Tim Johnson for South Dakota | News | Latest News | In Major Reversal, Dykstra Says He Would Have Voted for Wall Street Bailout

Sioux Falls, SD - Taking a position that undermines his baseless attacks on US Senator Tim Johnson, U.S. Senate candidate Joel Dykstra said today that he would have voted for the $700 billion dollar Wall Street bailout, which passed in the Senate last night. Citing concerns with oversight, CEO compensation, and US tax dollars being used to bail out foreign banks, Senator Johnson voted against the bailout.

While on South Dakota Midday, a program on South Dakota Public Radio, Dykstra was asked whether he would have supported the Senate's $700 billion dollar bailout bill. In the interview, Dykstra said he would have "supported the action the Senate took."

In previous statements, Dykstra has said that Congress should not pass any bailout legislation quickly but should rather wait "until [Congress] reconvenes next year" before taking action and "do as little as possible." His support for last night's bailout package is a sharp departure from his original position and it makes his recent attacks on Senator Johnson suspect and hypocritical.

"Mr. Dykstra's support for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout is not only a flip-flop, but also highlights the hypocrisy of his latest attack ad against Senator Johnson. It is Mr. Dykstra, not Senator Johnson, who would vote to bail out Wall Street bankers with South Dakotans' tax dollars. It is Mr. Dysktra, not Senator Johnson, who appears beholden to special interests. It is Mr. Dykstra, not Senator Johnson, who walks lockstep with his party and ignores the interests of South Dakotans. Mr. Dykstra's support of the Wall Street bailout completely negates and undermines his own trumped up arguments against Tim in his baseless attack ad," said Johnson campaign manager Steve Jarding.