Say Anything Blog

North Dakota Democrats have been making a “Really Big Deal!” out of the resignation of state insurance commissioner Jim Poolman.  And while his resignation just over a year before the end of his term in office baffled me a bit too, I certainly don’t see where it has risen to the soaring heights of outrage Selzler and the rest of his Democrats have built it up to.

Let’s take a look at what Selzler has a problem with based on what he’s written in the latest issue of the Grand Forks Herald:

First, he’s mad that Poolman is leaving office early:

In 2004, voters re-elected Poolman as insurance commissioner. He decided to take this job in the private sector during the middle of his term. His excuse: Basically, he couldn’t afford to do the job any longer.

Of course, this is hardly the “middle” of Jim Poolman’s term in office.  He was re-elected to that office in 2004 and has served out nearly three years of it.  His term would have been up after the 2008 state-wide elections just over a year from now.  Granted, he isn’t finishing his term, but still.  He completed most of it.  And besides, the insurance commissioner position should be one that is appointed by the governor anyway as it is essentially an administrative position with little leeway for making policy.  It won’t really matter who Poolman’s replacement will be, nor will it really matter who North Dakotans elect to replace him in 2008.  Because, again, this is an administrative job with no power to set actual policy.

Plus, something tells me North Dakota’s Democrats weren’t exactly upset when John Kerry abandoned his Senate seat for well over a year to go campaigning for the Presidency. 

Second, he’s mad that Poolman is leaving office to make more money:

A recent Associated Press story estimated Poolman may make $300,000 to $500,000 a year in his new consulting business.

Why Selzler thinks this is a persuasive argument in light of the fact that Poolman has readily admitted he’s leaving office to go make more money is beyond me.

Third, POOLMAN MIGHT BE MOVING TO NEW YORK!

He also may have the use of a New York City apartment.

Of course, what the Associated Press actually reported is that Poolman got an email of apartment listings in New York from a friend.  Selzler doesn’t know that Poolman “has use” of an apartment in New York, and there’s no evidence to suggest otherwise, but he’s going to go ahead and spread that innuendo anyway.  Since Selzler is going to engage in that sort of logic, let me go ahead and say that North Dakota Democrat Director Jamie Selzler may enjoy stepping on the tails of little puppies.  I don’t know this for a fact, of course, but it seems plausible to me.

One gets the idea that the staffers down at Democrat headquarters in Bismarck are hyping this for no other reason than to justify the cushy salaries they get from the out-of-state political contributors that funds North Dakota’s Democrats.