For those of you who didn't vote for her - this is the kind of stuff Elli is made of

Bill Harlan had a nice article over at Mt. Blogmore about Elli Schwiesow showing up at the Democratic Victory Party in Rapid City and just simply being the Elli I've known for many years:



(Picture from Mt. Blogmore)

This was a loud, tough, hardball campaign. You can imagine the scene around midnight at the Democratic party at the Radisson, where Katus and his supporters celebrated along with opponents of the newly defeated abortion ban, Referred Law 6.

Then, in walks Elli Schwiesow. She’s smiling, gracious, soft-spoken and there to congratulate her opponent.

Democrats and Republican abortion-ban opponents seemed taken aback at first. Then they approached Elli, one by one, to shake her hand and tell her how much they appreciated her showing up. Leah Johnson, the young organizer for South Dakota Healthy Families, was among them. Elli tells her, You looked so attractive on television.

Elli waits patiently for Tom to break free, which takes awhile. They shake hands. She tells him she thinks he’ll do a good job.

Pure class.

Read it all here.

Comments

Anonymous said…
She's also made of extreme right-wing theocratic zealotry. Yes, this was a classy move, but don't forget why she lost in the first place...
Anonymous said…
Mr. Adelstein could learn a lesson in class and good sportsmanship from Elli. He had neither after the primary.
Douglas said…
Just shows that some nice people can be terribly wrong about politics.

Some of them even have their own blogs.
Anonymous said…
It was classy of her to congratulate Tom Katus. But it was inappropriate for her to intrude on the Democratic celebration as we cheered nationwide returns.

A skunk at the garden party is still a skunk even if it's friendly.
Anonymous said…
Did Elli claim there were exceptions in the abortion ban? Many of the Vote Yes people made that claim. If she did, that would negate this classy move for me.

Although I disagree with their politics, and question Steve Sibson's sanity, I respected Bob Ellis and Sibson for telling the truth about the lack of exceptions. Knowledge that other Vote Yes people tried to mislead voters with their claims about exceptions had to hurt their cause too. Most people dislike liars.

I noticed that on another thread at this site several people said Leslee Unruh shouldn't have been the spokesperson for the Vote Yes movement. No kidding.
Give that woman enough time on television and everyone will realize that she has some serious mental problems.
Anonymous said…
Reading this thread, the only observation to make is: whacked out Left wing liberals; sour pusses in victory, sour pusses in defeat. The're just not nice people.
Anonymous said…
Yes ,11:13you are exactly right. The lefties have a lot to learn from claasy, polite, intelligent people like Ellie, but obviuosly they still don't get it. (A skunk intruding? Come on ,have a heart, was this an invitation only private party or what, or was there something there you were ashamed of and wanted to hide?)
Anonymous said…
Can you imagine Stan doing anything like this? "By their fruits you shall know them".(Matthew 7:16)
Anonymous said…
"But it was inappropriate for her to intrude on the Democratic celebration as we cheered nationwide returns. A skunk at the garden party is still a skunk even if it's friendly."
Oh, puh-leez. You probably would have been the first to raise a stink (pun intended) had she NOT shown up to congratulate Katus.
Anonymous said…
Obviously, Ellie was looking for another photo-op as demonstrated by the photo that was taken. Just like when she crashed the press conference earlier in the campaign.

If this was just a good deed, why the photographer? Why the publicity?

Real Christians do their good deeds quietly, without fanfare, and without self-aggrandizement. False Christians do their good deeds in search of personal acclaim.

Was Ellie actually looking to congratulate Katus, or was she looking to BE SEEN BY AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE congratulating Katus?

The answer can be found right before your very eyes in this blog post.
Anonymous said…
As a postscript to 1:53, most losing candidates call the victor for a personal conversation. Only the rare few seeking publicity want to look magnanimous in front of a crowd.

Transparent attempt to build goodwill for the next race, eh?
Haggs said…
I may have disagreed with her politics, but I definately agree that she's classy.
Anonymous said…
I got a promise from Tom Katus on Election Victory Eve that he would try and get Ellie to paint over all her campaign signs and not just relabel them for '08.
Anonymous said…
You left-wing, self-righteous elitists are really something.

Bruce Whalen tried to call Herseth & she refused his call. And the liberals on this blog said, "Here Here!"

