The South Dakota Sioux Reservation Vote--D'asshole's letter to the WSJ

More letters on the subject:

Voting Absentee Is Only Practical

In response to your editorial about Sen. Tim Johnson's defeat of John Thune and what you perceive as a questionable vote total on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation: I've spent nearly 30 years in South Dakota Democratic Party politics at every level from precinct man to chairman. Had you researched what happened on the reservations this is what you would have found:

There was an extremely effective voter registration drive and absentee voter effort. It is doubtful many of your readers have to travel upward of 40 miles to cast their votes. On the reservations that is more the rule than the exception. Given the living conditions and South Dakota's unpredictable weather, voting Indians absentee is the only practical way.

Had you watched the returns, you'd have noticed that at around 3:30 a.m. John Thune had a 3,200-vote lead with all the no-reservation counties reporting. But either by accident or design, the majority of the reservation precincts (including more than just Shannon County) had not reported. Any observer of South Dakota elections would know at that point, given the exceptional voter turnout on the reservation that had reported, this was going to be an extremely close race. Also, on the Pine Ridge Reservation there was not only the general election but also an election for tribal chairman, featuring the aging Indian activist Russell Means. Certainly, this increased turnout and interest on the Pine Ridge.

The Republican attorney general, after spending several weeks prior to the election investigating allegations of voter fraud along with the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, found "no evidence of voter fraud." However, this effort was not unusual. It has been a common practice several weeks before an election to cry "voter irregularities on the reservations." While this has never amounted to anything other than to whip up the racist sentiments of West River whites, it nonetheless has been very disconcerting to the Indians. This time they fought back, ignored the threats and intimidation, and voted in record numbers.

Clifford Scott
Former Chair
South Dakota Democrat Party
Sioux Falls, S.D.

Updated November 20, 2002

Where Were the Poll-Watchers?

As a financial contributor to my friend John Thune's campaign, I sympathize with your suggestion that a recount was justified to unearth obvious, and perhaps decisive, irregularities or worse. It was also interesting that the precincts in question were the very last to be reported, just as it had appeared that Rep. Thune was successful.

However, unearthing fraud and abuse at the polls is not his responsibility. Problems and alleged illegalities were reported on the reservation in advance of the election involving fraudulent absentee ballot applications. The question is, on election day and night, where were the poll-watchers? The U.S. Justice Department? The media? The state attorney general? Perhaps they were there, and found nothing more than the aforementioned case where charges, as you noted, have been pressed. But if those with some direct responsibility for the administration of justice -- or their watchdogs, the press -- were as outraged as you, perhaps one of the more pungent sides of democracy would be disinfected.

But don't blame John Thune -- he did the right thing. It is not too late for legal and media investigations that could result in the changes needed to prevent this from happening in South Dakota's next Senate election, if not elsewhere in the country.

Kelly Johnston
Newtown Square, Pa.

As you requested.

No doubt Daschle wrote his letter in crayon.

Oglala Sioux

That's about it: no evidence, no basis whatsoever for the claim, and an omission of the fact that South Dakota's Republican attorney general and Republican secretary of state found no grounds for any such suggestion of fraud.

Mr. Daschle, I'm disappointed in your assessment, very disappointed. Does not the arrest of the woman who acquired over 50 (democratic) absentee ballots suggest fraud to you? I wonder how many times this occurred and no one was caught? Obviously, we can't tell if the votes were cast (secret ballot), but we can surmise.

No doubt a "staffer" had to write it for him. He was too busy being "disappointed".

"also an election for tribal chairman, featuring the aging Indian activist Russell Means"

Thanks, TS - just some thoughts:

Is Russell Means still a fugitive from justice?

If everyone votes absentee due to the 40 mile drive to the polling place, why does it take until 8:00 the next morning to tally the results?

I see Daschole and his minion got their "it's time to attack with the racial injustice claim" faxes and sprang to action, as instructed.

The letter from Clifford Scott is interesting in that it says most Indians need to vote absentee because they're so far from polling places (40 miles? Can this be true?), yet then hoards of those who live on the Indian Reservations drove those 40 miles to vote.

There's no mention whatsoever about the stories story we've read here about the woman who signed up all those people with all the same addresses and same handwriting. Apparently everything was on the up and up with her? Or is that something that no one wants to talk about anymore?

It takes til 8am because you have to know how many votes you need to win.

Methinks Daschle doth protest too much. . .maybe he's writing to threaten off the DOJ officials from probing too deeply. . .

Thanks.

Causing dismay and anguish for Daschole is proof that the WSJ is doing its job and doing it well....

Does not the arrest of the woman who acquired over 50 (democratic) absentee ballots suggest fraud to you?

Facts are of no concern to a Democrat.

Facts are of no concern to a Democrat.

Sounds like a workable campaign slogan to me. I'll dash off a memo to Carville. :)

The fact that tommy two tongues letter writing staffer
thinks the wsj is a right wing paper says volumns.

Mr. Daschole, I'm trouble by the concerns of your letter. It raises questions, and I'm anguished over the concerning troubles, which raises more troubling concerned questions, and that concerns me.

P.S. What's it like to be 5'1" and proportionately incapable of pleasing women? It raises questions, troubling concerned questions.

Given the living conditions and South Dakota's unpredictable weather, voting Indians absentee is the only practical way.

Does that phrase seem funny to anyone else? Almost sounds non-PC.

No doubt Daschle wrote his letter in crayon

ROFL

Yeah, one of those big black ones and on the brown paper - the kind that has big chunks of bark in it.

Big surprise - Daschle opts to use the lowest form of political discourse to make his case. Its racism!

"Is Russell Means still a fugitive from justice?"

Russell Means, having served his time, now seems to split his efforts between making movies (The Last of the Mohicans) and stirring political pots (New Mexico and South Dakota). Before filing to run in the tribal election, he had filed to run for governor of New Mexico as a Libertarian. His candidacy was disallowed because of his felony conviction. Too bad, because keeping him in the New Mexico race would have made it really interesting, and possibly peeled off enough votes to swing the election to the Republican instead of Bill Richardson. ALso, keeping him in New Mexico rather than South Dakota might have swung that election to Thune. Does anyone knowhow he did in the res vote?