Mark St. Pierre Seeks Signatures to Challenge Thune

My neighbor Rod Goeman cites a Rasmussen poll on strong anti-incumbent sentiment, but notes that John Thune is "safe". Earlier this spring I had an online conversation with a Tea Party type who said "We should vote out all of the incumbents!" but hemmed and hawed when I reminded her that John Thune is an incumbent.

Care to test whether the people shouting "Throw the bums out!" really mean it? Mark St. Pierre is willing to conduct that experiment. Last night he sent to various Dems this call for signatures... and the attached petition images. In St. Pierre's words:

...as you know the party did not put forward a candidate to challenge John Thune. Johns record as a simple minded obstructionist is know to all of us. If the Democrats put forward, "Keeping Breathing Air Free" he would vote to kill it. He is against bank regulation, consumer protection, consumer education, health care and virtually everything. I am sure he is still singing "drill baby drill" at bed time, even as millions of comon folk like us lose their income and culture in the Gulf Region. I could not in good conscience let this man, of all men, run unopposed as if people of good conscience in our state approved in some way what he has been doing, or more realistically, not been doing. If it were up to Johhny, the Iraq War would be offcially enacted as never ending as it creates profits for big business, his real constituency. We have a chance, a slim chance I will grant, to stop him and send a Progressive to Washington. I am a new-commer to politics. I live on the Pine Ridge Reservation. I have not spent years getting to know all of you, but I have recieved the endorsement of many long time Democrats including, Paul Jenson, 5th generation Democrat, Jay Davis, Curt Pochardt, Deb McIntyre, Twila Merril, and many many more. I have the help of dedicated and progressive Independents like Kim Ames Wright, Chairwoman SD Ind. Movment 81000 strong, (out pounding the pavement). I have been a Democrat or a Democrat leaning Independent all of my life and been a business man, educator, writer, community development professional, and film maker, father of 3 and grandfather to 7. This is certainly the grass roots effort stories evolve from and I ask you to join us, who are out collecting signatures, to at least give us a chance to organize around a candidate who is on the ballot. We are at 1400 signatures with a little over a week to go. We need 4000. If everyone on this email list got one sheet completed we would have the number we need. All of us will be out everyday until the 7th to make this happen. Do not let this opportunity to send a clear messaage to the U.S. slip away. Join us! [Mark St. Pierre, e-mail, 2010.05.29].

Given that everyone is out fishing and waterskiing and not checking their e-mail, this message may go unnoticed for a couple days. Come Tuesday, we'll see if St. Pierre gets a fire started.

If that's what you want, click the above petition scans, print them front-to-back on the same sheet, and go get signatures. St. Pierre's running as an independent, so an registered voter, Dem, GOP, or otherwise, can sign. Practically, you have until Friday to fill it up and get the notary to stamp it. Then, since it's a facsimile and not the original document, you have to mail the document to St. Pierre so he can submit it himself to the Secretary of State.

But people, we really need to stop waiting until the last minute on these things.

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Update 2010.05.30: A St. Pierre operative updates the push, noting that mail take stwo days to get from Rapid City to Kyle: "People can also mail notarized petitions to Jim Petersen, in Rapid City, 1203 11th St., Rapid City, SD 57701, (petersen100@cs.com- 342-6245)) so as received by 7th - if it's last minute, the weekend of June 5th-6th this might result is speedier delivery than mailed to Kyle."