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Stunning pixes -- and yes, W belongs up there with the other great leaders!

For more pixes of today's event, visit http://www.argusleader.com/gallery/2002/president2/

Perhaps one of our awesome 'picture posters' could post some of these pixes here?!

Video is also available at the above site or at http://www.ksfy.com/

NOTE: If you visit the ksfy site you will notice that the media and Daschle are trying to create controversy over the President's decision to avoid further deficit spending by providing SD farmers/ranchers with even more financial assistance than already included in the VERY generous Farm Bill. [NOTE: The President and Thune want to use some creative bailout strategies that won't hurt the economy; Daschle, of course, favors strategies that will hurt the economy (and in his warped mind) help the RATS!]

providing SD farmers/ranchers with even more financial assistance

I would just like to clarify something here: in South Dakota there is a strong distinction between "farmer" and "rancher". Farmers drive tractors and plant crops. Ranchers raise livestock, usually commercial cattle. Farmers get the billions of dollars in the Farm Bill and ranchers get the shaft.

My parents are ranchers in western South Dakota, so far they have sold over half of their cattle because there is nothing to feed them. No grass, no hay, nothing. They will lose part of their income for the year, the IRS will audit them because they can't understand why they didn't make the same profit as last year, and they will probably pay a big fine (yes, this really has happened.)

Meanwhile, their neighbors the farmers will pull in the moolah from the government (one neighbor has received over $1 million in the last 4 years.) I'm not knocking the farmers, they are good people, they work hard and they have lost their crops too. It's just that the ranchers probably will not be included in this "financial assistance" nor are they asking for it. They just want some rain and a little hay.