Free Republic

Leftists really do have anger management issues. Captain Ed earlier showcased Al Franken's f-bombs, and tonight KSTP-TV displayed St. Paul Council-thing Dave Thune's expletives to a fellow St. Paul citizen in a response e-mail: St. Paul businessman, Mike Costello said he got upset last week when he saw City Councilman David Thune protesting at the Republican National Convention. "I sent him an email saying how disgusted I was and that I thought he was a disgrace to the city and I asked him for his resignation. I said you should resign," said Costello. Thune responded with an email that said...

Other senators touted the plan's affordability to U.S. taxpayers and its efforts to provide energy in environmentally friendly ways. The plan is estimated to cost $85 billion, but would be offset with "loophole closers and other revenues," including money from the new leases and from closing a oil industry manufacturing tax credit. Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., said the oil drilling portion of the plan would open up areas of the eastern Gulf of Mexico as well as areas off the eastern United States. He said the plan calls for a 50-mile buffer zone. Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia...

In the Senate, it nowadays apparently takes a self-appointed, biparitsan "gang" of senators to get past the partisan gridlock. For instance, there was the Gang of 14 group of senators who helped the Senate get beyond an impasse on judicial appointments a few years ago. Today, a new group of senators calling itself the Gang of Ten, announced that it had arrived at a compromise energy proposal meant to break the partisan logjam that exists on the issue. The group's members are: Sens. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Mary Landrieu...

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., on Friday introduced a bill that would change language in the 2007 energy bill to allow wood waste from national forests to count toward the Renewable Fuels Standard in the energy bill. In a last-minute change, the final version of the energy bill enacted in December contained a definition of "renewable biomass" that excludes any material removed from national forests. The definition means cellulosic ethanol derived from wood chips and other wood waste from national forests does not count toward the renewable-fuels standard. The result is that fuel blenders and refiners have no incentive or requirement...

When I heard Sen. John Thune getting heckled Friday morning, it underscored a theme I've been thinking about more and more -- incivility in political discourse. The heckling also reminded me of a Swiftian "modest proposal" once offered in jest -- I hope and pray -- by novelist and buffalo rancher Dan O'Brien, a friend with whom I often share whacky ideas. But first, the Thune story.

From its birth, our nation has put a high value on independent thought and freedom of speech. Our Founding Fathers themselves saw their lot as conscientious insurrectionists seeking freedoms they believed were inalienable rights. They understood the importance of permitting freedom of conscience whether it be in the religious, political, or social sphere. Today we continue to fight to preserve these freedoms both here at home and in many dark corners around the world. Unfortunately, some in Washington DC are reviving an old idea that the government can, and should, regulate the reporting of news, information and ideas. If we...

For much of the past month, the Senate has been considering a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The debate has been a contentious one, and this week the Senate decided that it would not move ahead with the bill in its current form by a bipartisan vote of 46-53. I opposed the bill because it would have provided nearly immediate legal status to between 12 and 20 million illegal immigrants. I believe that, before we deal with those illegal immigrants already here, we must first secure the borders of our country to effectively cut off the flood of illegal immigrants. Otherwise,...

Arizona Sen. John McCain has introduced federal legislation to protect talk radio shows from the reinstatement of past rules that required dissenting voices be given equal time on their shows. McCain and fellow GOP Senators John Thune of South Dakota and Norm Coleman of Minnesota have put forward legislation preventing the reinstatement of the 'Fairness Doctrine'. The Fairness Doctrine was done away with in 1987 but previously required political radio shows to offer equal time to opposing viewpoints as part of their Federal Communications Commission licenses. A number of Democrats and liberal advocates want the Fairness Doctrine put back in...

It’s good to see the right kind of bill moving through Congress. U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) has introduced S. 388 – the equivalent of H.R. 226 – which is a national Right-To-Carry bill for reciprocity for state carry licensees for concealed weapons. In short, any person with a valid concealed carry permit issued by a state would be recognized to legally carry in any other state. The bill would require states to officially recognize each other’s carry permits just like nationwide recognition of your driver’s license. Imagine: carrying your concealed weapon wherever you travel. Because law enforcement derives its...

