More good stuff from out west

I heard another couple of good ones from out west tonight.

(Consider it unsubstantiated rumor at this point, but) the talk out there is that Rapid City Alderman Sam Kookier might be challenging Rapid City Mayor Jim Shaw in the mayoral race this summer.

The person I spoke with said that we can expect Kookier to team up with fellow Rapid City alderman Mike Schumacher who will be managing his campaign.

There's also been unconfirmed talk that outgoing Pennington GOP chair (and an alderman himself) Bill Okrepkie might also potentially be a candidate.

He had to drop out of partisan politics while he was a candidate, but after his loss to A.P. "Pete" Fuller for the judicial race, State's Attorney Lance Russell is back in as Fall River County GOP Chairman. He's back up for election as S.A. in 2008, but the question is whether or not he'll pull the trigger for that or another race...

More good stuff to come...

Comments

Anonymous said…
What on earth are you saying lance might run for? Please, let us know. Karl Adam and Thune may have plans for Larry, but Lance? Also, I think all would agree Shaw/Santa has worn out his welcome.
Anonymous said…
Wow - RC is sure in need of some good candidates if those three are the only ones who surface!

Also, the russell boys have worn out their welcome with many, many people.
Anonymous said…
Go Sam! It is time to send the Ewok back to Endor.
Anonymous said…
Lance disgraced himself in his race for Judge. His non-political campaign was blatantly and inexcusably partisan, his manners atrocious. He didn't even win in his own County. He should hang it up.
Bob Newland said…
It's Kooiker, not Kookier. It's pronounced "Quaker".
Bob Newland said…
And Lance Russell is still a punk.
Anonymous said…
Yeah, Bob. "kookier" refers to you and me, as in which one of us is kookier? Never mind. I already know the answer. The left handed, Irish one.
Anonymous said…
You should have said: "the russell boys have worn out their welcome with many, many liberals."

Larry worries liberals about the House seat Stephanie will likely vacate to take Johnson's senate seat.

Lance took on the establishment, received 45% of the vote, exposing the liberal, incumbent democrat "free-em Fuller", who went to law school before Lance was born. Was it really a disgrace, or was the liberalism just well-documented?

I guess it is just a matter of perspective. Liberal or conservative.
Anonymous said…
7:00 Here's the long and short if it for you, Ace.

Lance took time off to campaign door to door lying and cheating all the way.

Fuller kept doing his job.

Lance broke all the rules.

Fuller broke none.

Lance lost by 10 points.

If Fuller would have campaigned like I wanted him to, Lance would have lost by 30 points.

Fuller is too kind, decent and above board to play the way I was suggesting he should.

So give it a rest, will ya?
Anonymous said…
What lying? Did Lance claim to have endorsements he didn't have?

What cheating?

What rules were broken? Or are you referring to that pesky campaign finance law?
Anonymous said…
Winds of change are blowing on the poitical scene in Rapid City--The current Mayor and council have almost bankrupted Rapid City, now the Mayor and Council president want to annex some more comercial areas outside the city limits to raise enough revenue to cover their mistakes.

GOOOOOOO KOOIKER !!!!!
Anonymous said…
"Larry worries liberals about the House seat Stephanie will likely vacate to take Johnson's senate seat."

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Anonymous said…
Sam would make an excellent mayor for the people of Rapid City.
Anonymous said…
Go Sam!

Larry R. for House - Ha Ha
Anonymous said…
Lance for AG in 2010, Larry in the House. A dynasty from Fall River County.
Anonymous said…
Just a bit of levity here...I have a friend who lives in the condo where Fuller lives. He had his trashy van in the parking lot for awhile (after the election, interestingly) and my pal was afraid to complain that it looked like a junk-car lot because he thought it might be seen as political. I saw the van and it looked like something out of the hippie 60s, rusted and plastered with bumper stickers, and had a license plate that had shorthand for "probable cause." I thought it was kind of creative myself. :-)
Anonymous said…
It's an hilarious car. An old VW microbus. Not trashy, just old and funky. I think it was his dad's. Pete's always driven it, both before and after the election. It's his favorite car. If I had it, it would be mine too.
Anonymous said…
I doubt Kooiker would run. Why would anyone want to be Mayor of that mess?

I wish he would though.

I hear Tom Johnson and Deb Hadcock are also running. Rumors will fly until all the petitions are in.
Anonymous said…
I wish Sam would run, too. He honest, responsive and a good steward of the taxpayers' money.
Anonymous said…
Why would Kookier have BIG Mike manage his campaign. I've heard many times that he got fired by the Pennington County GOP, partially for laziness. Plus, he has no principles or loyalty.
Anonymous said…
I find it interesting to hear that Mike was supposedly "lazy." I worked in that office during Victory 2002 and. Mike was usually there before the Victory staff (Dorr included) and worked just as late as any of them. I also find it interesting that Qusi said they didn't have the money to continue with a full-time ED and they haven't had a full-time ED since. Also, why wouldn't Kooiker want Mike to run his campaign? Mike ran a longshot campaing against two well-funded opponents and won. He ran Kooiker's last campaign against a better funded Tom Hennies...and won. I believe he also helped run Ray Hadley's campaign for Mayor in 2003, when he had no shot and got him to 20% against Munson, Shaw, and Hanks. Sounds like he might know what he is doing.
Anonymous said…
I have it on very good authority that when Mike was executive director of the Pennington County GOP that he was shopping at the Rushmore Mall on election day. Good thing victory was there to carry the ball.

