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(12/8/2005)
South Dakota Mainstream Coalition: A Closer Look
BY BOB ELLIS DAKOTA VOICE When the South Dakota Mainstream Coalition was initially formed in June 2005, many people, especially Republicans, had lots of questions. Since then, few of those questions have been answered. The Coalition was founded by seven South Dakota Republican senators: Ed Olson of Mitchell, Tom Dempster of Sioux Falls, Dave Knudson of Sioux Falls, Stan Adelstein of Rapid City, Royal “Mac” McCracken of Rapid City, J.P. Duniphan of Rapid City, and Duane Sutton of Aberdeen. The group of so-called moderates formed the Coalition because they felt their disagreement with the Republican base on a number of issues was not welcome. According to a report by David Kranz in the Argus Leader, executive director Senator Ed Olson of Mitchell said that the battle over the life and death of Terri Schiavo was the catalyst for the formation of the group. The same article also quoted Olson as saying, "Many of us don't like the idea of putting specific religious beliefs into state law." Also regarding the formation of the coalition, Adelstein said, “In some ways, it comes down to religion.” Permanent officers and board members have since been elected: Ed Olson is the executive director, former state rep. Mel Olson of Mitchell is the chairman, and former state senator Arlene Ham is vice chairman. Other members include former state health secretary Katherine Kinsman, former state director for Rep. Bill Janklow David Volk, Dakota Wesleyan University president Bob Duffett, Reverend Dave Zellmer of Pierre, banker Gary Schofield, former state rep. Jan Nicolay, and Reverend Kathryn Timpany of Sioux Falls. But beyond opposition to how the Schiavo matter was handled, and “separation of church and state” issues, little is known of the groups beliefs.
In a recent interview, Mel Olson told Dakota Voice that the main early goals of the group are to raise the level of debate in the state beyond “name-calling” and attacking the person without putting forth one’s own ideas. The other main goal is to increase voter education by sponsoring a series of voter information sessions across the state. Olson said the group has no plans to lobby the legislative leadership for a particular agenda, and has no plans to operate as the “Gang of 14” in the U.S. Senate. When asked if the group would appeal to the public for support of certain political positions, he said they might at some point in the future, but for now they just want to get the debate onto issues rather than the person making the argument. When asked what the coalition believes about separation of church and state, Olson said that we can’t regulate religion, and that we shouldn’t prohibit people of certain religions from voting, and we shouldn’t restrict the religious schools and activities of any religion. He also said that he believed it’s possible for people to be moral and ethical without religion. Mel Olson was asked if the South Dakota Mainstream Coalition had any connection to the Kansas Mainstream Coalition (www.mainstreamcoalition.org), which has in recent years worked against teaching anything other than evolution in Kansas schools, against protecting students from sexually explicit books in schools, and sent observers into Kansas churches to watch for and report “church/state” sermon violations that might jeopardize the tax exempt status of churches. Olson said that some of their officials went to Kansas to look at the organization and how it operated, but that there was no connection or affiliation beyond that. On the issue of abortion, Mel Olson said, “The important thing about the abortion debate is not whether abortion is legal. It’s how the debate is carried forward, and how a legal right is limited. The mainstream coalition would say if it’s answered in a constitutional way, in a civil debate, well, then, okay, majority rules. But to say the majority rules simply because they have more numbers and can do whatever they want to, that’s tyranny, that is not democracy.”
