There’s a lot of hooting and hollering from Democrats lately.

What are they up in arms about? A press release from the South Dakota Republican Party which took Gubernatorial candidate Scott Heidepriem to task for his membership in an exclusive country club, his car, having an expensive house, etcetera.

I have to agree with many of the comments coming out of this fray. One’s success in business is not something that should be punished. They should hold it up, and be proud.

Geting back to the criticism, many of the same people who are howling about it in July of 2009 were doing the reverse in February and March 2008 when the South Dakota Democrats came after Steve Kirby. While Republicans did it with a press release this week, back then, people involved with the party and the Johnson campaign went so far as to not just criticize Steve Kirby's success, but they staked out the Kirby home and stalked his family.

Republicans aren’t staking out anyone’s residence, but as we listen to the howls, it brings to mind the saying "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own?

It harkens back to last March, when there was a campaign letter that came out of the Johnson campaign:

From: Steve Jarding, Tim Johnson for South Dakota
Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 1:11 PM
Subject: Fight Kirby's Millions

Dear _____,

Send multi-millionare Steve Kirby a message: Thousands of Tim Johnson's grassroots supporters will match you, dollar for dollar.
For the last few months, Republican leaders in Washington have been trying to recruit a wealthy candidate in South Dakota to challenge Senator Tim Johnson.

It is a tactic born of desperation. The Republicans are out of ideas and on the run. They believe a multi-million dollar campaign to throw mud on Tim is their only chance of winning South Dakota's Senate seat. If recent news reports are right, they may have found a millionaire willing to foot the bill.

Steve Kirby, a Sioux Falls multi-millionaire and former Lieutenant Governor, is said to be weighing a run against Tim. If he runs, he will have unlimited funds at his disposal for attack ads to distort Tim's record and smear Tim's good name. I am asking for your help to make sure that doesn't happen.

Donate to Tim's campaign, and give us the resources we will need to fight back against Kirby's millions. Let Republicans know that it will take more than a huge bank account to win this Senate seat.

We're running our campaign the right way. We depend on people like you for our resources -- your dollars pay our campaign staff, keep our offices open, and will pay for TV and radio ads to talk about issues that South Dakotans care about. That means this isn't just Tim's campaign for Senate -- it's yours, too.

It takes more than a fat wallet to be a good senator. It takes grit, determination and a vision that South Dakota and our country can be better places than they are today. Tim Johnson has spent his career fighting for people who can't fight for themselves -- and with your help, he will keep doing it.

Donate to Tim Johnson today, and give him the resources he will need to wage the tough campaign ahead. He's no millionaire -- but with your help, we can stand up against Kirby's multi -millions.

If every one of you gives what you can today, no matter how small, then we will take a giant step toward victory next November. You will send a message to Steve Kirby that if he wants to take on Tim Johnson and take on you, he'd better be prepared to drain that bank account of his dry, because we will match him dollar for dollar.

This is a critical time for our country. Steve Kirby cares little that home foreclosures are growing, while incomes are not; that health care costs are skyrocketing while 47 million Americans lack health insurance; that jobs are being outsourced even though American workers are more productive than ever; that we are mired in a war without end that is mortgaging our children's future. Tim Johnson does care. But, he cannot keep fighting for us unless we give him the resources to win this race.

Please, support Tim Johnson today. Donate to his campaign, and give us the resources we will need to win in November.

Sincerely,
Steve Jarding
Campaign Manager
Tim Johnson for South Dakota

As I noted, I have to agree with many of the comments coming out of this fray. One’s success in business is not something that should be punished. They should hold it up, and be proud. And by the same token, those involved in the process should consider avoiding class warfare and punishing success as a bad example in 2008 that should not be followed.

Of course, this places Scott Heidepreim, the person at the eye of the political hurricane in a bad position. At the same time he’s complaining about Republicans waging war on the basis of his financial holdings, his campaign is being managed by someone who used those same tactics – and worse - only 16 months ago in an effort to keep a successful businessman out of the race at all costs.

I’ll take Scott Heidepreim at his word, and go so far as to agree with him that political warfare based on the size of your wallet has no place in South Dakota politics. However, for him to be considered sincere, he needs to take a long hard look at the log in his own eye, and reject those who openly use those tactics.