Janklow: ‘I'm effective'

| Monday, September 29, 2003

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Congressman rejects notion he will fade away

By Denise Ross, Journal Staff Writer

SIOUX FALLS — Bill Janklow told state and national reporters Monday that he remains an effective member of the U.S. House of Representatives despite the physical, mental and legal fallout of his Aug. 16 car crash that resulted in a fatality.

"I'm effective," Janklow said. "If I was ineffective, I would quit today, or yesterday. I won't screw it up for the people of South Dakota. I'm able to do my job. I'm going to be getting back in the groove."

At the same time, Janklow said he hasn't fully decided what his next political move will be and did not rule out resignation or retirement.

"I want to do what's right, and I will do what's right. I just don't know what that is right now," Janklow said. "What I do will be appropriate at the appropriate time."

After the morning news conference, Janklow returned to Washington, D.C.

The four-term governor's first term in the House ends in 2004. If he is to seek re-election to a second two-year term, he will have to be in full campaign mode a year from now.

Janklow did not talk about most of the topics that reporters at Monday's news conference had hoped he would address.

The 64-year-old Republican opened with emotional remarks about his state of mind since the crash in which he drove through a stop sign at 71 mph and killed Minnesota motorcyclist Randy Scott.

"‘Sorry' is just rhetoric, but I couldn't be sorrier," Janklow said at the start of the news conference. "You can't prepare to deal with what I'm dealing with and what I'm putting other people through."

Then, he said firmly that he would not discuss the accident, citing ongoing legal proceedings. He is charged with second-degree manslaughter in Scott's death, along with careless driving, speeding and running a stop sign.

Janklow refused to say whether he would waive his preliminary hearing, which had been scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Flandreau. But his lawyers were at the Moody County Courthouse in Flandreau filing the paperwork to waive the hearing, according to an Associated Press report later Monday.

Janklow now is scheduled to be arraigned and enter pleas to the charges on Friday.

Janklow on Monday also refused to discuss whether he had had any contact with Scott's family.

Scott's mother, Marcella Scott, issued a statement after the news conference, according to The Associated Press.

"While Mr. Janklow's regret is no doubt sincere, we had hoped for more honesty about the cause of Randy's death," she wrote.

Janklow did talk about his physical injuries and recovery, about issues before Congress and had a contentious exchange with a reporter about his extensive accident and speeding ticket history.

When asked if he regretted his history of speeding and his previous lighthearted comments about it, he said, "No. I don't know. Yeah, probably. I regret a lot of things. But it's not my driving record."

He said that, as an elected official, he attends many engagements across the state, and including several on the days leading up to the accident.

"I drive three or four times as much as most people," Janklow said. "Tens of thousands of miles in a year."

Janklow went on to note that others speed.

"I know how fast you all drive to get there," he said. "We all make light of things we shouldn't make light of, and that includes Bill Janklow."

In a show that he isn't throwing in the towel politically, Janklow referred to the people of South Dakota as "a jury" and said they haven't finished deliberating in this case.

"They want to hear the facts. I don't think they'll make up their mind before all the facts are laid out before them. They will wait until the facts are in, and then they will make up their mind," he said. "Some people will rush to judgment."

Janklow repeated statements he had made at a Rapid City appearance the day before the accident.

He lamented what he characterized as Congress' slack work schedule. He compared himself and Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to neighbors of different religions. They don't try to convert each other, but they both try to make the neighborhood a better place to live, he said.

The physical injuries he suffered in the accident have been painful, Janklow said, but he expects to fully recover.

"It's not a big deal. I'll heal 100 percent," Janklow said. "It gets better every day."

A brain injury caused bleeding in his frontal lobe, which led to confusion, memory problems, severe headaches, sound and light sensitivity and some stuttering speech. In addition, he has had paralysis below the knee on his left leg. Janklow also broke a bone in his hand.

In one example of his memory problem, Janklow referred to the Scott family as the "Robertsons" until a reporter pointed it out. He said he had in his mind confused the names of two Hollywood actors, Randolph Scott and Cliff Robertson.

Although he spent much of the 50-minute press conference talking about his health, he said he did not want to "maximize" his injuries compared to Scott's death.

Janklow said he has healed enough to get back to work, and that will include resuming his regular weekly press conferences.

"I'll get my work done, and if I don't, I understand the consequences," Janklow said.

Contact Denise Ross at 394-8438 or denise.ross@rapidcityjournal.com