Inbox: Hildebrand Decries SHS Political Tactics on Weiland

From my inbox this morning, a letter from Steve Hildebrand:

3,834 South Dakota Democrats Are Demanding Change
March 31, 2010

Friends,

In case you haven't heard, Kevin Weiland made an 11th-hour decision not to run in the Democratic primary for Congress against Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

While I share the disappointment expressed by many, Kevin's departure from the race doesn't change my belief that our current Representative has veered from the priorities important to everyday people.

Sadly, Representative Herseth Sandlin talks a good game, but consistently takes a walk on some of the most important issues facing our country. She says we need to curb the harmful effects of climate change, but then votes against the most important energy reform legislation of our time. She says she has worked for reforming health care since she got into office, but when sweeping and historic health care reform legislation had a real chance for passage, she not only voted against it on multiple occasions, she actually advocated for its defeat.

It's been difficult to count on Stephanie to do what's right. During health care, she joined every Republican member of the House and Senate by voting no. She sided with Republicans and big oil companies by voting to allow drilling in Alaska. She sided with the NRA when she voted to allow firearms in our national parks and loosen the ban on handguns in Washington, DC. And she joined supporters of discrimination when she voted for a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage.

On issue after issue --the big ones -- the ones that prove a politician's mettle and define their character -- Stephanie has gone astray.

I'm not alone in how I feel. In the short six days of the Weiland for Congress campaign, nearly 4,000 South Dakota Democrats signed petitions seeking an alternative. What if we had two weeks or 30 days to gather signatures? No doubt we could have increased the number to 10,000 or maybe even 20,000.

We can hope that 4,000 Democrats joining together sends a strong message to Stephanie. The disappointment in her voting record reaches far beyond the four walls of my office and it comes from some of the most experienced and respected people in this state. It includes former congressional staffers, her former campaign chair and chair of the Republicans for Herseth Committee who switched parties to become a Democrat. Those who signed petitions include hundreds who gave campaign contributions and gave their time to help her win past elections.

I've learned a lot about the political process over the last week. What stood out most was the energy and excitement that I saw from these 4,000 Democrats who showed a hunger for new leadership. I hadn't seen anything like in South Dakota before. It was energizing. People put their lives on hold to follow their convictions. You've all inspired me to continue to speak out when I see injustice, when my convictions conflict with a political leader -- whether Republican or Democrat.

In the final 24 hours of this six-day-long Weiland for Congress campaign, I saw the best of politics and the worst. The best was the engagement of everyday people who believed they could make a difference. The worst was Stephanie's use of typical Washington political tactics to pressure Kevin from challenging her in the Democratic primary. She recruited House Democratic Leaders (minus Speaker Pelosi) to put pressure on Kevin. She nervously sought help from current and former Democratic elected officials from South Dakota. And she was even calling Kevin to ask what political favors she could provide in order keep him from running.

In the final moments before the 5 pm filing deadline, Stephanie and her Congressional staff were negotiating with Kevin, language to include in a joint statement if he agreed not to run. At the same time, one of my staff was sitting in his car outside the Secretary of State's office with petitions containing 3,834 signatures from passionate Democrats from every part of South Dakota.

When all was said and done, Stephanie's only promise was to vote against any effort to repeal the health care bill. In reality, there is virtually no chance that repeal could pass the House or Senate and even if it did, I believe President Obama would veto it. So she conceded to nothing. Nothing.

Has Stephanie learned anything in the last week. Does she understand the anger and disappointment felt by thousands of South Dakota Democrats? Will our feelings be taken into account when we need her vote on the big issues?

Or will this last week's activities -- and her success in getting Kevin to back down, embolden her even more?

Only time will tell.

We need to continue using our voice and our vote -- challenging politics as usual and pressuring those who oppose issues containing the fundamental corps beliefs that make us Democrats. It's simply too important.

So I respectfully ask you not to be discouraged or disappointed. We didn't lose yesterday. We sent a powerful message to the Congresswoman that her re-election doesn't matter to us when she walks away from the big issues.

Thanks for your commitment and advocacy!


Steve H

Liberal Dems Pawns in Hildebrand's Primary Chess?

Joel Rosenthal spins a tale that makes liberals like me and other Weiland petitioneers out to be dupes of the wily Hildebrand political machine and the incumbent Congresswoman that machine secretly loves.

Both Stephanie and Hildy fully understand that Federal elections in South Dakota are won in the center, hence why the Congresswoman has been moving to the Center. Hildebrand while his positions are more liberal than the Congresswoman’s, and he desperately wanted to deliver her vote for his ex boss, The President, certainly does not want the South Dakota seat to go into GOP hands in 2010. Thus Hildebrand is taking action to move Stephanie further to the center. Kevin Weiland is acting as his foil. Having a primary allows Stephanie to start campaigning with her Independent message now rather than wait until the Fall [Joel Rosenthal, "Crazy like a Fox," South Dakota Straight Talk, 2010.03.28].

