Later this afternoon, President Obama hosts a reception at the White House thanking members of Congress for their efforts to pass pay-as-go (PAYGO) legislation—something congressional Blue Dogs have championed. And as we mentioned earlier this morning, don't be surprised if the president tries to twist some arms on health care.

The White House has released a list of the 31 senators and members of Congress who will be attending. As it turns out, 10 of the House members attending voted against the health-care legislation that passed last year: Jason Altmire (PA), Allan Boyd (FL), Lincoln Davis (TN), Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (SD), Frank Kratovil (MD), Betsy Markey (CO), Jim Matheson (UT), Scott Murphy (NY), Heath Shuler (NC), and John Tanner (TN).

Sixteen House members attending this afternoon—including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer—voted for the bill.

And all five senators attending voted for the Senate bill that passed on Christmas Eve, but would probably be needed on a reconciliation vote: Mark Begich (AK), Michael Bennet (CO), Kent Conrad (ND), Claire McCaskill (MO), and Arlen Specter (PA).

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/03/03/2218444.aspx

"While shrimp cocktail and martinis won’t be on the menu and we might not have the trappings of the White House back here, we would still like to invite Rep. Herseth-Sandlin back to South Dakota to meet with average South Dakotans to discuss their thoughts on the government takeover of health care," said Joshua Shields, Curd’s campaign manager.

"Rep. Herseth refused to have any townhall meetings last year to discuss health care but she immediately jumped at the chance to go to the White House and hear the pleadings of President Obama and the Democrats in Congress pushing a disastrous health care bill the American people have rejected.  Rep. Herseth Sandlin should offer the same courtesy to South Dakotans who are concerned about their own health care and hear their thoughts on a government-run system that breaks the bank," said Shields.

First Read, the NBC News political tip sheet from this morning, lists Rep Stephanie Herseth Sandlin as a potential YES vote for the latest version of government-run health care.

Looking at the 39 Dems who voted no: So where does Pelosi get the handful of votes to get to 217? It will have to come from the pool of the 39 House Democrats who voted no last year -- most of whom are Blue Dogs or face tough re-election campaigns in November. First, she can start with the three Dems, who are retiring this year -- Brian Baird, Bart Gordon, and John Tanner. Next, she can twist the arms of Dennis Kucinich and Eric Massa, who voted against the original because it wasn’t far-reaching enough. And then you have conservative-leaning Dems (Jason Altmire? Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin?), who voted against the House bill because it had a public option or because it raised taxes on the wealthy. But the Senate bill the House will have to vote on doesn’t contain a public option, and doesn’t contain the millionaire’s tax. The argument to some blue dogs will be, If Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, and Mary Landrieu, could -- ideologically -- vote for the Senate bill, then they can too. In short, 217 votes are there, but getting them won’t be easy at all.

Statement from Blake Curd, a Republican candidate for South Dakota's At-large U.S. House seat and a doctor:

"The latest version of the health care plan out of Washington, DC doubles down on the bad ideas the public voiced their opposition to last year.  As a doctor, as well as a taxpayer and a father with children who will some day pick up the tab for this spending, I am strongly opposed to this latest health care proposal.  As a country, we should start over on health care reform and take up simpler reforms that we know will improve quality and reduce costs."

• Senator Gene Abdallah (District 10, Lincoln & Minnehaha Counties)
• Senator Tom Dempster (Assistant Majority Leader, District 9, Minnehaha County)
• Senator Jason Gant (District 11, Lincoln & Minnehaha Counties)
• Representative Jamie Boomgarden (Majority Whip, District 17, Clay & Turner Counties)
• Representative Kristin Conzet (District 32, Pennington County)
• Representative Charlie Hoffman (District 23, Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Hyde, McPherson, Potter, & Walworth Counties)
• Representative Roger Hunt (District 10, Lincoln & Minnehaha Counties)
• Representative Nick Moser (District 18, Yankton County)
• Representative Fred Romkema (District 31, Lawrence County)
• Representative Lance Russell (District 30, Custer, Fall River & Pennington Counties)
• Representative Roger Solum (District 5, Codington County)
• Representative Chuck Turbiville (District 31, Lawrence County)
• Representative Mike Verchio (District 30, Custer, Fall River & Pennington Counties)
• Representative Dean Wink (District 29, Butte & Meade Counties)
• Former Representative Brian Dreyer (District 32, Pennington County)

“I am honored to have the endorsement of these South Dakota leaders.  This is a clear indication of the momentum our campaign is producing.  I look forward to working with these leaders in their communities to convince Republican primary voters I am the best candidate to take on Representative Herseth Sandlin in the fall,” said Curd.

In January Curd received endorsements from the following leaders in the Legislature:

• Speaker Tim Rave (District 25, Hanson, McCook, Minnehaha)
• House Majority Whip Brian Gosch (District 32, Pennington)
• Speaker Pro Tempore Val Rausch (District 4, Brookings, Deuel, Grant, Moody)
• Representative Justin Cronin (District 23, Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Hyde, McPherson, Potter, Walworth)
• Representative Joni Cutler, Chairman Judiciary Committee (District 12, Minnehaha)
• Representative Don Kopp (District 35, Pennington)
• Representative David Novstrup (District 3, Brown, McPherson)
• Representative Betty Olson (District 28B, Butte, Corson, Harding, Meade, Perkins)
• Representative Deb Peters (District 9, Minnehaha)

Contact: Joshua Shields
605.413.8068           

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U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., touted the passage of pay-go rules yesterday but also supported allowing the government to go $1.9 trillion deeper in debt. The pay-go rules, as I understand them, basically require that Congress find savings or new revenue to offset any new spending.