Elli humbled herself in a way I cannot imagine. Her heart had to be breaking, yet she sought out her opponent at a party where there wasn't one person who will ever vote for her. She had nothing to gain. As was reported, it was an awkward moment. If you think it was awkward for the attendees, put yourself in Mrs. Schwiesow's shoes. There must've been a million voices screaming at her not to approach Katus in any fashion. Yet she did so. That is the essence of graciousness. Mrs. Schwiesow has truly proven that she is a diamond in the rough.

And the liberals boo and hiss.
Anonymous said…
1:53 and 1:57, if that is the case (and it surely isn't), then she must have taken a cue from Adelstein, the King of Self-Publicity and Photo-Ops. And, "If this was just a good deed, why the photographer? Why the publicity?" Adelstein never misses an opportunity to let people know how many checks he writes to one cause or another, rather than just doing it quietly and not for recognition. That is about as un-magnanimous as you can get. Elli was not seeking recognition. She just wanted to do the right thing.
Anonymous said…
Stop blogging anonymously and tooting your own horn Elli, you right-wing self-righteous elitist!
Anonymous said…
2:30 So your theory is that Adelstein behaves badly, and when Schwiesow behaves like Adelstein, her behavior is good. Nice logic buddy.
Anonymous said…
2:26 - How do you know if it is true that Whalen tried to call Herseth wouldn't take her call? Considering some of the falsehoods that came from the Whalen camp, I would be reluctant to believe much of what they say - or at least what the staff says.

If I were Herseth, I'm not sure I would be inclined to accept that call if it actually was placed. They told some terrible lies about her that went way beyond competitive politicking.
Anonymous said…
11:13 - We left wing liberals try to be nice people. We really do.
But sometimes it's kind of hard to be nice after having spent the past several weeks being called pro-abortion, baby killers and murderers just because we believe women in crisis have the right to make personal medical decisions without governmental interference.
Anonymous said…
You're right on, P.P. Elli is the classiest of the classy. I am proud to call her my friend.
Anonymous said…
Ellie lost by 479 votes in a district that had 3,300 more Republicans than Democrats AND more Republicans than Democrats and independents combined.

By the way, Hundstad won by 1,000 votes even with Mike Rounds going door-to-door for his opponent. Brian Johnson, who has real class, wasn't out looking for a photo-op afterward.
Anonymous said…
People! Let's see it was the "Dem Victory Party Headquarters" for the night. So, you bet the media was there. Do you think she brought her crew with her or is it possible that the MEDIA took it upon themselves to snap the shot. I mean if I was a media person and covering the Dem event, you bet I would be catching this llttle tidbit. But, I do agree that most make phone calls to their opponents. There could be a million other reasons why she chose to talk with him the same night.
Unknown said…
She's a classy lady; a classy lady who takes money from pornographers. Now them thar's some 'Family Values.'

...and yes, the party was insane.

- DHP
Anonymous said…
How do you know she even wanted her picture taken ,or that a photographer would even be there to see it? You guys are so pessimistic and pathetic.
Anonymous said…
8:51 - Come on now, she's not that naive. Of course she knew there were going to be photographers there. I won't go so far as to say that she was going for a photo op, but the presence of a photographer should not have been a surprise.

However, I doubt that she had an ulterior motive when she made the gesture. If she did, she had to want to do it pretty darn bad.

The look on her face tells you how hard it was for her to congratulate her opponent. How many of us would have had the courage to do the same thing?
Anonymous said…
Well Joan, you may be pro abortion and a baby killer but you do have a tiny bit of insight into giving the benefit of the doubt--good manners just don't abound in the proabortion, baby killing crowd. They paint coat hangers and steal political signs,(and get caught at it.) They refuse to listen to real people and medical professionals and they just don't have much for class or manners--BUT on this one you sound like a nice person that might have some manners.
Anonymous said…
11:56 - I will answer this as politely as possible.

First of all, I have never painted a hanger, stole a yard sign (although I removed one that someone put on our land without permission), and I am not pro-abortion nor have I ever killed a baby, an embryo or a fetus. I do, however, believe that women should be able to make choices that concern their bodies without governmental interference, at least in some circumstances.

Apparently 56 percent of South Dakotans agree with me. So does that make us a state filled with baby killers now?