Washington, D.C. – – Frontiers of Freedom Institute today voiced opposition to approval by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of a $2.3 billion bailout for the privately-held Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E), orchestrated by DM&E lobbyist-turned-U.S. Senator John Thune. "The American taxpayer is being railroaded again,” said George Landrith, President of Frontiers of Freedom Institute. “This enormous government giveaway is a textbook example of a stealth pork project that drives up the federal deficit. Congress and the President should put a stop to it.” “The loan and the secret way it was engineered are outrageous. We don’t even know...

Sen. John Thune, who upset some Republicans last month when he suggested that GOP candidates distance themselves from President Bush on Iraq, has decided he won't seek the job of leading the Senate Republican campaign effort in 2008. Thune, who was considered a front-runner for the post, said the job would involve too much travel and time away from his family. Thune spokesman Kyle Downey said Monday that Thune would continue to raise money for GOP candidates on his own time. The freshman senator attracted attention in July when he advised candidates running this year to distinguish themselves from President...

Shortly after the news broke last week that Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) had told an audience he would advise Republican candidates to distance themselves from President Bush on the Iraq war, the aspiring freshman began working the Republican Conference to extinguish the flames...But almost as quickly as those news reports began spreading through the Conference, Thune started reaching out to his fellow Republican Senators to explain that his words had been mischaracterized...In an interview Friday, Thune said he feels it is important that his colleagues hear directly from him that the published reports were off base. Thune said he “was...

Thune Says He'd Distance Himself From Bush Jul 19 1:06 PM US/Eastern By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON Freshman Sen. John Thune, the Republican hero two years ago for ousting the Senate Democratic leader, said Wednesday that if he were running this year, he'd distance himself from President Bush and his agenda. In 2004, the White House political operation recruited Thune to challenge Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. He dealt the Democratic Party a major blow, edging Daschle in South Dakota as Bush captured a second term. Thune, a conservative who rarely breaks with the GOP or Bush,...

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Sen. Mark Dayton apologized Tuesday to Sen. John Thune and the people of South Dakota after telling Fortune magazine that Rochester's Mayo Clinic "is worth a hell of a lot more than the whole state of South Dakota." Dayton, D-Minn., was addressing Thune's role in expanding a federal loan program that would allow the South Dakota-based Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad to apply for a $2.5 billion loan for an upgrade project. The Mayo Clinic opposes that project, which runs through Rochester. Thune, R-S.D., who lobbied for the railroad while campaigning for the Senate in 2004, condemned the comments Tuesday,...

CHRIS WALLACE, HOST: Among those listening to every word the president says Tuesday night are congressional Republicans who will have to run on his agenda. We turn now to two young guns of the GOP, Senator John Thune, who joins us from his home state of South Dakota, and here in studio, Indiana Congressman Mike Pence. Thanks for coming in today. SEN. JOHN THUNE, R-S.D.: Thanks, Chris. REP. MIKE PENCE, R-IND.: Thanks, Chris. WALLACE: White House officials say the president is going to offer a more modest domestic agenda in the State of the Union speech this week because this...

The Talk Shows Sunday, January 29nd, 2006 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.; Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean; former Commerce Secretary Don Evans. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. FACE THE NATION (CBS): President Bush. THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.; Dominique Dawes, Olympic gymnast. LATE EDITION (CNN) : White House counselor Dan Bartlett; Sens. Joseph Biden, D-Del., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan.; former President Carter; former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

PIERRE, S.D. - Republican Sen. John Thune says his first year in office has been a good one. Thune, who defeated former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004, said he has learned a lot since he was sworn in last January. A former member of the House, Thune said he has found it easier effect change in the Senate. "It is nice to be one of 100 (senators) as opposed to one of 435 (House members)," said Thune. He said one of the biggest frustrations during has tenure has been the struggle to put the people's interests ahead of...

South Dakota Senator John Thune hints that there might be a tinge of regret among the Senate GOP over yesterday's Warner-Frist vote. HH: I am now joined by Senator John Thune of South Dakota...We've got to throw hammers at your colleagues today, John Thune. What happened yesterday? You were on the right side of that vote, as were a lot of the freshmen. Richard Burr joined us yesterday, Tom Coburn joined us yesterday. You guys got it right. What happened to your colleagues? JT: You know, I really think, Hugh, there is so much concern about public opinion polls, and...

