Argus Leader - "Dykstra wants to focus on issues, not health"

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Argus Leader - "Dykstra wants to focus on issues, not health"

State Rep. Joel Dykstra, R-Canton, faces a race complicated by the health of his opponent, but the message he hopes will reach voters is that an intractable Congress, including his opponent, Sen. Tim Johnson, has failed to deal with issues such as energy security, health care, immigration and Social Security.

In a meeting with the Argus Leader editorial board Wednesday, Dykstra acknowledged that the state of Johnson's recovery from a December 2006 brain hemorrhage and Johnson's subsequent decision not to take part in debates has shaped the campaign so far.

"I have consistently stuck to my beliefs that this should be about the issues," Dykstra said. But he said in every interview and public appearance, he has been asked about Johnson's health.

"It would be disingenuous of me to say this is not on voters' minds."

Interest in Johnson's ability to serve has in large measure been focused by Dykstra making an issue of the senator's decision to avoid debates.

But Dykstra says that has little to do with Johnson's health. He said Johnson's campaign calculated that the cost of not debating would be less than the cost of giving Dykstra exposure through the debate forum.

Johnson counters that Dykstra "gets more coverage for complaining about that than he does debating."

"The ratings on debates are not exactly blockbusters," Johnson said.
Seeking change

Dykstra said a concern with changing the culture of Washington, D.C., propelled his entry into the Senate race.

That includes both Democrats and Republicans. The shift in control of Congress to Democrats in 2006 was "a rejection of Republicans," not an embrace of Democrats, he said.

Dykstra thinks the government should help domestic energy sources but allow private industry to do the projects in a competitive market. The government, for instance, should delineate transmission corridors to serve developing technologies such as wind power. But it should not own that grid.

And while the government should help pay for research to develop cellulosic ethanol, "don't close our eyes" to the prospect average corn yields could double in 10 years and make corn-based ethanol a more competitive motor fuel, Dykstra said.

"I largely agree with him," Johnson said with regard to the government role in energy development. But he said the Republican party, led by Sen. John McCain, has dropped support for the renewable fuel standard mandating 10 billion gallons of ethanol or other biofuels be in the nation's fuel supply by 2012.

"I think Republicans ought to answer for that," Johnson said.

Dykstra said the government needs to ensure conservation benefits flowing from farm bills are not lost. South Dakota alone anticipates losing about 800,000 acres of Conservation Reserve Program acres to crop production.

"We've got to raise that rental rate," Dykstra said. "We can't watch the price of commodities double and expect people to make the same business decisions."

Johnson also agrees the CRP rental rate must increase.
Iraq 'going well'

In Iraq, Dykstra said, the U.S. finally has found the right formula and the right general to employ it, U.S. Chief of Central Command Gen. David Petraeus.

"It's a relief, the recognition things in Iraq are going well," Dykstra said.

Dykstra said while it is clear U.S. troop withdrawals will begin soon, he does not know how many will be left in the region and whether they should be stationed in Iraq or in nearby countries such as Kuwait.

However, different strategy might need to be employed in Afghanistan, Dykstra said, and to discern it, federal leaders should "rely on the folks with boots on the ground."

"I agree the challenges in Afghanistan are different than in Iraq," Johnson said. "But I think it is long past time to turn over the financing of the war in Iraq to the Iraqis. They have huge oil reserves, and it is time for them to spend their own money."

Dykstra acknowledges in many respects his positions are not all that different from Johnson's.

"There is no reason to believe opponents will differ on every issue," he said. "Frankly, there are a lot of common areas."

Dykstra says his experience in the Legislature predicts how he would serve in the Senate. He said a bill he co-sponsored to reduce tax costs to developers set the stage for 1,000 megawatts of wind power projects in South Dakota.

Another bill he co-sponsored gives consumers access to information about price and performance in hospitals.

"It may not affect what hospital you go to if you're having a heart attack, but it may affect where you go to have a knee replacement," he said.
At a disadvantage

Dykstra said he decided to challenge Johnson in fall 2006, and when the two had a cordial talk in Canton, where they were the program for a Veterans Day celebration, Dykstra said he mused how different their relationship would be when the campaign started.

"I didn't realize how different his life would be just a month later," when Johnson suffered the brain injury, Dykstra said. But he added he was not surprised when Johnson returned to public life and announced he would run for re-election. Dykstra is frustrated that with no debates, and he must scramble to find other venues to engage voters. But he acknowledged that in their race, Johnson enjoys an incumbent's advantage, and "that's not news. I knew it going in, and I'm not complaining."

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