Maybe they voted that way because they listened to real people too -real people who went through the horror of rape, real people who worked with children who were impregnated through acts of incest, and many real medical doctors who vehemently opposed the ban.

Most people would consider me a nice person. I do many worthwhile things for people in a volunteer capacity; I like children, animals and the truth.

At the same time, I dislike people who call other people names, liars, bullies, people who try to skirt the law, and anyone else who doesn't play fair.

And even though I said differently, the truth is that I'm more moderate politically than on the left, but I do lean that way from time to time.

Most of all, I try not to paint people with a broad brush. Generalizing is always dangerous, whether it's talking about people of a certain race, sexual persuasion, religion or political belief.

I have, and will continue to have, problems with people who are intolerant of others who are different from them and/or do not agree with their beliefs.

Our country was founded on the principles of freedom and democracy. People used their freedom to vote on Tuesday, and democracy ruled once again.

God bless America.
Anonymous said…
Joan,
I agree with everything you said. I applaud you for having the class in responding to anon 11:56. However, the pro-life community doesn't want to hear what you say.
Anonymous said…
This thorough stomping that Ellie took is a clear rejection of her by the voters and a signal that she should not run again. She has been exposed as so extreme that she is unelectable in a 52% Republican district.
Anonymous said…
Joan, you clearly state that you want a woman to be able to make decisions about her own body without gov't interference. I understand what you mean. But the fact still remains that a human life is sacrificed in an abortion, and you just can't get around that fact.

Nowhere did I hear the pro-abortion people address this issue - all their arguments were because of lack of exceptions for rape/incest which acount for less than 2% of all abortions.

I talked with a person who voted against the ban for the same reasons you state. When I asked her what about the baby, she said she just didn't want to think about that. But the fact remains it is a living human being, and it is killed in an abortion.

That is why the pro life people are so concerned with this issue - besides caring about the woman they realize another life is also at stake here.
Anonymous said…
Joan
You are very intolerant of those who believe that a baby with a whole new DNA and life is a person worthy of respect and life and not property that can be bought, sold, experimented on, and killed at will or whim.

You likely would have owned slaves and been very intolerant of those who said that they were 100% persons and not 3/5th persons as the law then stated, had you lived a few short years ago.

Your intolerence earns you the title of baby killer just like the slave owners earned their title.
Anonymous said…
Nonnie, we've been over this time and time again on this site. Nothing changes.

Your concerns have been noted, as have the concerns of all the other Vote Yes people. The majority of South Dakotans cast votes that said they do not agree with that.

You call it saving a baby's life. Other people call it showing concern and compassion for the woman and keeping the government out of private decisions.

The idea of forcing a woman to bear her rapist's child or a girl being forced to bear her father's child does not sit well with most people. They believe the rights of the woman/girl should take precedence over concern for an underdeveloped embryo. They believe that a woman who has a life-threatening disease should not have to wait several months for treatment.

Pro-life organizations cite studies that show that abortions hurt women. Other scientific studies - done over a period of many years with a cross section of population - show that most women have no regrets about having an abortion because continuing with the pregnancy would have been an even worse experience.

The study showed that women who did have problems afterwards probably had problems before the abortion. Emotionally healthy women, whose religion did not forbid abortion and who did not associate with pro-life people who could heap guilt on them, had few, if any, problems after the fact.

Although Leslee managed to round up some doctors who publicly agreed with her - including her son-in-law who publicly lied for her - many doctors opposed HB1215.

Deciding to mislead people with the statement that there was an exception in the bill - after touting earlier that there was not - damaged the credibility of the Vote Yes people. If they fibbed about that, what else will they lie about?

I would guess you can thank Leslee Unruh for that decision. Leslee harmed your cause and she will be more of an albatross in the future now that people have seen her on television and realize how mentally disturbed this woman is.

Women who make the decision to abort and then regret it need to get help instead of trying to force other women to take a different route. It's called taking responsibility for your actions instead of blaming other people.

No one has taken anything away from the pro-life people. They still have a right to their own beliefs. They still have a right to carry their pregnancies to term. They just don't have the right to force their beliefs on everyone else through legislation or to make personal decisions for strangers.

I don't know what the future holds for abortion rights in South Dakota, but there WILL be exceptions for rape and incest victims and pregnant women whose health is seriously jeopardized.