Dakota Voice also spoke to executive director Ed Olson. Ed Olson stated that for the most part, the coalition is not ready to take a position on most issues, and they are more concerned with planning and organization at this stage. When asked to elaborate on why the Terri Schiavo matter was a catalyst for the formation of the group, he said, “I think a lot of us were disappointed in the acidity and vitriolic language and speech coming primarily out of Washington, D.C. The Terri Schiavo thing was a very sad, personal event that became media sensationalized. We had politicians and legislators and governors and presidents involved in a personal, family issue which was being heard over and over in our courts. I felt it went way over the edge.” Ed Olson was asked if it should have been a consideration that Schiavo’s husband was living with another woman whom he called his fiancée and had several children by her, yet was acting on Terri Schiavo’s behalf as if he were in a normal marital relationship with her. Olson replied, “I’m not aware of what the personal situation was. It still goes back to a point in time when they were married and he was the spouse and he does believe he knows what his wife would have wanted, and the courts upheld that.” When asked if it would have been appropriate for a former spouse to make life and death decisions for an ex-spouse where a divorce was made official, Olson replied, “I really don’t know but I would think probably not. I just think this was a private matter that went ballistic.” On the subject of separation of church and state, Olson said, “We believe strongly in the separation of church and state. The First Amendment, we believe, was established to protect religions from the state, not the other way around.” On the posting of religious items in public, Olson said, “I don’t think it’s absolutely going to be the salvation of everybody to post them. You’ll have to answer to another religious group that might to want to post their items.” On the contention that American was founded on Judeo-Christian principles: “I do believe the founders were more deists than practicing Christians. That’s why you don’t see any references to God in the Constitution.” Many would point out that while the Constitution may not contain a reference to God, as the Declaration of Independence strongly does, that the document was crafted by some of the same men who were behind the Declaration. They would point out that most of the architects of the Constitution were Christians, and that the principles upon which it was designed are Judeo-Christian principles of justice, fairness, free will, morality, and a realization that there are moral absolutes. In order to place the founding documents in a more modern context, author and constitutional scholar David Barton has likened the Declaration to the "articles of incorporation" which declares the existence of a business, and the Constitution to the "by laws" which explains how that company is to be governed. When asked about the statement by former Chief Justice William Rehnquist that “no amount of repetition of historical errors in judicial opinions can make the errors true. The ‘wall of separation between church and state’ is a metaphor based on bad history. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned”, Olson replied, “I’d have to see in what context it was given. I’ve never heard of that statement before.” When pressed on whether it’s obvious meaning could be accepted, he replied, “That’s your interpretation, sir, and if I’m not familiar with what context it was said it, that’s difficult.” Olson said he disagreed with the contention of some Christians that they are being pushed out of public life and that their views are not welcome. “I’m a Christian, I’m an Episcopalian, and I don’t feel pushed out at all. We have three ordained members of the clergy on our board and they are very knowledgeable on Christian teachings. That’ll probably be one of our first and foremost major advisory boards.” On the statement by John Quincy Adams that “the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth. [and] laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity,” Olson stated “I don’t believe that all the Founders were of strong faith. I think it was more of a deist belief in a supreme being.” Deists generally believe that God was an impersonal Creator; in other words, He is not involved in the goings-on of His creation. Sometimes deists are said to believe we have no way of knowing if God exists, and that He gave us no revelation of Himself or His truth. According to author Michael Novak, almost all of the 250 Founding Fathers were Christians, and notes that of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, 34 were Anglicans, 13 were Congregationalists, six were Presbyterians, one a Baptist, one a Roman Catholic, and one a Quaker. Also, many of the men who helped frame the Constitution founded Bible societies, were members of the clergy and theologians. Ed Olson stated the coalition membership was over 50 members now, and that primary funding for the group will come through membership dues and donations. He said they want the group to become a place where people can freely express their views on important issues. The voting records of the founding members of the coalition may also provide insight into what positions the coalition is likely to take:
Additionally, according to a recent AP report about a billboard in Mitchell stating "Jesus Cares for the Poor--So Do We" on behalf of Democrats, Ed Olson said, "I don't think it's positive for a political party to put it up. ...I think it's absolutely critical to keep religion out of government.” According to Sibby Online (sibbyonline.blogs.com), a South Dakota political blog, Senator Ed Olson may face a primary challenge from former rep. Dan Matthews. The blog says Matthews confirmed in late October that he’s thinking of challenging Olson. Matthews was quoted on Sibby Online regarding the Mainstream Coalition: “its Web site, www.mainstreamsouthdakota.org, looks remarkably like the Democratic Party platform.” Ellie Schwiesow is also said to be considering a primary challenge to Senator Adelstein. While most South Dakotans would welcome educational forums which provided balanced information from both side of the political aisle, many Republicans and conservatives remain wary of the South Dakota Mainstream Coalition as a group whose positions bear a strong resemblance to the liberal persuasion.
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