On this date, April 24, 2002, Fox News ran a story declaring the Tim Johnson/John Thune U.S. Senate race a "proxy war." 

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,51003,00.html

South Dakota Senate Race a Proxy War

Wednesday, April 24, 2002

By Carol McKinley

Farm Bill Played Out in Crucial Midwestern State

One-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson and the state's at-large Republican Rep. John Thune are racing for the Senate seat in South Dakota, but the showdown is turning out to be a proxy war between President Bush and Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

A Thune victory could turn the one-seat Democratic majority in the Senate over to the Republicans. It would also be an immense blow to Daschle's prestige, even though South Dakota's senior senator is not up for re-election.

Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.)On this date, March 29, 1992, former U.S. Senator Larry Pressler was born in Humboldt. 

Source: http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/pressler-larry-lee.html

PRESSLER, Larry Lee, a Representative and a Senator from South Dakota; born in Humboldt, Minnehaha County, S.Dak., March 29, 1942; graduated, University of South Dakota, Vermillion 1964; attended Oxford University, England, 1965, as a Rhodes Scholar; received a graduate degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard 1971; graduated, Harvard Law School 1971; admitted to District of Columbia bar in 1972 and commenced practice; served in the United States Army 1966-1968, with service in Vietnam; served in the Office of Legal Advisor to Secretary of State 1971-1974; elected as a Republican in 1974 to the Ninety-fourth Congress; reelected to the Ninety-fifth Congress and served from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 1979; was not a candidate for reelection to the House of Representatives, but was elected in 1978 to the United States Senate; reelected in 1984 and again in 1990 and served from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1997; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1996; chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (One Hundred Fourth Congress); admitted to the New York bar in 1997; formed Pressler International, LLC, and serves on five corporate boards of directors; teacher and senior fellow, University of California, Los Angeles, 2001-; partner, Brock Law Firm in New York City; member, Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Advisory Board, 2004-; appointed official observer, Ukraine national election, December 2004; is a resident of Washington, D.C.

Former U.S. Senator Gladys Pyle (R-S.D.).On this date, March 11, 1989, former U.S. Senator and women's political pioneer Gladys Pyle died.

Source: http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/SD/presbyterian.html

Gladys Pyle (1890-1989) — of Huron, Beadle County , S.Dak. Born in Huron, Beadle County , S.Dak., October 1, 1890 . Republican. Member of South Dakota state house of representatives , 1923-27; secretary of state of South Dakota , 1927-31; candidate for Governor of South Dakota , 1930; U.S. Senator from South Dakota , 1938-39; delegate to Republican National Convention from South Dakota, 1940 . Female . Presbyterian. Member, League of Women Voters . Died in South Dakota , March 14, 1989 . Burial location unknown .

Sen. Thomas Sterling (R-S.D.)On this date, February 20, 1851, former U.S. Senator and former dean of the University of South Dakota Law School, Thomas Sterling, was born near Amanda, Ohio.

Source: http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/SD/lawyer.html

Thomas Sterling (1851-1930) — of Springfield, Sangamon County, Ill.; Redfield, Spink County, S.Dak.; Vermillion, Clay County, S.Dak. Born near Amanda, Fairfield County, Ohio, February 20, 1851. Son of Charles Sterling and Anna (Kessler) Sterling; married to Anna Dunn (died 1881) and Emma R. Rowe-Thayer (died 1923); brother of John Allen Sterling. Republican. Lawyer; delegate to South Dakota state constitutional convention, 1889; member of South Dakota state senate 30th District, 1889-90; dean, college of law, University of South Dakota, 1901-11; U.S. Senator from South Dakota, 1913-25. Congregationalist. Member, American Bar Association; American Political Science Association; Freemasons; Knights Templar; Shriners; Ancient Order of United Workmen; Odd Fellows. Died in 1930. Interment at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, Md.

On this date, February 18, 2005, CBSnews.com reports on former "journalist" Jeff
Jeff Gannon.Gannon's ties to Sen. John Thune in his defeat of Sen. Tom Daschle in the 2004 South Dakota U.S. Senate race.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/18/opinion/lynch/main675050.shtml

Some of the real reporters in the White House pressroom were apparently annoyed at Gannon's presence and his softball, partisan questions, but considered him only a minor irritant. One told me he thought of Gannon as a balance for the opinionated liberal questions of Hearst's Helen Thomas. But what Gannon was up to was not just writing opinion columns or using a different technique to get information. He was a player in Republican campaigns and his work in the South Dakota Senate race illustrates the role he played. It is also a classic example of how political operatives are using the brave new world of the Internet and the blogosphere. Gannon and Talon News appear to be mini-Drudge reports; a "news" source which partisans use to put out negative information, get the attention of the bloggers, talk radio and then the MSM in a way that mere press releases are unable to achieve.

One of Gannon's first projects was an attempt to discredit the South Dakota Argus Leader, South Dakota's major paper, and its longtime political writer, David Kranz. According to the National Journal, which reported on this last November, Gannon wrote a series of articles in the summer of 2003 alleging that Kranz, who went to college with Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle, was not only sympathetic to him but was an actual part of the Daschle campaign. These articles then got a huge amount of play on the blogs of John Lauck and Jason Van Beek, and were picked up by other conservative sites and talk radio. The paper was bombarded with messages about its bias and acknowledges that these had an impact on its coverage.

