Palindrome – A word, phrase, verse or sentence that reads the same backward or forward, as: A man, a plan, a canal, Panama. From the Greek palindromos, running back again. – The American Heritage Dictionary It is a spring evening, warm in Los Angeles, and the Angels...
Populist – A member of a political party claiming to represent the common people; a believer in the rights, wisdom, or virtues of the common people. — Merriam Webster Dictionary A shadow of Bill Janklow showed up on television the other day in the form of a...
Treasure: A person or thing considered especially valuable or precious. – The American Heritage Dictionary The famous South Dakota artist Terry Redlin noticed a farmer looking closely at one of his paintings. It could have been normal admiration for a scene well...
Brokered Convention – A party convention in which many delegates are pledged to favorite sons who use their blocs of votes to bargain with leading candidates who lack a majority of delegate support. — Dictionary.com Just recently a friend and I were...
Country doctor: A doctor who is not a specialist, but treats all illnesses. — Vocabulary.com Stethoscope in hand, a balding middle-aged doctor looks benignly at an infant held in his mother’s arms. The child’s eyes are riveted on the doctor, and the mother is...
“I was sorry to learn of the death of Congressman Frank Denholm. Although it has been many years since Frank left office, many South Dakotans still fondly remember him and his hard work on behalf of our state.” – Gov. Dennis Daugaard It was a telephone call I...
Dynasty – A powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time. — Merriam Webster Dictionary When Lars Herseth ran for governor in 1986, he was attempting to achieve something unusual, even rare, in politics. His father, Ralph,...
English usage is sometimes more than mere taste, judgment and education — sometimes it’s sheer luck, like getting across the street. – E.B. White, American writer When it comes to saying what you mean, punctuation often is as important as the words...
Easter – “The resurrection of Christ changed the midnight of bereavement into a sunrise of reunion; it changed the midnight of disappointment into a sunrise of joy; it changed the midnight of fear to a sunrise of peace.” — The Rev. Billy Graham...
Openness in government: “Democracies die behind closed doors. The First Amendment, through a free press, protects the people’s right to know that their government acts fairly, lawfully, and accurately.” Judge Damon Keith, U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Is...
