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Talmage Ekander (South Dakota Lawyer) has written a couple of detailed and thoughtful comments on Darwinism in reply to my post below. They demonstrate that his blog is a valuable addition to the regional blogosphere. I don't have time to...

With the decision this morning by an 8-1 vote, South dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base was removed from the list of recommended closures by the BRAC Commissioners.

Some coverage on the facts of the decision in the Rapid City Journal...
Ellsworth saved

Like the phoenix from the ashes, the status of Ellsworth Air Force base rose from expendable to essential in a matter of seconds when the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, or BRAC, voted Friday to save the base.

South Dakota's top lawmakers and the head of the Ellsworth Task Force were at the edge of their seats in the suburban Washington, D.C., hearing room when BRAC commissioner Samuel Skinner made a motion to reject the Pentagon's recommendation to close Ellsworth and move its 29 B-1B Lancer bombers to Dyess Air Force Base.

Looking for at least five commissioners to raise their hands in support of Skinner's motion, the South Dakotans instead saw all but one of the nine-member panel vote to save Ellsworth.

...and in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader:

ELLSWORTH SPARED

Ellsworth Air Force Base was taken off the Pentagon?s recommended list of closures this morning, a decision that sent jubilant Rapid City residents leaping to their feet as they watched the proceedings on live TV.

The nine-member independent commission voted 8 to 1 to reject the Pentagon?s recommendation to close the base as part of the Defense Department?s plan to restructure the military.

Meanwhile, some of the politics of the situation which provide a boost to Sen. Thune's position were not lost on others:

Base Closing Choices Impact Politics

When the Pentagon announced that it wanted to shut down Ellsworth Air Force Base, it was an enormous setback for Sen. John Thune. The Republican got elected in part by repeatedly telling voters he could save the base because of his close ties to President Bush.

Thune responded to the Ellsworth news by going on the offensive: He and fellow South Dakota leaders from both parties launched an intense lobbying effort. He also stopped fund-raising for the Republican Party and opposed the Bush administration on a few important Senate votes.

On Friday, Thune's political future got a big boost when a federal commission decided to save Ellsworth, home to B-1B bombers and a major player in the Cold War. He and other South Dakota politicians hailed the decision as the result of an extraordinary bipartisan campaign that convinced the commission that the military and nation need Ellsworth.

All in all, a very good day for South Dakota!

I wonder if he'll be upset all over again when MoveOn.org slaps this in an ad? Earlier the same day in Lincoln, an elderly woman asked about Iraq. "Why are we there in the first place?" she asked. On Tuesday...

The SD War College has a great post on the new Indian voting district plans. Be sure to check it out....

In 74 A.D., Mt. Vesuvius erupted. And if you're interested in catastrophic eruptions I highly recommend Simon Winchester's Krakatoa, a delightful read from my summer reading list....

The Superficial on Michael Moore's weight loss spa: When you can throw down $3,800 per week at a spa, it'd be nice if you could look slightly more presentable than the homeless man who lives in the subway. [Site may...

Along with a lot of others in the state, the Chief will be waiting with bated breath to see what the fate of South dakots's Ellsworth A.F.B. before the BRAC panel tomorrow. Not much to say at this point - if it hadn't been said before now, it's too late now!

The global economy is amazing. A couple months ago I saw an amazing live performance DVD of Pete Townshend of The Who performing music from the legendary Lifehouse project (if you've heard Who's Next, you've heard about half of Lifehouse)....

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