Pathetic.One expected no better of the Senate Democrats, who want to get out of Iraq as soon as possible, or sooner than possible--most of them don't really care--and who want to embarrass president Bush. But couldn't the Senate Republicans have stood and fought against passing an irresponsible resolution suggesting that Americans want to get out of Iraq more than we want to win?The Republican leadership may have figured they didn't have the votes to defeat the Democratic proposal without giving their members a weaker alternative to vote for. But better to lose such a vote by a small margin than...

The White House decided to employ a politically-palatable, pundit-prescribed exit strategy with the withdrawal of Harriet Miers. Because of that, Miss Miers is no longer a nominee to the United States Supreme Court, and much of America may believe the Bush Administration's contention that she withdrew over a request for documents. In actuality, she withdrew because her 1993 pro-abortion speech came to light, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back for the great Dr. James Dobson, Senator Sam Brownback, Senator John Thune, and any members of the conservative base who had reserved judgment up to that point....

The Talk Shows Sunday, August 28th, 2005 Guests to be interviewed today on major television talk shows: FOX NEWS SUNDAY (Fox Network): Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Rhonda Winfield and Dr. Barbara Porchia, mothers of fallen U.S. soldiers. MEET THE PRESS (NBC): U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad; retired Gens. Wesley Clark, Wayne Downing, Barry McCaffrey and Montgomery Meigs. FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., and John Thune, R-S.D. LATE EDITION (CNN) : Sens. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Trent Lott., R-Miss.; Khalilzad; former Sen. Max...

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) sat tense, crouched and glowering as the base-closing commission delivered its verdict about Ellsworth Air Force Base in the ballroom of a Crystal City hotel yesterday, then leapt up gleefully when the bomber base's death sentence was commuted. The 44-year-old's political career may have been spared as well. Last fall, Thune unseated Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) in part by claiming that a Republican tight with the White House would have a better chance of saving the perennially impaired Ellsworth, a Cold War arsenal in the middle of the prairie. So it was potentially...

WASHINGTON - The base closing commission voted today to keep open Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota - rejecting the Pentagon's plan to close it - as the panel labored toward conclusion of a politically delicate task that has brought alternating sighs of relief and exasperation in communities across America. The surprise decision was a setback for Pentagon leaders, a blessing for South Dakotans who feared losing some 4,000 jobs, and a victory for Sen. John Thune and the state's other politicians who lobbied vigorously to save the base. Thune, a freshman Republican, unseated then-Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle...

When then-House Republican backbencher Dick Armey came up with the concept of an independent base-closing commission in the mid-1980s, the idea was to make it easier for the political system to do the right thing... As we're seeing in the current round of base closings, even the Armey method is having a hard time surviving the ability of Members to sabotage the process.... The Pentagon has proposed closing a record 62 major bases and 775 small installations to save $48.8 billion over 20 years and reposition the armed forces to face current threats.... Before the Brac Commission was even in...

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission will have finished its work by week's end, and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota probably will be closed forever. That also will close Sen. John Thune's tenure as national Republican poster boy following his victory last year over Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle. This is a cautionary tale of what happens when politicians forget politics.

The Base Realignment and Closure Commission will have finished its work by week's end, and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota probably will be closed forever.

WASHINGTON -- The Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) will have finished its work by week's end, and Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota probably will be closed forever. That also will close Sen. John Thune's tenure as national Republican poster boy following his victory last year over Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. This is a cautionary tale of what happens when politicians forget politics. President Bill Clinton saved Ellsworth for then Sen. Daschle during the last BRAC process in 1995, but President George W. Bush was detached in 2005. The resulting closure demolishes Thune's home state prestige and threatens...

WASHINGTON - There wasn't much fanfare, but former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle said this week he's not planning a rematch against Republican Sen. John Thune in 2010. Daschle had to make that clear to the Federal Election Commission, which sent a letter last month asking Daschle to clarify his status. Since Daschle's candidate fundraising committee had spent more than $5,000, he officially qualified as a candidate. The Daschle campaign responded to the commission on Monday in a letter: "At this point in time, Senator Daschle does not intend to become a federal candidate for the 2010 election cycle." Steve...

Dashel is interviewing an author. He is amazinginly DULL. This is the person who perpetrated gridlock the first years of the Bush presidency? The shadow? He is so smaller than life... (and this is Trent Lott's friend.)