Mike, you are bragging way too much. It sounds like Mike is desperate for any credit due to "his" candidates.
Anonymous said…
Who was Mike's longshot candidate? Mike thinks pretty highly of himself. Kookier could do better!
Anonymous said…
Is Ron Schmidt 7:23? It is surprising that Schmidt would work harder for a democrat than he has for any republican for the 10-plus years he has been the Republican National Committeeman.
Anonymous said…
11:45. Good point. Schmidt probably is 7:23.
Anonymous said…
Yeah, Schmidt should be ashamed of himself. You would have thought some of the RNC rhetoric about the courts would have rubbed off on him.

I guess he's just another country-clubber using conservative money for himself--golfing, parties, exotic locations and fine food. Exactly what South Dakota does not need representing the rank and file--those who go door to door in promotion of the values of hard work, family and who know that liberal courts have been the democrat bullwork in the war on values and capitalism.

I'm sure he's had alot of fun on the $25 contributions of little old ladies who are trying to protect our values.
Anonymous said…
I am finding many of these comments about Mike to be interesting, but a few corrections need to be made. First, he was not shopping at the Rushmore Mall on Election Day, I was sitting next at the same table as he was as we took phone calls with vote tallies from poll workers. Second, he was not lazy. He worked hard and I for one, as a member of the TARs, appreciated his efforts. Finally, one of the longshot campaigns he ran was his OWN, you moron. Blogs are great, but it really helps when people are informed.
Anonymous said…
I'm sure Mike made an appearance at GOP HQ election day, but I'll simply leave it to the reader to contact their friends in Pennington County who were directly involved in the County GOP organization to determine if Mike was/is lazy.

Mike can argue as much as he likes, but he certainly didn't measure up to his predecessors, who are for the most part pretty tight and certainly loyal to each other and the principles of the GOP. Mike is the ODD man out.
Anonymous said…
Public officials are defined by the individuals they associate with. Guilalini had Kirk. Clinton had Morris. Bush has Rice.

I hope Kookier's association with Schumacher isn't cast in stone. Unless, of course, he is as unscrupulous and deceitful as Schumacher. Then, of course, they would be a match made in Heaven, so to speak.
Anonymous said…
Mike Schumacher is a friend of mine. He is a smart, articulate young man,father and husband. He works hard and is loyal to his friends. If he is so incompetent, how could he be such a great threat, that you folks have to bash him anonymously?

Lets take the high road folks, or, ar least use your names or the names of your "good authority"

Rick Kriebel
Anonymous said…
Rick: I am sure you have heard about Mike's shortcomings as ED for Penn. Co. If not, it won't be hard for you to discover as you know many in the organization.

I cannot believe that Mike is the last to know about his abilities. I thought Clinton had denial issues!

P.S. I don't think he's a great threat, but someone whom Kookier should not be relying on for advice, unless they share the same principles and approaches.
Anonymous said…
Whatever Mikes "shortcomings". I consider bashing people, anonymously, with comments void of facts and proof a "shortcoming" as well. If we are going to go after Republicans that are not "loyal" (I assume to the party planks) The list will be long in Pennington County, and Mike will not be at the top of the list.
Anonymous said…
Mike has a very high impression of himself and his abilities. It reminds me of a song "You're so vain" But his impressions of himself may not square with his reputation which is built on facts. Remember, nothing worth attaining is easy.

A good reputation for hard work, honesty, and principle are hard to attain and are sought after by many.

Politics is also a rough sport, especially for folks who do not possess the above discussed attributes. Whining about the forum you readily embrace seems a little disengenuous, again lacking the attributes described above. This reminds me of another apt phrase: "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch."
Anonymous said…
sounds like anon 7:18 has a high opinion of itself as well yuk yuk

maybe it should come out from under the porch and share some facts and proof like anon 1:43 said.

According to 7:18 annonymously ridiculing someone in public equates to "hard work,honesty and principle"

I did not see anyone whine about the forum, all I read was a challenge to use your names, present facts and proof. Must be to much to ask from some ?
Anonymous said…
Let's just say that the form it took smelled.
Anonymous said…
I also smelled that breeze. That is the epitome of lazy. I would certainly think that is some evidence to hang your hat on.
Anonymous said…
I think Deb Hadcock would be a good mayor. If she tried to run and there would be a lot of people a lot more happier in Rapid City. Mayor Shaw is a good mayor. I hope everything goes as planned. I just want to say that Alderman Schumacher and Alderman Kookier should go do something different than be on the city counsil. They aren't very good they keep putting other people down.
Anonymous said…
I am not a person that knows much about politics. But I want to say that Deb Hadcock is good at what she does. She finds solutions too the answers that are being asked. She looks at the positive and helps the negative turn into the positive. She could have stayed on the other side of the fence instead she went through the gate to help those people. So Deb thanks for helping me and the people in Ward 2.
Deb is doing a lot for this city. Look what she has done for the downtown area. Anyway please say things that are good and postitive.
Anonymous said…
We need people on the Rapid City City Counsil, that are willing to get there hands dirty and do something great for our city. I am not going to bad mouth any of the ones running for city counsil. I hope all of you vote right in this city counsil election in June. I know it is too soon to tell who is running in each ward. Thank you very much

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