Sabotage is not an acceptable nor is it an ethical campaign tool.

In the Sunday, June 25, 2006 Argus Leader article, “Many at GOP convention ask where did Sahr rumors start?” Senator John Koskan was quoted -- “The rumors about Sahr’s conduct didn’t surface overnight … I don’t know where they came from … That’s the beauty of a rumor.” Waited a minute, did he say “beauty of rumor”, didn’t he mean to say that is the tragedy of a rumor?

Call it a rumor, don’t think so. I personally call it political sabotage. Sabotage is not an acceptable nor is it an ethical campaign tool. This is low rent campaigning on the part of the instigators. To win at any cost is totally and completely unethical in every sense of the word. It is just plain wrong. It is totally dishonest to employ such tactics.

I have no idea who Mr. Sahr is, but I do know that he has a wife and children. What right did these people have in creating mayhem in the personal lives of the Sahr family? Did the saboteurs give any considerations to them? I find this whole situation of attacking a fellow Republican over an alleged issue that has nothing to do with his elected position or his job performance totally absurd.

This leads me to only real question that needs an answer -- who started the rumors in the first place? Who is behind all of this and what personal gain would this person be hoping for.

Bill Peterson serving as a delegate from Minnehaha Country at the GOP convention was quoted in the same Argus Leader article, (Sahr) “could almost write his own ticket”, with regard to his political future. Mr. Peterson you know better than that. This campaign against Mr. Sahr used the scorch and burn tactic. This is not to imply that Mr. Peterson had anything to do with this issue, only that Mr. Peterson is a seasoned political person who knows what he said was total bull.


“A saboteur is anyone who consciously or unconsciously undermines or destroys another's personal or professional integrity; creates mayhem in another's personal or professional life; damages another's personal or professional credibility; or causes a reduction or destruction of someone's self-worth and self-esteem. A saboteur can act intentionally or unintentionally and can be overt or covert in the action delivery.”
-- Dr. Judith Briles
Author of “Woman to Woman 2000-Becoming Sabotage Savvy in the New Millennium”


One More Time -- Campaign Code of Ethics

This is an idea that I found a number of years ago and on several occasions I have presented this idea to several South Dakota Republican candidates, who very politely handed it back to me with the explanation that no one would accept such an idea. So here it is one more time, certainly not for the last time.

In the past “let’s be nice agreements” were employed as a silly little campaign tricks to offer it up to the Democrats, if you sign it I’ll sign it. Of course this never happen for a number of reasons. After recent events in the Republican Party I am challenging the Republican candidates to sign this agreement. We owe it to the voters of South Dakota.


Republican Campaign Code of Election Ethics for the 2006 Elections

Purpose
To provide the public with truthful, fair and clean campaigns for public office, and to decrease cynicism, alienation, and declining participation in civil society among South Dakota voters.

Assumptions
I understand the importance of free, open, sincere and intense debate in maintaining an exemplary representative democracy.

I believe that electoral campaigns are subject to unacceptable levels of negativism, attack advertising, and other practices which demean civil society.

I understand that each candidate is fully responsible for fair and ethical practices by or on behalf of his or her campaign.

Five core values are fundamental to our society and are widely shared throughout South Dakota: honesty, fairness, respect, responsibility, and compassion.

Principles of Fair Campaign Practices
My campaign will be committed to the principles of honesty, fairness, respect for my opponent(s), responsibility, and compassion.

Honesty and Fairness
I shall emphasize my views, beliefs and experiences. I am committed to an open and public discussion of issues and presenting my record with sincerity and frankness.

I shall not use or agree to let outside parties use subtle deceptions, half-truths, falsifications, or such practices as push polling. If such practices are used by outside parties without my approval, I shall repudiate it immediately and publicly upon my knowledge of its occurrence.

Factual claims made by my campaign, about myself and about my opponent(s), will be supported by publicly available, factual documents provided by my campaign office.

I will disclose all contributions made to my campaign and will supply my campaign finance reports for publication via the Internet.

Respect
I shall avoid demeaning references to my opponent and demeaning visual images of my opponent(s).
I shall respect my opponent(s). I shall not use, or allow to be used, personal attacks, innuendo, or stereotyping.