As a game of political chicken shapes up between freshman U.S. Sen. John Thune and the White House, the biggest casualty could be President Bush’s agenda. With strong backing from the national GOP and the president, Thune defeated Tom Daschle, the Democrat’s number-one man in the Senate, in a race that saw South Dakota become one of the nation’s most contentious political battlegrounds. Thune and his supporters were able to out Daschle as the liberal obstructionist he really was — as opposed to the moderate he played on the county-fair circuit. Daschle’s charade didn’t always work, but he could at...

Senator John Thune has long been a darling of the White House, handpicked by President Bush as a rising Republican star. But just months after winning election by telling voters that his ties to Mr. Bush would help save their military base, Mr. Thune is facing a new reality. At home in South Dakota, he is feeling the heat from his constituents, who are furious over the Pentagon's plans to close Ellsworth Air Force Base, the state's second-largest employer. But in the Senate there are only so many options available to a freshman - even if that freshman is Mr....

On the same day he was voting to end the Democratic-orchestrated filibuster of John Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations, freshman Sen. John Thune (R.-S.D.) floored conservatives by revealing that when and if there were a full Senate vote on confirmation of Bolton, he would oppose the President's nominee.

So much for the new era of good feeling. As last week began, 14 Senators struck a deal to save the judicial filibuster by giving three of President Bush's judicial nominees an up-or-down vote. By week's end, Senate Democrats began a filibuster on John Bolton's nomination for U.N. ambassador. If you were among those who believed the deal on judges heralded a new spirit of Congressional bipartisanship, consider yourself disabused. The latest line of attack against Mr. Bolton is that, as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control, he seems to have expressed views about Syria's WMD capabilities at variance with...

BOLTONBLOGGING: ANOTHER REPUBLICAN BOLTS By Michelle Malkin   ·   May 27, 2005 10:11 AM Another Republican joins the "maverick" club: Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the man who defeated Tom Daschle, has announced he will not vote for Bush U.N. ambassador nominee John Bolton. Thune says his opposition is payback for the Pentagon's recommendation to close Ellsworth Air Force Base. Thune now claims that Bolton "is not the best man for the job." From AP (hat tip: reader Cynthia M.): Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday that he would vote against the nomination of John Bolton to be ambassador to the United...

05/26/2005 Thune Threatens Votes On Bush Priorities Senator John Thune has been one of the most loyal Republicans to President Bush, traveling around the country to raise money and championing the party's priorities. Now that the Pentagon has targeted South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base for closure, Thune is increasingly flirting with the opposition. This week he threatened to vote against the nomination for John Bolton, Bush's embattled nominee to be United Nations ambassador. He's also has declined to take a position on the Central American Free Trade Agreement, another Bush priority. Thune says Ellsworth will not go down without...

Democrats Extend Debate On Bolton By Charles Babington Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, May 27, 2005; A01 Senate Democrats refused to end debate on John R. Bolton's nomination to be U.N. ambassador yesterday, extending the contentious issue into next month and angering Republicans only three days after many had heralded a bipartisan breakthrough on judicial nominees. Some Republicans expressed confidence that they can confirm Bolton eventually, but yesterday's action seemed to stun party leaders and undermine talk of a newfound comity stemming from Monday's brokered deal on judges. "The honeymoon is over," Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) said sharply as he...

South Dakota GOP senator brings underdog tale to Greeley Doyle Murphy, murphy@greeleytrib.com May 6, 2005 Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., told an underdog story, and the hall was filled with people eager to hear it. Thune's tale of his victory against Democratic party leader Tom Daschle last fall is one of Republicans' greatest victories in a Senate race. When the race for Daschle's South Dakota Senate seat began, Thune was a nobody. At Thursday night's Weld County Republicans Lincoln Day Dinner, someone paid $350 for a bottle of champagne that he had signed his name on. "I thought it was encouraging,"...

  GOP entices top Thune for speech tonight Doyle Murphy, murphy@greeleytrib.com May 5, 2005 Four months ago, Republicans across the country celebrated as John Thune knocked off the country's most powerful Democrat during South Dakota's U.S. Senate race. Republicans in Weld County made plans to bring Thune here. Before Thune could pack for Washington, D.C., Weld Republicans chairman Darrell Call and vice chairman Ron Buxman began to make plans to lure him to Greeley for their organization's annual Lincoln Day Dinner. "We started back in November talking about the Lincoln Day Dinner and who we could get," Call said. "Sen....

