Secretary of State elect Jason Gant has hired former Dakota War College blogger Pat Powers as his Director of Operations. That's bad. Really really bad.
Kevin Woster over at Blogmore has a post about the appointment here. Contained in that post are comments from Sen. Stan Adelstein. I don't often agree with Stan. But I agree with him here.
Mr. Powers is a radical, religious right vicious name-calling bully with little or no respect for anyone other than those who believe exactly as he does. His blog is the reason this one exists. It was the name-calling and genuinely cruel spirit on War College that caused The Decorum Forum to be created. And, we've tried to maintain the position that however far apart we are on a political debate, we are able to discuss our issues here like civilized adults.
Former Forumpian moderator Bill Fleming, my friend Bob Newland and I have all slipped now and again. But we try. Powers took great joy in poking cruel fun at those with whom he disagreed. And, there is no evidence of which I'm aware, that he will perform differently in the Secretary of State's office.
I have absolutely no confidence whatsoever that Mr. Powers will dedicate himself to fair and honest elections in South Dakota. In fact, I believe he will do everything within his new-found power to do just the opposite. Plan on electioneering at polling places. Plan on churches who are also polling places being allowed to distribute propaganda and harass voters.
It is no accident that Powers' blog archives were sent to the big byte bucket in the sky prior to taking this new position. Even he knows that he has no business trying to do the job he's been given. This appointment is a very disturbing shame, and will do little to help Mr. Gant's credibility.
13 comments:
I listened to a Sec/State campaign debate on SDPB - Mr. Gant did not impress me with his ideas or debating skills.
He (Gant) hasn't assumed office yet, and his judgment is already called in to question. I understand some of Secretary Nelson's staffers have jumped ship - seeing the future, apparently.
What can be done (about Powers), or is this the price of political allegiance?
!
Pat Powers: a "radical, religious right vicious name-calling bully"? Please.
I'm offended that you would say such a thing about Powers when he is incredibly mild in comparison with me when it comes to being a committed conservative across the board, and an outspoken advocate of Christian values as well. He's practically a "moderate" when compared to me. I feel so slighted!
Interesting, too, that you you seem to have little or no respect for this person who doesn't believe exactly as you do, whom you claim has little or no respect for anyone other than those who believe exactly as he does.
Of course, that's what liberals like yourself are good at: condemning others what you do yourself, and usually excel at.
Though Pat didn't respond nearly as strongly to liberal antics and prattle as I did, he was nevertheless pretty good at pointing out the hypocrisy and illogic of liberal "moderates" like yourself and Senator Adelstein. Part of that hypocrisy was displayed here in your critique of Mr. Powers. And hypocrisy and inconsistency are the order of the day when it comes to the way you liberals try to paint patriotic people of traditional values as "extreme" and yourselves as paragons of objectivity and moderation (example: your hysterical fear-mongering about electioneering, et al, here in this piece).
You and your ilk should do everyone a favor and just be open about how liberal you actually are. Acknowledge it. Claim it. Revel in it. Don't be shy.
Of course, you're at least smart enough to realize that most people know to run from liberals and liberalism like the plague, and that the only way you can get the average person to take you remotely seriously is to pretend you're conservatives.
Oh well. An optimist can always hope, right?
There should be many opportunities in the very near future to call into question Gant's judgement. Powers' actions will end his superficial political career. Why do you think Powers got bannished from the Governor's office several years before the end of Rounds' term?
Oh my, Ellis. I wish there were enough hours in the day to point out your hypocrisy.
"unwors"
Don't worry Mike. You're not a liberal. Far from it.
Ellis, I am a liberal. And proud to say so.
I haven't figured out what you are yet. In fact, I've given up trying, mostly because it's just not all that interesting, truth be told.
Now that you've made yourself irrelevant — even to those who were once inclined to agree with you — why in the world should any of the rest of us care what you have to say?
ip could use a little cover fire:
"uvingal"
Michael and Stan are exactly right. Based upon his record of dishonesty, censorship, immaturity, and petty hackery, Powers is unfit to hold work in an office in which objectivity is paramount.
And if this WASN'T his record, then ask yourself, why did he delete it all?
Powers spent years writing and publishing things about people and issues -- and the things he said were often untrue and reprehensible. He did this for no other reason than shameless self-promotion. And then to opportunistically delete it all? What a coward. What a fucking coward. Sorry, Mike. There’s no other way to put it.
Nothing worries me about anything Mr. Ellis writes. He doesn't know me.
Opposing views have always been welcome at Decorum Forum, including his. That's the point of my post.
I know I'm not a liberal. But I have a strong enough belief in our Constitution to know that our country is at its best when we are united. And, we are at our best when liberals, moderates and conservatives work through our differences for the good of the country.
Powers deleting all his past commentary speaks volumes now.
Both parties are nothing but tax and spend libs. Ellis thinks he's somehow different ....lol!
There is no Republican party anymore. One side would help the down and out while the other side would help the richest 2% . Welfare is Welfare is Welfare. Either way our grandkids pay for it. Both are lovers of everything 'Big Government', they just disagree on what kind of big government they want representing them.
After lambasting our current president for spending the last two years the Right gifts the richest 2% an $800 billion dollar welfare check.
How liberal of us ALL.
ragned
"Why do you think Powers got bannished from the Governor's office several years before the end of Rounds' term?" --One Who Knows
I don't know. I wish you would tell us, OWK.
I really don’t think PP was ashamed of the diatribes that he deleted on SDWC. He was just trying to protect his climb up the control freak ladder in state government.
And Bob Ellis your total insignificance in matters relating to how others around you feel about your own ,self important, views is dually noted.
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