The Phantom Molester goes to Washin.... Well, he wants to go to Pierre, at least.

Yeah, he's running. As noted on the Secretary of State's website Merlyn "Justice" Schutterle is running for the Legislature against Senator Jay Duenwald.

Jay has my sympathy. Not because Merlyn stands the proverbial snowball's chance in hades of winning, but for the aggravation. Elections should be fun - a challenge of pitting your beliefs and abilities against a worthy opponent. Here, we have someone who's main goal is to be a pain.

From his website at http://www.merlynschutterle.com, here's the Phantom Molester's views on education.

When I was principal at Wolf Creek Elementary, I discovered the local bootleggers and drug dealers had more power than I did. I was an agent of change in a system that thrived on failure. I did not even complete the year.

One of the most failed teachers I ever encountered is teaching in Shannon County. I gave him a test for the seventh grade and asked him to make an answer sheet for it. After thinking about it a while, I thought I had better check his answers. It was a disaster. He is now serving in the South Dakota Legislature and on the Education Committee. I tried to have him fired, but he was too well entrenched politically with members of the community and school board. His name is Jim Bradford, and you can find his photo on the net under South Dakota Legislature.

When Governor Rounds was on a search for Education Secretary, I wrote him and suggested he get someone outside of education who was skilled in systems analysis because the system is failing. Instead, he chose superintendent Rick Melmer to head up the department. I thought I would share my experience with Melmer and hope it would benefit him with his decisions about education, especially with the reservation problem.

My first meeting with Melmer went quite well. I especially enjoyed his comment when I complained about the lack of leadership in education. His response was, “There is no leadership.” He sure proved to be right about that.

Later, when I pressed him for his plan to improve education on the reservations, he offered no plan, but asked me out of his office. He never had one.

He wonders why people don't want him in their office? I think I know of a Dale Carnegie book that might do him some good.

I blogged on his candidacy a couple of months back where I had noted some of his background:

Not familiar with the Phantom.. er, Merlyn that is? Here's his own website on geocities, and a KELO link on his considering the US House race back in 2002. His own website describes how he was investigated by the FBI and also provides copies of a few mental evaluations that Merlyn has undergone.

Merlyn believes he was unfairly targeted for evaluation at the HSC in Yankton by former Governor Janklow. Although, I'm not sure what you would do with a guy who calls himself the phantom molester.

Never a dull moment. Stay tuned.