South Dakota voters have spoken. You might as well get used to it.
Anonymous said…
anonymous 7:49 - Your ridiculous assertion concerning slaves and your baby killer remark says more about you than it does about me.
Anonymous said…
Joan, are you part of your mother's body? Personally, I'm no more a part of my mother's body right now than I was prior to being born. I've always been me, regardless of where I took up residence.
Anonymous said…
Some of you are being dishonest in saying a sick ,pregnant woman couldn't get help under HB1215. If you ever read the bill it clearly states that any medical treatment can be given, so long as it does not intentionally kill the baby. If the baby dies or is injured unintentionaly, it is not a crime under this law. To say women must wait months waiting for medical treatment is either a lie, or you don't know what you're talking about,
Anonymous said…
10:41 - Haven't we had these discussions before - again and again and again?

Now how about if we agree to disagree because nothing is going to change.

You believe what you believe, and I will keep believing what I believe. This is America. We don't advocate mind control here.

12:22 - That, too, is a matter of contention. I read a letter to the editor from one doctor, in the Mitchell paper, I think, that said he was scared to death of that law because he didn't think the wording would protect him if he had to treat a seriously ill woman.

Either way, the voters have spoken and it's out of our hands.
***

To all of you reading this:
The most you can do now is to pray that God will direct people to do whatever He thinks is the right thing. You can count on Him to know what the right thing is without being told.

And if you're looking for an outlet for your time or energy, why not do things to help the poor, neglected and abused children who have been born. Agencies that care for those children will welcome the help, and it will make you feel good too.
Anonymous said…
Amen, 12:40. As a pro choice GOPer the thing that keeps me fighting it the hypocritical nature of those that tell women what they can and can't do w/their body (believing the fight is to save a "baby"/child) and yet look the other way when it comes to abuse and neglected children/DSS funding, adoption, wic, food stamps, etc. Wow, I sound like a lib.
Anonymous said…
Joan makes good points, HOWEVER I have a question.
Do you feel that abortions for any reason should be allowed? Even if a woman at term just prior to labor could by legal right go in and have a normal baby aborted?
If you don't then this needs to be fought at the Sup Court. THis is but one example of the anything goes from the Sup Court ruling.
Now i would said the above example is extreme and yes it does happen. I do not have the stats.
Anonymous said…
Anon 8:26
Question where is the responsibility of the parent or parents in taking care of the child? People need to stop dumping children on society and step up to the plate. Yes, in cases society should and must help, but it seems more and more people figure hey the state will do it. I feel that is wrong.
I also know that i just opened up a big issue statement with many different factors to play with.
Anonymous said…
7:49 - Of course I don't think it is okay to abort a baby after it is viable.
But why does South Dakota have to be the state that pays the legal bills? Planned Parenthood is the only abortion provider in our state, and they will not abort beyond the end of the 12th or 13th week - so late term abortions are not South Dakota's battle to fight.
The evangelists and pro-life people need to find a more populous state - one which has an income tax, less poverty, isn't ranked lowest in the nation for teacher pay, and can afford to maintain safe state highways - and let that state fight that battle.
Anonymous said…
Anon 12:39, to set the record straight, Planned Parenthood kills children up to 13 weeks & 6 days. (Their technology is sophisticated enough to be able to determine the age of the unborn child, but they just can't determine that the little girl on the ultrasound display screen is a human being.)

After 13 weeks & 6 days, abortions in the state of SD are performed at a facility with an adequate blood supply to be able to handle any medical emergencies that might occur, such as a perforated uterus. There are at least two facilities that perform the later-term abortions.
Anonymous said…
9:05 pm - Am I correct to think those two facilities are hospitals? What is the criteria that determines when they will perform late term abortions at those two facilities in South Dakota?
Anonymous said…
I still think Ellie has CLASS!!
Anonymous said…
YUP! Elli has class, manners and is smart enough to understand that a baby is a baby! She also adopted children who needed parents and has a work ethic that is beyond belief.

Anyone who said anything bad about her here doesn't know her and likely is silly enough not to know that a baby is a baby.

Elli I so regret that I wasn't able to vote for you! You so deserve the best!
Anonymous said…
1:44 - Why couldn't you vote for Elli? Do you live outside of South Dakota, or are you too young to vote?
Anonymous said…
Because 1:44 is a fetus

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