Dave Kranz: Hildebrand dividing Democrats over Abortion
Dave Kranz has an interesting story this morning - one of his better ones in a while - on how Democrats are divided over using resources provided by Steve Hildebrand:
At issue is the state Democratic Party's contract with Steve Hildebrand, former campaign manager for former Sen. Tom Daschle. Hildebrand's backers say he provided a valuable voter registration file from that campaign to assist Democratic Party candidates.Go read it all here. God forbid, the Democrats are divided over abortion as well. Anyone have a copy of one of these infamous letters? (e-mail me here)
Several Democrats who voted for the abortion ban don't dispute the value of the list, but are concerned that Hildebrand is helping defeat their pro-life candidates in the June 6 primaries or in the November election.
Letters are circulating from three players in the issue, but none of the authors made them public. They are state Sen. Julie Bartling, D-Burke, and former state Sen. James Hutmacher, D-Chamberlain, anti-abortion supporters; and pro-abortion rights state Rep. Elaine Roberts, D-Sioux Falls.
Also objectionable to anti-abortion lawmakers is Hildebrand's presence on the Legacy Fund that was formed with money left over from Daschle's campaign and is used to help legislative candidates.
Hutmacher wants Hildebrand removed from the Legacy Fund.
"In private business, if I had an employee who undermined the business, I would fire the guy. Bottom line, if I had the option, he wouldn't be doing the voter file," Hutmacher said.
If the voter list from Hildebrand is so important, Hutmacher reluctantly says he would be OK with them using it yet this year.
Comments
I think Chad and I would agree on one thing (and maybe that's it). Nobody pays anyone to blog nowadays.
If they did, the rest of us would try to jump on that gravy train.
No one "gave" the voter ID list to Hildebrand. Daschle "gave" the file to the state party and I am paid to administer it. Democratic candidates for office are given any and all data they request.
The contract with the state party is very, very small. Almost not worth mentioning. Talk to the legislative candidates who have taken advantage of the voter file services offered by the state party through myself. I've adminstered this file for the past three years, so it made sense for me to continue to do it for a very small fee. I've calculated it out and I figure I'm earning about $12 bucks an hour for spending time with legislative candidates and come up with a targeted list for them. And I am happy to do it if it means electing more Democrats to the legislature.
And no one is "smearing" Julie Bartling. I'd like to see what "smear" has been put on her. Julie is a good woman. I think we can all agree on that. But she voted the wrong way on one very big issue and those who disagree with her are entitled to run a primary campaign.
And for the record, Julie Bartling has received voter file information from me through the state party and I am happy to provide her with whatever other data she may need to run her campaign.
It's just a election, folks. If you're upset about a primary (in a brand new district with no true incumbent, mind you), then just win. Whining is counterproductive. I don't really care what side you're on. If you are interested in this race, then get involved and do what it takes for your side to win. For too many years we as a party have been preoccupied with whining. That needs to change and we need to focus on winning.
So now you "don't really care what side people are on?" Wow!
So, why is it being disloyal to support a different candidate in a primary when there is no incumbent? Especially when the opponent is better known in the new district and has a better relationship with the Tribal Leaders in Todd County (where most of the Democratic votes are)?
Sounds to me like Julie Bartling and her friends are just suffering from a case of sour grapes. Apparently they think there is such a thing as a free ride in politics.
You are so right when you refer to Chad as a hypocrite. In a recent blog he allowed a comment about Meatloaf's children and whether or not they were virgin's while taking off comments about Kate looby's kids.
HYPOCRITE is the only word you can use on him.
What's worse is that he hides it.
If you are in love with Kate just ask her out or are you a coward as well as a hypoctite.
The only thing worse than a hypoctite is a liar. No wait, I guess if you are a liar and a hypocrite it would be worse. So congrats you are both.
It's hard running a blog when english is a second language for you.
Clean up the "f's". Show a little class.
Your mendacious (look it up) proclivities are getting the better of you and your blog.
Unfortunately, no one really wants to address what they have in front of them: a primary election. They'd rather whine. What a sad state our party is in when those who are supposed to be its activists can't get off their asses and do anything for their chosen candidates but instead only whine about a primary election. That is the makings of a loss. Aren't you guys tired of losing? It's getting pretty old to me. The whining has gotten us nowhere.
Here are the facts as I've learned them. This flap didn't start because Julie Bartling attacked Democrat consultant Steve Hildebrant or any pro choice Democrats. It was consultant Hildebrant and his employees on their blogs who fired up the flamethrowers to scorch Bartling because she supported HB 1215. Bartling has no choice but to defend herself.
For Republicans, we've seen the same dumb thing happen with the Grand Imperial Purge of the RINOs (Republicans in Name Only), which caused some very loyal Republicans to get disgusted and walk over to the Democrats. That was dumb and so is the Martha's Vineyard Liberal Purity Test that Democrat consultant Hildebrant et al are running.
What consultant Hildebrant violated is very simple to understand: If you take a job or a contract for a major function for the state party, Democrat or Republican, you lose your right to participate in primary campaigns -- especially against an incumbent senator who also happens to be the party's senate whip.
If that is not a major violation of the Dems' party bylaws, it is certainly a major violation of a time-honored professional ethic for political consultants: Don't bite the hand that pays you.
If he were in the United States Senate today, would Hildebrant's former boss Tom Daschle give a staffer or campaign contractor the boot for helping in a primary against Hilary Clinton or Ted Kennedy or Kent Conrad? Hell yes! Then he'd make the fool shine the boot once it was extracted before seeking a new job at Wal-Mart.
When the D.C. clients learn that consultant Hildebrant can't even keep his act clean in South Dakota, there will be fewer of them taking his phone calls in Washington or anywhere else.
You continue to fulminate against anyone who disagrees with you. It's pathetic and so is your "edited" blog.
Deomcrats on the SDWC. There goes the neighborhood.
But I don't mind if he takes out Julie Bartling...
Is the simpson that's running against Bartling Bob Simpson's Dad (Daschle ex-staffer)?
Looks like Hildy will have a presidential campaign to run. He can practice taking out Bartling, then take out Hillary!! GO TOM!
The "attack Hildebrand" campaign is nothing more than an attempt by the anti-choicers at a hostile takeover of the entire SDDP apparatus. Won't work.
Regardless of how you feel about these individuals, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Is this how you want your children to act?
i've volunteered on elections for nearly 30 years and I can tell you from my experience there has been no tougher election for either side. there were a lot of voters i talked to that really wanted to vote for both men.