Noem Spins Irresponsible Behavior as Virtue

I've thought that Kristi Noem's lengthy criminal record—skipping court six times, earning two arrest warrants—is a sign of either complete irresponsibility (Court date? Oopsies! Forgot again! Tee hee!) or sheer arrogance (What? You expect me to go to court? Do you know who I think I am?)

Noem's comments on Weekend Edition Sunday this morning convince me all the more it's arrogance. NPR's Brian Naylor asks Noem about her lengthy record of court-dodging and arrest warrants. She not only ignores those violations, but she tries to dress her unsafe driving up as virtue:

My nature has always been to be in a hurry and to try to get things done, and that's obviously something I need to work at when it comes to my driving record [Kristi Noem, interviewed by Brian Naylor, "Political Pedigree No Longer Protects S.D. Rep," NPR Weekend Edition Sunday, 2010.09.05].

Wow. The gall. Princess Kristi is just trying so hard to get things done, she can't be bothered with something so trivial as a court date. She says she needs to work on her speeding, but she never says she is working on it. She portrays her risky behavior as "her nature," as if it is something beyond her control.

This isn't hard, Kristi. When you're behind the wheel, you don't speed. When you get a ticket, you pay it. When the judge says come to court, you come to court. Quit trying to dress up your problem as "nature" or some noble effort to "get things done" and be responsible. Responsibility is a choice, the kind of choice you Republicans expect of everyone else.
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Update 2010.09.06: Gee, ignoring the law really is a Noem family value:

It isn’t that uncommon in Noem’s family, based on court records since 1989. Noem’s husband, Bryon, had 18 recorded traffic citations during that period, 11 of them for speeding. Noem’s brother, Rock Arnold, had 34 citations during that period, 25 of them for speeding. He also missed court or fine payment dates four times and had warrants issued three times. Another brother, Robb, had 21 citations, including 12 for speeding.

And Noem’s mother, Corinne Arnold, had 11 citations, nine for speeding [Kevin Woster, "Noem Apologizes for Traffic Citations," Rapid City Journal, 2010.09.05].