Nothing here on the Adelstein/Schwiesow race. Nothing here at all. Move along.

I've been sitting on this one a little while. I've given hints on it, but tonight, you get the whole kahuna.

What are you going to get the priviledge to see? Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Lee Schoenbeck (Who I personally consider to be the man to beat in the 2010 GOP race for Governor) letting Stan Adelstein have it with both barrels. It's a unique insight into the dynamic of the GOP caucus, and one that I'm not sure that many of them expected to see the light of day.

This whole fray started, as I documented a little while back, with State Senator Stan Adelstein groaning about Jerry Apa giving him the business in the Rapid City Journal as follows:

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

And as noted, Senator Adelstein didn't appreciate it, and responded back to much of the caucus with his refutation of the Apa charges impugning his character:

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

Cc: (list redacted by pp)

Subject:

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

Aside from the fact that Stan's comments that he has "never, ever spoken in public against a fellow Senator unless it was in debate or discussion with that Senator present" being utter bullsh*t, as I was so kind to document here, this was far from the end of it.

What did Senator Adelstein get for his complaints about Senator Apa's letter? He got the the top Senator in the legislature bringing the roof down and giving him an earful that he probably would have rather not heard:

From: Lee Schoenbeck
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2006 10:14 PM

To: (List redacted by PP)

Subject: FW: Adelstein

Just saw Stan's message that he left me off of --- he of course didn't tell you the whole story. When I ran in 2002 Stan sent a check and I accepted it. I had supported him for national committeeman many years before and viewed him as a friend. The only thing that changed after that was the pro-life legislation that I supported and he opposed. He then supported my opponent.

After you all elected my pres pro temp - he immediately called and started threatening that he thought I planned to run for state wide office one day and I needed his support - he spelled out certain committees he expected to be on and that he expected to be a chairman (that would be taking positions some of you occupied). As you can tell by the appointments he received, I don't cow-toe to anybody's threats and I particularly am offended by anybody trying to play me off against the interests of the caucus. Stan is a bad thing to have in any caucus - a cancer. I am proud that Jerry spelled it out - it is too bad we didn't use our rules to expel him when he behaved so unprofessionally at last summer's meetings.

Nobody makes the kind of threats he made to me, and EVER makes it back on the list of people that I would consider decent enough to be associated with. GO ELLI

Wow. "GO ELLI" indeed. Calling Senator Adelstein "a cancer" on the caucus and expressing regrets over not expelling him. As I understand, the unprofessional behavior was a reference to his outburst at the Abortion Task Force meeting this last year, which through the magic of audio archiving you can listen to again and again here.

I think the thing I liked the most about reading this whole series of exchanges is that there are people out there who consider such things as integrity and honor as important. And when someone waves a fistfull of money at them demanding special preference, they aren't afraid to rebuff that person for their arrogance.

Lee, good one.