Lots of MAINstream action at the RCJ this weekend.

I actually got noticed by the RCJ's Mt. Blogmore today on my post about the rumored exploration committee for candidate endorsements. That was kind of nice. I'm now known as "One of the myriad of blogs on South Dakota politics," although, that's a little long for a name tag at the SD Blog Convention.

Speaking of the Rapid City Journal - did anyone see Saturday's column by all the Republicans? Dang. I can't believe noone has written about it yet. (or maybe I missed it because I was moving) It was hell and brimstone - true believer stuff. Here's a few snippets:

Ronald Reagan helped to define the Republican Party by uniting a coalition of Americans who believed in strong national defense, traditional moral values and conservative economic principles. Recently, a group of Republican state senators and a group of Republican U.S. senators, circumventing party leadership, have sought to undermine the Republican platform and the principles for which the Republican Party stands.

and

In the name of "big tent" ideals, state Republican Party leadership would welcome this "mainstream coalition" and all points of view. Most of us do not need to be reminded that tents are fragile structures, and it must be recognized that it is conservative, mainstream ideals, the very planks of the Republican Party that are the pillars holding the tent upright, ideals mainstream enough to attract common-sense Democrats, Reagan Democrats, who vote alongside Republicans for common-sense, conservative candidates that espouse conservative values.

This bipartisan coalition of conservatives has given Republicans control of the White House and both houses of Congress, along with the governor's mansion and both legislative bodies in Pierre. If you weaken the tent pillars by diluting the conservative planks, your tent may well collapse for lack of support from that mainstream majority of conservative voters responsible for Republican victories.

and

Lastly, we sympathize with these Republican "moderates" who want to be acknowledged by their party, who want their voice to be heard. After all, they have ideals too. Unfortunately, their ideals are already represented in the planks of the Democratic platform. Why should the Republican Party give voice, aid or comfort to those who represent a liberal philosophy that has been repudiated by voters time and again on the state and national level?

(My annotations on a few of these signers of the column -pp)

JEFF CARSRUD, GARRY DENKER, JOHANNA DENKER, JEANETTE DEURLOO, BOB ELLIS (who has the Dakota Voice Blog) , ROBERT FISCHER, CAROL FITZGERALD SIMPSON (Former Legislator), DONALD FLODEN, BOB HASKELL (former legislator), BARBARA HEWETT, GARY W. HEWETT, GALE HOLBROOK (County Commissioner), JANICE HOLBROOK, MARK HOWARD, GORDON HOWIE (Current State Legislator), CONNIE HOWIE, CHRIS HUPKE (SD Family policy council), BILL KLUCK, KEN KLUCK, ELIZABETH KRAUS (Current State Legislator), RICK KRIEBEL, DON LEFEVRE, DONNA M. MAYER, TIARA MUELLER, MARISA MUELLER, MIKE MUELLER, JULIE MUELLER, BILL NAPOLI (the one, the only and Current State Legislator), JILL RAU, JOEL SCHWIESOW, ELLI SCHWIESOW (State GOP Vice Chairman, former legislative candidate, and one of the most influential women in the state party), PERRY L. STROMBECK, GRETCHEN STROMBECK, PATRICK TRASK, ROSE MARY TRASK, DON VAN ETTEN (Current State Legislator), JOEL L. WEAVER, TONCHI WEAVER, STACEY A. WELLMAN, BRUCE WHALEN (Shannon CO. GOP County Chair), CAROL WHALEN & MARK H. WHEELER

You have to read the whole thing here. It's a long diatribe that hits on partial birth abortion, gay marriage, and the mainstream coalition.

As if Saturday's bruising in the Rapid City Journal wasn't enough, Alan Aker took after the MAINstream coalition in his column as well. Check out this snippet:

By definition, moderates are not leaders. Leaders confront evil and pounce on opportunities. They ask us for excellence and sacrifice. They make decisions and take responsibility for them. Rather than accept the direction the stream is taking us, they pilot and they paddle. They take sides. Really good leaders respond to threats and opportunities which are far away, and can see beyond the way things are to the way things ought to be.

Moderates accommodate evil (the mainstream coalition advocates "tolerance and compassion for all"). They avoid decisions. Whenever you hear a politician say we have to let the courts decide issues like abortion and gay marriage, you're listening to a moderate. Prior to the Iraq war and World War II, moderates sought to avoid decisions by giving sanctions or diplomacy more time to work.

Moderates don't take risks. They look at things the way they are now and the way they're headed - and split the difference.

Sometimes people call themselves moderates because they're not bright enough or interested enough to have positions on important issues. It's easy to see both sides, but it takes thought, knowledge and courage to decide which side is right.

As always, please patronize the Rapid City Journal and read the whole thing here.

You can see that these people are not messing around. Current and former legislators, a County Chairman, the State GOP Vice Chair. Certainly, they are representing individual, personal views, but the implications are staggering.

It sounds like a showdown might be brewing. High noon couldoccur during session. But it very well could drag out and simmer for a while, with occasional flare ups like we saw this weekend. If that's the case, the GOP convention in June 2006 could see the two sides digging in their heels for a platform battle..

If that's the case, I'm buying a laptop, because I have GOT TO blog the convention. If any of you are coming, I may have to host the Republican Blogging Hospitality suite.