Is Bob picking a fight with someone he shouldn't be picking a fight with?
I was reading the SDFMM weblog today, and noticed where Eddie was pointing out how one of my high school classmates was testifying against legalizing medical marijuana;
Yes, he has been with that office for quite some time. But he's moved up through the ranks, and is one of the top people in that office. I very easily could see Chuck being one of the four or five legitimate Republican contenders for Attorney General in 2010.
Yes, it's time for some speculation on political races. Most of the time, everybody goes on about Governor and who's running, and who is not. Ok. After the first hundred speculative weblog postings (and I'm guilty, too) and Kranz articles, I'm looking for a little different flavor. So, let's talk about AG.
Who else is out there? Another attorney who has been in the receiving end of some Bob's Newland's barbed comments on Mt. Blogmore is Fall River County States Attorney Lance Russell. Lance who has made the news lately with his extradition attempts is a strict law and order guy. He's also hooked in strongly with many of the base GOP groups West River. This former State GOP Executive Director has connections around the state that would make him an early favorite.
Speaking of State GOP Executive Directors, I'd also place recent GOP Director Jason Glodt in that potential AG category for 2010. Connections you want? Connections he's got, especially coming off of a successful election season and landing in the Governor's office. Before this past year, he worked on the Barnett Gubernatorial Campaign, and was a prosecutor in the AG's office before that. He could be tough to beat.
While I don't know him, as I do the other three, Lincoln County States Attorney Tom Wollman should not be counted out either. Coming from that Minnehaha/Lincoln County area, those counties pack a supreme punch when it comes to Republican Convention delegate voting, and the familiarity of his face with the peope in the metro Sioux Falls area is a plus. Coming from a pedigreed South Dakota political name doesn't hurt either.
There's a couple others I see out there that might emerge, but for the most part, I don't know that they have the connections with the powers that be, or the exposure on a statewide basis. Much like Tony Mangan noted in the recent "10 Questions" post we may yet see a couple more front runners emerge who we aren't even thinking of today.
But, until then, I can speculate away.
Apology - I had included Eddie in the title, but he pointed out that Bob's words are his own. Very True. My bad. There seems to be an awful lot of apologizing going on lately.
Charles McGuigan, Assistant Attorney General of South Dakota:Ok. They disagree. Not a big shocker. But then Bob Newland proceeded to mock Charles:
"We are in opposition to any plan to legalize marijuana in any form, whether it is medical marijuana or industrial hemp or any other concoction that would give credence to this substance."
"Marijuana is not scheduled as a controlled substance, but marijuana use and possession is illegal and is a crime."
Bob Newland said... McGuigan, who has not been allowed out of the capitol building since the AG hired him out of law school, also said, in the same hearing, that marijuana has lots of "carciginians". A few moments later he also accused it of containing "carciginocens".So, why might Bob think twice before giving Charles a bunch of crap? Because I personally think he could be Attorney General after the 2010 election.
Which is it, Charlie?
Personally, I think there are too many McGuiganians in Carcige
Yes, he has been with that office for quite some time. But he's moved up through the ranks, and is one of the top people in that office. I very easily could see Chuck being one of the four or five legitimate Republican contenders for Attorney General in 2010.
Yes, it's time for some speculation on political races. Most of the time, everybody goes on about Governor and who's running, and who is not. Ok. After the first hundred speculative weblog postings (and I'm guilty, too) and Kranz articles, I'm looking for a little different flavor. So, let's talk about AG.
Who else is out there? Another attorney who has been in the receiving end of some Bob's Newland's barbed comments on Mt. Blogmore is Fall River County States Attorney Lance Russell. Lance who has made the news lately with his extradition attempts is a strict law and order guy. He's also hooked in strongly with many of the base GOP groups West River. This former State GOP Executive Director has connections around the state that would make him an early favorite.
Speaking of State GOP Executive Directors, I'd also place recent GOP Director Jason Glodt in that potential AG category for 2010. Connections you want? Connections he's got, especially coming off of a successful election season and landing in the Governor's office. Before this past year, he worked on the Barnett Gubernatorial Campaign, and was a prosecutor in the AG's office before that. He could be tough to beat.
While I don't know him, as I do the other three, Lincoln County States Attorney Tom Wollman should not be counted out either. Coming from that Minnehaha/Lincoln County area, those counties pack a supreme punch when it comes to Republican Convention delegate voting, and the familiarity of his face with the peope in the metro Sioux Falls area is a plus. Coming from a pedigreed South Dakota political name doesn't hurt either.
There's a couple others I see out there that might emerge, but for the most part, I don't know that they have the connections with the powers that be, or the exposure on a statewide basis. Much like Tony Mangan noted in the recent "10 Questions" post we may yet see a couple more front runners emerge who we aren't even thinking of today.
But, until then, I can speculate away.
Apology - I had included Eddie in the title, but he pointed out that Bob's words are his own. Very True. My bad. There seems to be an awful lot of apologizing going on lately.
Comments
Now, What's wrong with Bob Newland? I'm not sure. He definitely is an interesting character. I have never figured out why anybody wants to mess up their brain with alcohol or other drugs, but I can understand why somebody might want to control pain with pot.
Having worked with the SD Highway Alcohol Safety Action project too many years ago, I am pretty certain that the damage alcohol does on highways and in the rest of society is probably terrible compared to pot use...except for the legal consequences. Emphasis on prisons and building prisons seems to be one of the major distortions in South Dakota allocations of resources.
Maybe the difference is in who makes money from the two drugs. Perhaps less legal penalty for pot use is in order and tougher penalties for the sale of booze to drunks and drivers and a dram shop law might make sense. Sort of balance things up a bit, but would greatly increase problems for Republican candidates trying to raise campaign funds for state elections.
You mean to tell me that little red-cheeked nerdkin, McGuigan, might get to be ATTORNEY GENERAL? Oh, what have I done? I better move to Nebraska.
I should have known better. Anyone who can come to a legislative hearing and sell ten or twelve of South Dakota's best and brightest elected officials on the idea that if they pass (or kill, depending on the issue at hand) a bill, South Dakota mothers will stop producing breast milk, is obviously a power broker.
Not that I mind power brokers. It's just when they misquote established fact and scientific studies to further their own agendae that they get on my nerves. That goes for Russell, too.
And it especially goes for the malicious Dave Nelson, Minnehaha Co. prosecutor, who wasted over a quarter million dollars prosecuting a quadriplegic for trying to extend and improve his life with the therapeutic benefits of cannabis.
http://www.SoDakSafeAccess.org/
For discourse on the subject, go to
South Dakota for Medical Marijuana blog;
http://www.southdakotaformedicalmarijuana.blogspot.com/