory?
Janklow passed on in 2012 with his image having been tarnished badly by a notorious and tragic incident. Surely that upstaged the verbal "feud" with his neighbor to the east. Anyway, Janklow was in a fatal traffic collision in 2003. He failed to stop at an intersection near Trent SD. He collided with motorcyclist Randy Scott. Janklow was guilty in spades as he was going at least 70 MPH in a 55 zone and ran a stop sign. His best defense was to claim having low blood sugar at the time. He was convicted of second degree manslaughter, a felony.
Let's note that Janklow was a scofflaw when it came to speeding. He got 12 speeding tickets from 1990 to 1994 with fines totaling $1000. But beyond that, he had a background of having law enforcement look the other way in traffic matters. A fact? The superintendent of the state highway patrol testified to this. Scott's family couldn't sue because Janklow was on official business, thus was protected by the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Focus on the present
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| Jason Ravnsborg |
My, hardly anyone would know Ravnsborg's name were it not for his recent traffic misadventure. Not long after, we learned it was a case of distracted driving. It's quite the timely topic. We must take extra care in our new age of expanded distractions. I have taken extra care riding a bicycle.
You may have heard about Ravnsborg's accident that took the life of Joseph Boever. It appears the nature of the "distraction" has not yet been made public. That's odd. Was it texting? Eating? You can appreciate the dramatic impact of the collision by seeing a photo of the AG's damaged vehicle. The vehicle left the driving lane before striking the victim. Mr. Boever was in the north shoulder of Highway 14 near Highmore SD, actually holding a light.
South Dakota has assumed some notoriety on more than one front. How would Governor Perpich react to the pattern of news? There is a clear and present danger for us in Minnesota. We in Morris MN are quite close to South Dakota. The raging virus is raging especially bad in South Dakota. More than half of tests have come back positive for weeks.
We knew Governor Kristi Noem's makeup and attitude before this state of affairs set in. "Governor Tight Fittin' Jeans" is programmed quite the same as Michele Bachmann. It's rare to see females on this side of the political ledger. I'm not thinking Democrat vs. Republican, I'm thinking reasonable vs. crazy. South Dakota really has a full-fledger in Tight Fittin' Jeans. She has floated the idea of having Donald Trump's face put on Mount Rushmore. You have all the clues you need.
Noem won't require masks in her state or take other measures to curb the spread. She refuses to urge families to limit Thanksgiving gatherings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended Americans not travel for Thanksgiving. The USA has seen one million new cases of Covid over the week.
Noem issued her dangerous statement which she titled "Thanksgiving and personal responsibility." It said "we won't stop or discourage you from thanking God and spending time together this Thanksgiving."
We in West Central Minnesota are right next to a state that has the second highest infection rate in the country. South Dakota is not following the example of most other states. Think of the Sturgis rally. Noem is actually making false statements, such as lockdowns having no value. She suggested similar futility with masks.
The AG sticks his neck out, to PA
The sudden notoriety or infamy of the AG Ravnsborg has not caused him to miss a step in his post. I personally would have been so traumatized, I could not continue in a public role in the foreseeable future. Republicans are awfully bull-headed in our current times.
Not only is Ravnsborg still in the driver's seat, as it were, he decided to go way beyond the borders of South Dakota in dedication to partisan concerns. Oh my, here we go: a November 10 news item announced that lawsuits challenging mail-in ballots were filed in Pennsylvania, and Republican attorneys general from ten states, including Ravnsborg, had gotten involved.
(I'm sure most of us have wondered: is it "attorneys general" or "attorney generals." The former seems to be most accepted. It's like wondering if it's "couldn't care less" or "could care less." The former is proper, a fact not taken in stride one day by talk radio host Mark Levin. A friendly caller just tried correcting him. The right wingers are awfully intransigent.)
Ravnsborg was part of a group that filed an amicus brief in Pennsylvania's Supreme Court. The brief supported two lawsuits in PA. It was reported "their goal is to bring additional information to the court's attention." The lawsuits challenged a court ruling that allowed mail-in ballots to be received three days after election day. But why must Ravnsborg thrust himself into this distant matter, embroiled in partisanship, when he ought to be licking his wounds and dealing with his conscience in the wake of a traffic incident that would leave most normal people crestfallen?
We'd want to go private. Words couldn't describe my state of mind, had I been responsible for a distracted driving fatal accident. I might never drive a car again. Ravnsborg should be veritably dripping with humility. Call him "Mister Magoo." Highmore, your classic sleepy South Dakota town, will have notoriety for quite some time.
Trump run amok w/ lawyers
We are so weary of hearing about the lawsuit barrage from the slimy Trump campaign. We are weary of reckless judgment by the likes of Governor Tight Fittin' Jeans relative to the tragic Covid. Of course, South Dakota voters put her in her position. They showed the same judgment with Bill Janklow.
Ravnsborg? His election opponent had an arguably quite superior resume, but he had an overwhelming handicap: he was a Democrat. Minnesota turned its back on long-time Democratic Congressman Collin Peterson a few weeks ago. All the momentum is going with the Republicans in our windswept part of the country. We should be whistling past the graveyard. The big cities are where the people are. That kind of factor catches up to the political process.
I have male friends who like to comment on how "good looking" Noem is. We need to retire whatever criteria were created for that in men's minds. It is dated, along with so many misogynistic ideas and humor. Get up to date.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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