Rick Weiland, 56, has been visiting every city in South Dakota in his mini-van since winning the Democratic nomination for the US Senate.
If you went to a meeting to speak on behalf of a friend you would probably do a better job if you took the time to ask that friend what they wanted you to say on their behalf.
-Rick Weiland
Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy for America calls Weiland "an insurgent Democrat whose bolt-from-the-blue campaign for U.S. Senate is now the hottest race in the country and could be the tipping point that saves the Senate from GOP control."
Even MSNBC's Rachel Maddow is talking about Rick Weiland:
If you want to know what Weiland's platform is, listen to his toe-tappin' music videos. He's fighting to get big money out of politics -- in Big Wheel , his catchy refrain is "Hey, no' one's bought me." Published on YouTube on Oct 7, it's had nearly 50,000 views in its first two weeks -- not bad for a music video by a politician. It's an effective way to get a message across:
Weiland's in support of a constitutional amendment overturning Citizen's United, expanding Social Security, raising the minimum wage, extending unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks, refinancing of student loans, and marriage equality. He is against the proposed Keystone pipeline, which would run through his state.
Weiland faces three Republicans/former Republicans in the Senate race: former State Senator Gordon Howie and former three-term U.S. Senator Larry Pressler (both running as independents) and former Governor, Mike Rounds, who just admitted knowledge of a serious conflict of interest during his governorship which ultimately cost his taxpayers over $4 million. (He later de-admitted it.)
Weiland was the Chief Executive Officer of the International Code Council, which is the nation's leading advocate for uniform building codes and building safety. He was appointed by Bill Clinton to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He also served as senior advisor to former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle.
Rick Weiland is South Dakota's "Everywhere Man." And bringing in a bit of the arts may be just what politics needs in order to speak to voter's souls.
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