President Bush in South Dakota

by: Alan Malavolti

Sioux Falls, SD-Congressman Thune was preparing to be the next governor of South Dakota when the President invited him to dinner. Supporters had already raised thousands of dollars for his gubernatorial campaign; John Thune was virtually assured of winning. All of that changed over dinner, with President Bush asking him to challenge incumbent Senator Tim Johnson. The man who possesses South Dakota’s only vote in the House had been called upon by the President to defeat a popular Senator; regain control of the Senate for his party; and dislodge fellow South Dakotan, Tom Daschle, from being Senate Majority Leader. With the Thune-Johnson race now in a dead heat, President Bush arrived in Sioux Falls, last Wednesday afternoon, to give support to his Senate candidate, John Thune.

Ostensively, the seven-hour visit was to make some sort of major agricultural announcement, which never completely materialized. In reality the purpose was to show support and campaign for John Thune, which never completely materialized. Although Congressman Thune walked off Air Force One with the President, spent the day at his side, and introduced President Bush to the crowd at the Sioux Falls Arena, few reasons were given to sway voters from Senator Johnson, nor did the President detail any of Thune’s accomplishments. The President did commend Thune for his support of the war on terrorism, the tax cut, and farm bill that is being debated between both houses of Congress.

President Bush arrived in Sioux Falls like a Texas tornado, just after 12:30 Wednesday afternoon, a swirling vortex of activity. Whisked, by helicopter, to Madison, South Dakota, he was driven to nearby Wentworth. He held a private, round-table discussion with farmers and agri-business managers. Following this discussion, President Bush spoke at Wentworth’s Dakota Ethanol plant. Returning to Sioux Falls, the President attended a $2,000 to $4,000 per couple fundraiser for Thune. He completed his trip by speaking at a Thune rally in the Sioux Falls Arena, before an enthusiastic audience of about 7,000 predominantly Republican people. There is no question America has a highly energetic President.

During the visit President Bush gave two speeches, well it was basically one speech given twice. By now all of us should be familiar with the format. He began with the war on terrorism and homeland security, reminding us the war will be protracted and of the American resolve to defeat terror. On homeland security he assured the audience that our government is doing everything it can to keep us safe. The conclusion of the speech called for individual volunteerism as the public’s way to combat terrorism. In between, the President spoke of his tax relief program, the defense budget, and a few issues he believes are important to the audience he is addressing. For South Dakotans he discussed ethanol, agriculture, and welfare reform.

Some speculated that the President would be making an important agricultural announcement. They were disappointed. The President did discuss agriculture, while he was in South Dakota. He stated that it would be a top priority in all international trade agreements. Since American farmers consistently produce surpluses of food, President Bush stated that the United States should expand new and existing overseas markets, which would also increase farm prices. "It (agriculture) ought to be the cornerstone of international trade policy," Bush said.

Although his comments on agriculture were well received by the partisan audience and attendees of the round-table discussion, Bush made no major agricultural announcement and refrained from publicly commenting on several points of the farm bill currently being discussed by a joint committee. The President is against the proposal to ban meat packer ownership of livestock. This ban appears to place limitations on the amount of time that can elapse between meat packers purchasing livestock and actually processing it. Presumably, this would restrict meat packers from purchasing livestock at low prices even though they have no intent of processing the meat in a timely manner. From the round-table discussion, the President opposes country-of-origin labels on meat, fruit, and vegetables, questioning the enforceability of such a law. These proposals enjoy support in South Dakota and President Bush was predictably silent on both.

Possibly the most news worth comment during his visit was Bush’s reiteration of his support for ethanol as a renewable source of energy. Ethanol is, literally, alcohol that is mixed with gasoline to form gasohol. Ethanol can be produced from many types of sugar or starch crops, such as sugar beets and corn, obviously making ethanol an important issue to regions that raise these crops. The President pointed out that ethanol, as a renewable resource, decreases our dependence on foreign oil, thereby increasing national security. Because ethanol burns cleaner, it also reduces air pollution.

While Presidential support of ethanol is welcome news in South Dakota, Bush provided no specific plans to increase the supply and demand for ethanol, only that he would support any energy bill that placed a reliance on renewable fuels. Senator Johnson pointed out, to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, that President Bush has killed the USDA’s Bioenergy Program, which reimburses production facilities that purchase corn and soybeans to make ethanol and biodiesel. Presumably, Bush supports the minimum fuels standard, which increases the percentage of ethanol annually, theoretically tripling the demand in ten years. The President, however, made no public comment of the minimum fuels standard that was authored by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

After one of the numerous interruptions of applause, President Bush, possibly by accident, began talking about his welfare reform plan. Accidentally, because the transition to this issue seemed rough and slightly disjointed, as well as the fact that welfare is a dangerous topic in South Dakota. With the issue having been opened, intentional or not, Bush remained on it only briefly. His plan is to make welfare a temporary condition, enabling recipients to gain independence. To accomplish this goal, he wants to increase the number of welfare recipients who are required to participate in work programs and require them to work 40 hours per week at either a job or in a program designed to make them employable. Fortunately for the President, these are ideas compatible with South Dakota’s perception of welfare reform.

Bush also reminded the audience that Thune had supported the President’s tax relief plan, which gave back $300 to most South Dakotans. He defended this plan, saying that it was good for the economy. The money saved by individuals in taxes will increase their purchasing power, increasing demand, and this increase in demand will necessitate producers to hire more workers to produce the goods and services being purchased. Bush stated his tax cuts had come at the right time, allowing the faltering economy to rebound.

As one might expect, Bush spoke most passionately on the war on terrorism and homeland security. Leaning on the podium, as if each person of the audience was his closest friend, he assured us the government was firmly dedicated to ensuring our safety. "We need to make sure our borders are more secure." He also emphasized the war on terrorism would take time and that America would remain committed to finding the terrorists and "bringing them to justice." The President also defended his defense budget, admitting it was the largest since Reagan, because our military has to be the best equipped, best trained, and paid adequately. As he has done since September 11^th, he made it clear the war on terrorism and homeland security are his administrations top priority.

Shortly after 7:00 in the evening, President Bush was back on Air Force One, heading to Crawford, Texas. Leaving Thune behind in Sioux Falls, who returned to the arena to espouse the familiar claim that he, unlike Johnson, "has the President’s phone number." Only time will tell if Bush’s campaign stop for Thune was successful, but we can be certain that he will remain deeply interested in South Dakota’s Senate race.

Alan Malavolti is a contributing writer for PurePolitics.com who lives in Sioux Falls, SD.