GOODWIN: The 500 lb Elephant - Rapid City, South Dakota

The South Dakota House Republicans have a 500 lb elephant: his name is Majority Whip Tim Goodwin. 

Tim Goodwin (R-D30), hungry for a whiff of Noem's clout and Schoenbeck's cash, was in the Rapid City Journal yesterday begging for scraps at Kristi and Lee's feet. Goodwin called the impeachment of the Attorney General the "500 lb elephant-in-the-room," and stated that he wants Jason Ravnsborg impeached before the legislative session ends on March 10. Goodwin's letter made a veiled, somewhat ominous threat, noting that a motion can be made from the House floor for an impeachment vote. He acknowledges that the committee has not finished their investigation, "however, this has gone on long enough."

Let's not forget that Rep. Tim Goodwin was the first Republican legislator to publicly call for Ravnsborg's resignation. AG Ravnsborg is probing into Kristi Noem, as well as T. Dennis Sanford, the billionaire children's philanthropist who made her political career. Sanford is currently under investigation for child pornography. This month, Kristi Noem mutually-endorsed Denny's lawyer, former Attorney General Marty Jackley in his bid for AG.

House Majority Whip Tim Goodwin's unsavory tactics have begun to catch up with him. His campaign for District 30 Senate against incumbent Julie Frye-Mueller has been off to a rather tumultuous start. His reputation soured amongst conservative colleagues after he led a coup against Speaker of the House Spencer Gosch (R-D23), and recruited his intern into Lee Schoenbeck's plan to reshape the state legislature. According to a Daily Beast report earlier this month, Kristi Noem "doesn't have any friends" in Pierre, but that isn't actually entirely true. Tim Goodwin announced his campaign for District 30 State Senate with a dramatic display of love for the Snow Queen, going so far as to declare that his first order of business was to help Kristi Noem get re-elected.

While South Dakota's part-time Governor politicks at out-of-state cocktail parties, her own Republican legislators are back at home, congratulating Democrat Jamie Smith on his run for the governorship- some promising their support in the general election.