Calvitto: West River GOP upbeat despite Bush polls

By Celeste Calvitto, Journal Staff Writer | Tuesday, November 22, 2005

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If South Dakota Republicans are concerned about President Bush’s poll numbers — and the possible fallout in next year’s congressional contests — they didn’t show it at the GOP state dinner last week in Rapid City.

I don’t know about the simultaneous shindig held in Sioux Falls — another dinner was held there the same night — but the West River mood was decidedly upbeat.

And at least one leading GOP strategist — the man who engineered Sen. John Thune’s campaign against former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle — isn’t worried, either.

Dick Wadhams spoke at both events about that campaign and how West River Republicans were a big part of Thune’s victory. Later, I asked what he thinks Bush should do to bring his numbers up.

“I wouldn’t presume to give advice,” Wadhams said with a laugh. “He obviously hit a bad stretch of the road, but I think things are working in his favor now. He is getting back on the offensive on Iraq, he has nominated a superb candidate for the Supreme Court, and there’s the trip to China this week. … I think he’s already making major steps.”

Wadhams said Bush’s State of the Union address next year “is an opportunity to lay out his agenda.”

“I think they are going to get things back on track,” he said.

By the way, Wadhams predicts that Judge Samuel Alito will be confirmed.

Seward a candidate?

State GOP chairman Randy Frederick told the crowd in Rapid City that he is frequently asked who is going to challenge Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., in next year’s election.

“We have a lot of possibilities,” he said.

He didn’t name names, though.

But one name that is making the rounds is that of Butte County State’s Attorney Jim Seward.

A member of the South Dakota National Guard 109th Engineer Group, Seward was on leave during his re-election campaign last year while serving in Afghanistan under the U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division. He was stationed at Bagram Airfield north of the Afghan capital of Kabul and returned to his Butte County post last spring after an unpaid leave of absence.

Seward said he wasn’t prepared to comment on whether he is considering a race against Herseth.

Asked to comment on next year’s campaign, Herseth spokesman Russ Levsen said, “Representative Herseth is squarely focused on her work in Congress, representing the interests of South Dakota families. There will be a time for campaigns and campaigning in the future, but there are too many important issues at stake to be worried about partisan political battles right now.”

Saluting the troops

The war in Iraq was a focus of the GOP event, with a video presentation of the effort there and the effect on the military families who are left behind.

That was personified by Laurie Graves of Rapid City, whose husband, Steve, is a South Dakota National Guard pilot in Iraq. Laurie Graves led the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the dinner.

The video included a photo of the Graves family, which includes four young sons — “all future veterans,” Graves proudly told the crowd.

Contact Celeste Calvitto at 394-8438 or celeste.calvitto@rapidcityjournal.com