60 degrees, bright sunny morning without any humidity in Brookings, does it get any better than this? Well...a Bagel Works marble rye bagel with mozerella cheese, green pepper, with salt and pepper, that's how! And all for a $1.50. A must stop when in the Campanile City. Tell ‘em Gabey Good Guy sent ya! They love me there.

And now for something completely different...

Republican Declares Jihad Against (gasp) Republican Party!?!

Senator Bill Napoli (R-Rapid City) explodes that the state Republican Party and its elected leaders have lost their way and are morphing themselves into RINOs (Republicans In Name Only). Citing a lack of loyalty to the Republican Platform (rats, I missed the pledge ceremony) added to the fact that many RINOS are "quite wealthy (I keep forgetting that it is wrong to work hard to enhance one's own financial position) and have contributed buckets of dollars to Rounds and other so-called 'moderate candidates'." (So my contribution to John Thune doesn't count because I didn't put it in a bucket?).

The distinguished gentleman from Rapid City sees impending doom by suggesting that our elected RINO leadership believes" in abortion, same-sex marriage, gun control, less rights, bigger government control and more government programs." (the irony in this duplicitous argument of more AND less government intrusion in our daily lives as defining a conservative is not lost on anyone.) He goes on to uncover the secret RINO plan "to change a decades old conservative party into a fence-walking, liberal, squishy, feel-good, no-guts, no-core values, no-real beliefs, no-morals and no-integrity party, somewhat along their current agenda." Oh, the humanity! Seek shelter immediately! Grab the children and contact your deaf neighbor!

One painfully frustrated hombre, yet I am puzzled and don't understand the angry tone. It's like we are being warned we had better stop it, and if we don't, we are just going to have to go to someone's else's house to play.

What the good man from the Blacks Hills may have forgotten is that we discuss, question, examine our alternatives, weigh the different options, and decide which direction to take every election year. And in the marketplace of ideas and political system like ours, one side eventually wins and others lose, which maybe what is upsetting the legislator from way out there so much.

I have read the Republican Platform and have paid close attention to the actions of our Republican leadership. I agree with most, certainly not all, of their positions. I also feel reasonably satisfied our party's manifesto and elected officials are reasonably congruent with each other and am generally satisfied with how things are going.

Wait though! The west river crusader is offering to step in to save us from ourselves and in the process possibly revealing what he finds most frustrating, "I will be the first to lead a conservative movement, if need be, to save and protect a decades old, conservative Republican Party." Now I think I understand.

Umm, thanks Senator, but, uh, I think we are doing okay for now. And thanks for giving us a better idea of what you maybe most upset about. Look forward to seeing you on the election stump and good luck in the next election!