Could the primary get any more X-Filesy? Steve Hildebrand plays Cancer Man, manipulating us Mulder Democrats who want to believe into strengthening the very Blue Dog hand that we want Weiland to fight. In Rosenthal's world, Hildebrand knows we angry libs are a minority even in our own party, and our vocal primary challenge will only provide a backdrop against which SHS can better prove her centrist-Republican cred. (Expect campaign ads featuring Stephanie eating feedlot steak.) In Rosenthal's world, the Hildebrand campaign has whipped up volunteers across the state in less than a week all for a chess game in which we will checkmate ourselves.

Rosenthal at least rejects the notion that Hildebrand is working in concert with the Herseth Sandlin camp to arrange a primary dog and pony show. That would be too much conspiracy theory for me.

But even Rosenthal's main thesis seems a too much of a stretch to concoct a man behind the curtain. I've been arguing that a primary will make the winner stronger, but do professional politicos like Hildebrand believe that? If Hildebrand (along with a fair number of the Dems who have rearranged their schedules to canvas neighborhoods on short notice) is really backing SHS, would he really go to all this trouble? It would seem there are easier and cheaper ways to highlight a candidate's centrist leanings than to manufacture or at least fan the flames of a primary challenge that will cost the favored candidate money.

So you tell me: are we being tricked? Is Hildebrand really part of an Obama plot to co-opt leftist populist (leftipop?) anger the same way Dick Armey and the Republicans are gaming Tea-Beck populist anger to support their political status quo?

Or could it be things are what they are: a lot of South Dakota Dems are fed up with a Democratic Congresswoman who acts like a Republican, Steve Hildebrand backs Kevin Weiland, and we are going to have a straight-up discussion about the direction of the South Dakota Democratic Party.

Occam's Razor, anyone?

--------------------------
p.s.: Evidence suggests a good hot primary is more likely to be good for the winning Dem.

Herseth Sandlin Votes No, Health Care Passes, Hildy Says...

South Dakota Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin bucked her party and the interests of South Dakotans to vote in the minority against health insurance reform last night.

So the question again arises, Primary, anyone? Steve Hildebrand offered a possible yes last week. "If the vote is very, very close and we lose it or come close to losing it, I will take a seriously look at challenging her," Hildebrand told CNN last Tuesday.

Come close to losing it: 219–212. Three votes to spare... and the President had to give my hero Dennis Kucinich a ride on Air Force One to get there. Is that close enough?

Mr. Hildebrand, you could make it interesting. You could give us South Dakota Dems a chance to test drive that new open primary.

But you know—and I'm just spitballing here—instead of making SHS's life unpleasant for two months, why not drive her bonkers for seven... by running against Senator John Thune?

Maybe, Mr. Hildebrand, we need a good Wellstone Democrat (do I overstate the Blue you do?) to lead the public conversation, not just during the primary season in a thrilling but brief intraparty squabble, but in the big show, drawing money and press into our state right up until November 2. Sure, we should hold SHS accountable for not supporting the President and Democratic ideals on the big votes. But maybe the best way to do that is by challenging Senator Thune on his record on health care, student loans, and credit card reform... and thus spotlighting the fact that our Democratic Congresswoman voted the same way.

It could be a very enlightening conversation. And you could bring us that conversation for seven months instead of two.

Now if we have some mystery man or woman in the chute to challenge Thune, cool: send Steve after Stephanie and let's rumble. But if the Senate nomination is still open... well, Mr. Hildebrand, you might still get to hold SHS's feet to some fire and serve the greater good of draining Thune's war chest.

Hildebrand May Challenge Herseth Sandlin in Primary

Holy cow! Back in November, I asked if any South Dakota Dem was up for a primary challenge to our incumbent Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

If she blows another health reform vote, Steve Hildebrand may say yes:

Hildebrand, deputy national campaign manager for Obama's presidential campaign, told CNN in an exclusive interview that he has been frustrated with Herseth Sandlin's voting record for some time, especially her decision to oppose the House health care reform bill in November. The House is expected to vote again on the issue later this week and a Herseth Sandlin spokesperson has said she plans to vote no again.

"I want to see how she votes on health care," Hildebrand said. "If the vote is very, very close and we lose it or come close to losing it, I will take a seriously look at challenging her."

"She is on the wrong side of history," he added [Mark Preston, "Obama campaign guru eyes House seat," CNN Political Ticker, 2010.03.16].

I am so ready to have this conversation. Steve! Bring it on!

Ben Smith at Politico also notes that Hildebrand and SHS have offices in the same Sioux Falls building. Golly, they could carpool to debates!