I will debate my opponent(s) in a public, non-partisan setting. I will insist that the organizers of such debates give equal input to my opponent(s) concerning the arrangements of such debates.

Responsibility
I shall present my record and that of my opponent(s) accurately. I shall focus on issues relating to the office I seek and will avoid personal attacks on my opponent(s).

I shall ensure that my campaign staff and campaign supporters will observe these principles of fair campaign practices. I take full responsibility for all advertising or other statements created or used on my behalf by staff and supporters.

I shall conduct my campaign openly and publicly, discussing the issues as I see them, presenting my record and policies with intensity, sincerity and frankness, and criticizing without fear and without malice the record and policies of my opponents and their political parties that merit such criticism.

I will not condone or allow outside party advertising which does not meet the principles contained in this document. If such practices are used by outside parties without my approval, I shall repudiate it immediately and publicly upon my knowledge of its occurrence.

Compassion
In the conduct of my candidacy, I shall show compassion at all times for my opponent(s). I shall remember that the campaign process is fundamental to representative democracy and that my behavior in the campaign affects the integrity of our society.

Signed June 25, 2006

Note: Checking to see where the original idea came from and to what extent it has be rewritten. Numerous states have adopted candidate code of ethics.

________________________________________________________

A little present for everyone who is going crazy studying for the bar.

From the blog of A Girl Walks Into a Bar (Exam)
Nifty little Java applet that's a virtual set of 900+ Bar flashcardshttp://www.flashcardsuite.com/SampleDecks/ahs.html


This is to ease your mind – it’s okay that your studying 12 hours a day – your not stupid. Your doing the right thing.

http://barexam06.blogspot.com/ excerpt from this site:
It's Just Like Law School
From Tab and Brandy
The word around BarBri is that certain people are lying about their study habits in order to either 1) freak people out, or 2) convince people they shouldn't study. So people who've been observed partying claim to study 12 hours every day, and people who claim to never study are actually members of the psychotic Nazi study group.

So in the end the truth is being told by lies? It's almost as confusing as Property. Wait... I take that back, nothing is as confusing as Property.


Tuesday, June 13
Is A Four Hour Time Good Enough To Pass The Bar?
Everyone says it's a marathon, not a sprint and therefore you should pace yourself. But what exactly does that mean? I understand that means you shouldn't go so fast that you burn yourself out but doesn't it also mean that you have to be at the pace where you're not going too slow? And isn't that the bigger fear, the fear that you're going too slow, not that you're going too fast. How do I know that I'm going at a 1o minute a mile pace when I should be going at an 8 minute a mile pace? Is the right pace simply the one where you're completing all the tasks of your bar prep program right on schedule? Not doing less than scheduled because that would be too slow and not doing more than scheduled because that would be too fast? Or is there something more to it?Anyway, the following is a post over at P.A.S.S. The Bar Exam regarding burn out.

I see how some people have just had it. Others want even more time to pull it all together. Either way, it's cool. Give yourself a break. It's normal. It's very personal. And, bottom line, either way, you have no choice. You are taking this exam on July 25, 26, and 27, and YOU are going to pass! Done deal. No options. No way around it. You'll go in then, and do your best.So, how do you get through until then? A couple of thoughts. 1) Exercise. Most people are stressed, quite normally so. The best way to burn off the excess stress is to burn it out, with exercise. 2) Pace yourself. Take breaks. Remember even during the bar, you get close to a 2 hour lunch break between the morning and afternoon sessions. So, feel free to take long lunches now, each day. Stop fully and relax. Then get back into it. And, when you've put in a full day of studying, take off at night to relax before you get a good night's sleep. And, make sure to get a good night's sleep, each and every night. 3) Last, but not least, get comfortable with "practice test days." One way of coping with the actual exam is to walk in with a "been there, done that" --attitude.

You've been writing practice exams all summer. Those days, tell yourself, "This is just another practice exam." Do your best. You can handle it. I know you can!Above all, be kind to yourself. This IS one of the hardest times in your life, one of the steepest mountains you will ever have to climb. The good news is, once you get through, it's a lifetime license.