UP-OR-DOWN VOTES ON JUDICIAL NOMINEES: A WINNING POSITION Senators Chambliss, Cornyn, Thune, And Martinez All Ran On Judicial Nominations - And Won ________________________________________ Campaigning Against Judicial Gridlock Has Resonated With Voters: The Washington Post: "Democratic Strategists Said That Some Of The Party's Senators From States Bush Carried In The Presidential Election Could Be Reluctant To Support A Filibuster For Fear Of Being Portrayed As Obstructionist - A Tactic The GOP Used Successfully In Congressional Elections [In 2004] Year And In 2002." (Helen Dewar and Mike Allen, "GOP May Target Use Of Filibuster," The Washington Post, 12/13/04) The National Review: "The...

WASHINGTON — What a difference a decade makes. On a cold day in mid-March, Republican Sen. John Thune was corralled by reporters while walking through the U.S. Capitol building back to his office after casting a number of "no" votes on budget amendments. Then, he was stopped by a group of South Dakota constituents. And as he made his way through throngs of tourists and others, even the most casual observer would notice a high degree of recognition — something he didn't have nearly 10 years ago, when he was first elected to the House of Representatives. And this week,...

Title and link only.

On the GOP side, add rookie South Dakota Sen. John Thune, who took down former Democratic leader Tom Daschle . Senior Republicans say he's being groomed for a veep or even presidential run.

Why would any person or organization professing to believe in clean democracy object to revealing the names of the people influencing its policy? One such is Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) — a self-important moniker if ever there was one — which has repeatedly refused to tell The Hill who sits on its board of directors, unlike all eight other members of the Congressional Ethics Coalition. CREW’s secrecy is hypocritical. Its avowed mission is to promote greater transparency in federal politics. Its website boasts, “Our aim is to encourage officials to be open about their values and...

Roll Call’s Mary Ann Akers will reveal Thursday that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dined earlier this week with Fox News CEO Roger Ailes and Sen. John Thune, the man who took out former Democratic Minority Leader Sen. Tom Daschle, RAW STORY has learned. The dinner, Akers is set to report, included Rumsfeld, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper, Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, conservative columnist William Safire and Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul Gigot, and their wives. “Despite incessant rumors of Rumseld’s imminent departure, [Aker’s] source said the secretary was...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tracey Schmitt 202-863-8614WASHINGTON – Today, the Republican National Committee launched Off the Record, a weekly video series of candid interviews with Party leaders, activists, and rising stars in the GOP. This week, Off the Record features Senator John Thune (R-SD) speaking on a range of topics including his recent visit to Iraq and the importance of new media in politics. “Our new video series allows gop.com visitors the opportunity to learn more about Republican leaders and elected officials than they get from the typical TV soundbite,” said RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman. “We look forward to helping...

WASHINGTON -- I had an interesting discussion with a newspaper columnist the other day. He was remarking on my commentary comparing the 90th Congress when I came to Washington with the 109th Congress that just began its business. The columnist said the incoming Senators can't compare with those greats who were key players in both parties in 1967. In fact, he pointed to articles which are being written about the seven new conservatives who have just taken Senate seats representing Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Oklahoma and South Dakota. He said when we look back at them we...

WASHINGTON Call them the five horsemen of the Republican Revolution: incoming US Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, John Thune of South Dakota, and David Vitter of Louisiana. Their arrival in the US Senate next week gives a powerful boost to both fiscal and social conservatives on issues ranging from judicial nominations and abortion rights to tax reform. It also tips the number of former House members in the Senate to 52 percent - the first time it has passed a majority. More than just an additional five GOP votes, they...

FIVE FEISTY REPUBLICANS: From left, David Vitter of Louisiana, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, John Thune of South Dakota, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, and Richard Burr of North Carolina. How five newcomers could change Senate Staunch GOP conservatives shift from the tightly organized House to the prestigious club of 100. WASHINGTON – Call them the five horsemen of the Republican Revolution: incoming US Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, John Thune of South Dakota, and David Vitter of Louisiana. Their arrival in the US Senate next week gives a powerful boost...

John Thune says he's ready to get the Republican agenda moving again in the Senate.     The senator-elect — who focused the nation's eyes on South Dakota as he defeated Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle on Nov. 2 — returns to Washington as a conservative former member of the House of Representatives.     "I think this is a class that can really be a catalyst for change," the South Dakota Republican said in an interview with The Washington Times. "I hope we put together a record of accomplishment." [snip]As a senator, he said, he'd first like to help "jump-start" bills that...