When I met Rick Weiland at Netroots Nation 2013, I was struck by two things: his political courage in opposing the Keystone XL pipeline, and his detailed grasp of energy efficiency building standards. Curious, I started following him on Twitter. Whereupon I was exhausted just following him online as he barnstormed the state.
Now, I'm proud to report that the fledgling organization I've cofounded, Climate Hawks Vote, is endorsing him to be the next United States Senator from South Dakota.
Meet the Everywhere Man and his 311-town tour of South Dakota:
Rick is running tirelessly on a simple message of taking the country back from the big banksters and Big Oil who have polluted our democracy. The crazy race has not one but two independent spoilers. We’re endorsing Rick for one simple reason: he’s a climate hawk of the prairie populist variety.
Rick has opposed the Keystone XL pipeline from the beginning. Right away he saw the truth of the matter: it's a big money con to risk the prairies of the heartland while putting profits in the pockets of TransCanada. Of particular interest to energy efficiency experts, he has chaired the International Code Council - he spearheaded efforts to create the nation’s first green construction code for commercial buildings and has met with Chinese officials to exchange ideas. Climate Hawks Vote's sophisticated scorecard involves scrutinizing energy efficiency bills introduced by Democrats and throttled by Republicans, so I have no doubt that Rick can translate his experience into bills promoting carbon neutral buildings. Additionally, his time as a regional FEMA director will give him insights into future disaster management as floods and droughts take their toll on the prairie.
And he’s running to limit one of the worst sources of pollution in our political system: the power of Koch money to buy our democracy. His first bill will be to give Congress the power to limit spending. His Republican opponent has a $9 million war chest, so he's been asking ordinary citizens to donate $9.
Now that polls show the race is up for grabs, the NRSC is rushing a $750,000 ad buy - huge in South Dakota's cheap broadcast market - to protect what they thought was a lock. The airwaves will soon be filled with the kind of Big Money ads he's running against. Rick has people on his side, though. Climate Hawks Vote is working with SD NDN PAC to help turn out votes on reservations, especially the Rosebud Sioux Tribe where residents vehemently oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline.
This is the point in a diary in which I'm supposed to beg for money for my organization. I'm not asking. Help me the Rosebud Sioux Tribe get out to vote for a Democratic Senator. Donate via DailyKos!