Governor Mike Rounds continues to confound those looking at a run at Tim Johnson’s Senate seat. This time he has confused one of those seeking to unseat Johnson, Joel Dykstra, when he was discussing the Governors future plans including his thoughts on running against Johnson next year.

During an interview with the Mitchell Daily Republic, Dykstra’s communications director mentioned what Governor Rounds told Dykstra when asked about his plans for next year.

After Dykstra left our office, I asked his communications director, Sue Salter, for clarification. I wanted to know whether there had been a conversation between Rounds and Dykstra about a possible Rounds for Senate candidacy, and if there had been, what was said.

Salter said there had indeed been a conversation. She wasn’t a party to it, but she said she felt comfortable in paraphrasing the governor. Rounds had apparently been as vague and open-ended with Dykstra as he’s been with everybody else.

“The governor told Joel that he plans to be governor for three more years, so you tell me what that means,” Salter said.

Can’t anyone in South Dakota politics give a straight answer? Rounds’ answer sounds eerily similar to what Senator Johnson’s staff had maintained up until he finally came out and admitted his intentions. Isn’t it amazing how a simple yes or no question can be so difficult?