SOMEBODY didn't like what was written about them

Got my hot little hands on this one tonight.

The setup - Last Thursday in the Rapid City Journal, State Senator Jerry Apa wrote a letter to the editor. (I blogged on it here.) And as you can see, while supporting his fellow Senator Bill Napoli, he has a bone to pick with Senator Adelstein:

Re-elect Napoli

Stan Adelstein, during the 2004 Republican primaries, gave Senator Jim Lintz's opponent $6,906, Senator Bob Gray's opponent $1,000, Senator Lee Schoenbeck's opponent $1,000, and Senator Jason Gant's opponent $1,000. Adelstein tried to defeat conservative candidates in order to stack the Republican Senate with people supportive of his tax and spend agenda. All of Adelstein's candidates lost. Adelstein has served six years in the South Dakota Legislature and has sponsored or cosponsored 13 bills to increase the tax burden on South Dakota citizens.

This election cycle Adelstein is trying to unseat a conservative Republican, my friend and colleague Senator Bill Napoli. Mr. Adelstein is using his financial resources to assist Senator Napoli's opponent in the Republican primary for state senator.

If the voters of District 35 want someone who will be obligated to vote however Adelstein determines, by all means vote for Bill Napoli's opponent. However, if voters of District 35 want a strong, articulate and independent voice, with no strings attached, in the state Senate then vote for Senator Bill Napoli in the June 6th Republican primary for state senator. There is no denying Senator Bill Napoli's passion when representing his constituents to the best of his considerable talents.

Senator JERRY APA
Lead

As I mentioned in the blog title, somebody didn't appreciate the little mention in the local press. And so, he sent out an e-mail to Senator Apa, and lots of his fellow Senators decrying that letter:

From: Senator Adelstein, Stanford
Sent: Thu 4/20/2006 11:28 PM

Senator:

One of the biggest mistakes that I ever made was the contribution to Jim's opponent. I apologized - more than once - and explained the reason. He forgave me, and I consider him a good friend.

I also apologized to Bob. He too, has become a good friend.

I supported Representative Claire Konold a fellow Republican House member. We were both running for the Senate for the first time. My support was based on issues on which we had worked together in the House primarily dealing with CTE education - not as you say "conservative" - whatever that means.

I have never, ever spoken in public against a fellow Senator unless it was in debate or discussion with that Senator present, nor have I written any kind of letter suggesting something wrong with a colleague in the Senate - of either party.

I call upon you to immediately and forthwith furnish ANY hard evidence or even shred of proof of your allegation of my "use of resources" against Senator Napoli. If you cannot do so - I ask that you make a public apology for your unsubstantiated charge.

This obviously has nothing to do with the Senators campaign - only a joining with others who are waging a totally negative and dishonest effort to defeat me in June.

"It is a long road that has no turning."

Stanford Adelstein
Incumbent Republican Senator, District 32

Now, I'm hearing that after Senator Adelstein presented his defense of his actions in funding the opponents of his colleagues, it got better. I'm working on tracking that one down. But getting back to the letter from Senator Adelstein...

Senator Adelstein makes the comment that "I have never, ever spoken in public against a fellow Senator unless it was in debate or discussion with that Senator present, nor have I written any kind of letter suggesting something wrong with a colleague in the Senate - of either party." Well, I'm not so sure I agree with that statement.

Adelstein was upset both by the cut and by the fact that it came so late in the budget process that there was no public comment or involvement by supporters of public broadcasting. A former Appropriations Committee member, he labeled Greenfield as “an ultra-conservative extremist” who helped organize the “last-minute ambush of public radio by extremists.”

“It is a breach of trust and an abuse of power,” Adelstein said.

- Rapid City Journal, 3/3/2006

“We need to know who voted and how they voted. And we need to not only refer this bill and kill it, we need to vote them out,” he said. “I’m convinced that we have the majority of South Dakotans behind us.”
- Rapid City Journal 3/10/2006

As you can see, I'm a bit of a doubting thomas on his statement that "I have never, ever spoken in public against a fellow Senator unless it was in debate or discussion with that Senator present." Because both of those statements came in the past 2 months. And in neither case were the colleagues he spoke against present.

As far as the rest, we'll just have to see what the campaign finance reports have to say.