Independent enters South Dakota senate race

[NewJerseyDem]

This isn't good because he, as an American Indian, is likely to pull some of the support from the usually democratic constituency.

http://www.kotatv.com/localnews/story.asp?ID=18496

The race for the U.S. Senate will be a little more crowded come the November election. Editor and publisher of the Lakota Journal, Tim Giago, will run as an independent against presumably Senator Tom Daschle and Republican John Thune for the U.S. Senate.

Giago says Indian counties have suffered financially under Daschle’s watch, and it's time to talk about all the issues like the Black Hills settlement, and what giago calls this state's Achilles heel, racism. Giago says, “There's some issues that he keeps ducking, that Senator Tim Johnson keeps ducking, and I'm sure that John Thune is going to keep ducking. And I think some of these issues are important enough to the nine tribes in this state that we've got to get them on the table. We've got to talk about them. We can't pretend they aren't there.”

Giago says he was going to run as a democrat against Daschle in the primaries, but he says this could be more damaging to Daschle if he gets a lot of the Indian vote.

[Wabbajack]

1. Uh oh

This could be a major problem for Senator Daschle.

[rockymountaindem]

2. Why oh why can't these independents just stay out this time?

Of all the times to butt in why do people like this and Nader have to do it now? Arrrgggh!!!

How many Native Americans live in SD? I know there are many, but what percentage are they?

[NewJerseyDem]

3. 8.1% are Native American

There were crucial in Tim Johnson's 2002 senate run when he won by something like 570 votes. The vote returns from some reservations put him over the top.

[CTLawGuy]

4. looks like we'll be looking for a new Senate leader soon...

oh darn....

[mndemocrat_29]

5. I would rather have Senate Majority Leader Daschle

Than have a different Senate Minority Leader. We CANNOT afford to lose South Dakota, with it goes the Senate. Daschle has to be reelected in order for us to beat the Republicans in the Senate.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. If incumbent Democratic Senators are losing seats this year,

you kiss goodbye the possibility of gaining a majority anytime soon. The Republicans went 30 years without a majority in the Senate. the same could happen to us.