Daschle opponent John Thune's campaign manager was Dick Wadham, an old political crony of Karl Rove's; the kind of pal Rove could ask to hire his first cousin, John Wood, a few years back. Wadham put the bloggers on the campaign payroll and the symbiotic relationship between the campaign, the bloggers and "reporter" Gannon continued. On September 29, Gannon broke the story that Daschle had claimed a special tax exemption for a house in Washington and the bloggers jumped all over it. According to a November 17 posting on South Dakota Politics – a site that Van Beek, who has become a staffer for now-Sen. Thune, has bequeathed to Lauck – "Jeff Gannon, whose reportage had a dramatic impact on the Daschle v. Thune race (his story about Sen. Daschle signing a legal document claiming to be a D.C. resident was published nearly the same day Thune began to run an ad showing Daschle saying, "I'm a D.C. resident) has written an analysis of the debacle."

Daschle aides told Roll Call, "This guy (Gannon) became the dumping ground for opposition research." The connections are so strong that there is an FEC challenge which could be a test case on the limits of the use of the Internet in federal campaigns.

Gannon also had Thune on his radio show "Jeff Gannon's Washington," and the White House correspondent for Talon became touted as the "resident D.C. expert on South Dakota politics" by the bloggers. Thune and Wadham (who has been hired by aspiring White House Republican Sen. George Allen) have become go-to guys on the use of blogs in campaigns. Thune was cited in The New York Times as introducing "Senators to the meaning of 'blogging,' explaining the basics of self-published online political commentary and arguing that it can affect public opinion."

Uzbeks apparently love melons. The U.S. Embassy news release did not indicate if Sen. Tom Daschle sampled Uzbek melons or not.On this date, January 18, 2002, U.S. Senator Tom Daschle returned from a trip to the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan.

Source: http://www.usembassy.uz/home/printable.aspx?mid=218&lid=1&printable=480

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Visited Uzbekistan (01/18/2002)

The majority leader of the United States Senate, Senator Tom Daschle, a Democrat from South Dakota , will be in Uzbekistan during January 13-17. Senator Daschle will head a high level delegation that includes Senators Bob Smith (R-New Hampshire), Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), Richard Durbin (D-Illinois), Senator Mark Dayton (D-California) and member of the House of Representatives Ellen Tauscher (D-California).

During their visit here, the delegation is scheduled to meet with President Islam Karimov and Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov to discuss the coalition against international terrorism, humanitarian relief efforts for Afghanistan as well as other bilateral and multilateral issues of interest to the two countries. While in Uzbekistan , the congressmen will travel to Termez, Bukhara and Nukus. There they will see U.S. government -sponsored projects and assistance programs.

They will also meet with regional officials and heads of non-government organizations involved in economic development and humanitarian relief efforts.

As Senate Majority Leader, Mr. Daschle plays a senior leadership role both in the U.S. Congress and in the Democratic Party. Daschle also serves as a member of the U.S. Senate's Agriculture Committee. Prior to his election to th e Senate in 1986, Mr. Daschle served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Doland and Huron native, Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minn.)On this date, January 13, 1978, former Doland and Huron native, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, Vice President, and 1968 Democratic Presidential Candidates Hubert H. Humphrey died of cancer. 

Source: http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/FAQs/humphrey/HHH_home.asp

Two major events occurred on this date in S.D. history.

U.S. Sen. Francis Case (R-S.D.)First, on this date, January 5, 1961, S.D. U.S. Senator Francis case announced that Ellsworth Air Force Base would be the headquarters for the country's second Minuteman nuclear missile deployment.

Source: http://www.nps.gov/mimi/history/srs/history.htm

Located about 12 miles east of Rapid City , Ellsworth AFB was founded in 1941 as the Rapid City Army Air Base. The Air Corps used the airfield to train B-17 bomber crews, and Ellsworth eventually served as home base for many of America 's largest strategic bombers. The base was also headquarters for a Titan I missile squadron.

Although the Defense Department had not yet officially authorized the South Dakota Minuteman installation, Senator Case wanted the land acquired immediately so there would be "no loss of valuable time" once the project was approved. Local ranchers did not share Case's sense of urgency. Fearing that the government might offer below-market prices for their land, the ranchers established the Missile Area Landowners' Association to negotiate fair prices. The association assured fellow citizens that its actions would "not necessarily slow the national defense effort."

While real estate negotiations were underway, the South Dakota State Highway Department spent $650,000 from the Federal Bureau of Public Roads to improve 327 miles of roads leading to the proposed missile sites. By June 1961, Boeing was busy improving the infrastructure. Anticipating that the project would bring in more than 3,000 workers, the company raced to build mobile home camps and cafeterias near Wall, Sturgis, Belle Fourche , and Union Center , as well as in Rapid City .

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)Also on this date, January 5, 2004, former U.S. Rep. John Thune announced he was challenging Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in the 2004 election.

Source: CNN

Thune to challenge Daschle in South Dakota 
Setting up an expensive, high-stakes race with national implications, former GOP Rep. John Thune of South Dakota announced Monday night that he will try to unseat the Senate's top Democrat, Minority Leader Tom Daschle, in November's election.