Herseth Sandlin called pay-go's passage an "enormous victory for anyone who cares about our country's fiscal future." On the debt issue, she said "It's up to the party in power, I guess, to make sure the United States doesn't default on its debt and that we pay our bills. … It's the responsible thing to do, even though it’s not a popular vote."

Predictably, Republicans pounced. The National Republican Congressional Committee and Republican U.S. House candidates Blake Curd and Chris Nelson fired off statements criticizing Herseth Sandlin's votes as contradictory.

"Rep. Herseth Sandlin claims to be concerned with fiscal responsibility, but the reality is she has supported every major spending bill Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat majority have put forward," Curd said.

"Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin turned her back on South Dakota families again today when she approved a measure to increase the country’s debt ceiling by nearly $2 trillion, allowing her party to continue passing off the tab for their runaway spending," saidthe NRCC.

"The incumbent Representative has painted herself as a 'fiscal conservative blue dog Democrat,'" said Chris Nelson. "A review of today’s vote and the Congressional Record shows otherwise."

Who do you side with on this issue -- Herseth Sandlin, or the people who are trying to unseat her?

http://www.areavoices.com/mitchell/?blog=70245

"With this vote today, Rep. Herseth Sandlin and the Democrats in Congress voted to add another $6,000 worth of debt for every man, woman and child on top of $40,016 per person we already have. Past Republican majorities spent too much of the taxpayer dollars, but Rep. Herseth Sandlin and her colleagues have taken reckless spending to a whole new level," said Curd.

"Rep. Herseth Sandlin claims to be concerned with fiscal responsibility, but the reality is she has supported every major spending bill Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat majority have put forward including the $787 billion stimulus, major appropriations bills, and budget resolutions," said Curd, who is a veteran and doctor in Sioux Falls.

"If elected to Congress, I will look for waste, fraud and abuse and question assumptions about spending just like I’ve done in the State Legislature in Pierre," said Curd, who is a first term State Representative representing portions of Lincoln and Minnehaha Counties.

Rep. Herseth Sandlin has voted for every major budget and spending bill since Democrats have been in the majority:

H.Con.Res 99, Roll Call Vote #212, 3/29/07 (FY08 Budget Resolution)

H.R. 2764, Roll Call Vote #1171, 12/17/07 (FY08 Consolidated Appropriations Bill)

H.Con.Res. 312, Roll Call Vote #141, 3/13/08 (FY09 Budget Resolution)

H.R. 1, Roll Call Vote #70, 2/13/09 (Stimulus Bill)

H.R. 1105, Roll Call Vote #86, 2/25/09 (FY09 Consolidated Appropriations Bill)

H.Con.Res 85, Roll Call Vote #192, 4/2/09 (FY10 Budget Resolution)

H.R. 3288, Roll Call Vote #949, 12/10/09 (FY10 Consolidated Appropriations Bill)

It's been interesting to watch Blake Curd's strategy in his Republican U.S. House primary race against Chris Nelson. Rather than campaign against Nelson, Curd has gone after the Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin with a vengeance.

Most of the stuff we've received from Curd's campaign has been focused on Herseth Sandlin, indicating that he apparently believes the best way to win votes from Republicans is to show that he's not afraid to talk tough about the Democratic incumbent. He seems to be saying to Republican voters, "Here's what a race between me and Herseth Sandlin would look like." Meanwhile, Nelson has remained pretty silent.

The new video is the latest example of Curd's attempt to position himself as the best anti-Herseth Sandlin candidate.

Mitchell Daily Republic Blog
Posted by: Seth Tupper on 2/03/2010 at 10:32 AM

Curd’s year-end report to the Federal Election Commission had not yet been published on the Internet as of this afternoon, but he announced in a news release that he had raised $181,381.60 through Dec. 31. He spent $18,048.47, leaving $163,333.13 on hand.

Nelson’s fundraising report is available on the FEC Web site. It says Nelson raised $56,239, spent $18,172 and had $38,066 on hand through Dec. 31.

Curd, a doctor from Sioux Falls, and Nelson, a Pierre resident and South Dakota’s secretary of state, will face each other in the June 8 primary election. The winner will take on U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., in the Nov. 2 general election.

Herseth Sandlin’s year-end fundraising report had not been released as of this afternoon. An earlier report said she raised nearly $300,000 through the first nine months of 2009 and had $226,582 on hand.

Curd issued the following news release today:

Blake Curd Raises $181,381 in 4th Quarter

Curd Out-Raises Herseth Sandlin’s Previous Quarter Total

SIOUX FALLS – Blake Curd, candidate for the South Dakota At-Large congressional seat in 2010, announced today that his campaign raised $181,381 in the period ending December 31, 2009. This report, from the campaign’s beginning in early October to the end of the year, is the first financial report Curd will file with the Federal Elections Commission.

Curd, a Sioux Falls doctor and veteran of the US Air Force, raised $54,184 more than current Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, first elected nearly six years ago, did in the 3rd quarter of 2009. Herseth Sandlin raised $127,197 in that period.

Notably, 92% of Curd’s campaign contributions came from individuals, while Herseth Sandlin reports only 53% of her contributions from her most recent report were from individuals. 47% of contributions to Herseth Sandlin in the 3rd quarter of 2009 were from special interest committees and PACs.

“These fundraising numbers are an indicator of the support our campaign is receiving from individuals and families throughout South Dakota. They want real representation, real listening and real solutions, not political pandering and posturing,” said Curd. “They are ready for a new member of Congress to represent them.”