FLASHBACK: Daschle says Democrats were too easy on Bush

In this election year, Senator Daschle has run an ad here in South Dakota showing him embracing President Bush. However, when Daschle was not facing a tough reelection campaign, he bemoaned the fact that Democrats weren't contesting President Bush's policies forcefully enough, according to a November 17, 2003 CBS Marketwatch story headlined "Daschle says Democrats were too easy on Bush." Here's the complete text of the story:

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, said his fellow Democrats should've been more forceful in their dealings with the newly elected President George Bush after the 2000 election.

Daschle also said that he thinks that health care will turn out to be the Democrats' hot-button political issue in the next election. Privacy issues will also play a large role, he noted.

"Universal health care is Mount Everest," he said. "We can't quit until we conquer that mountain." Meanwhile, privacy "is a huge issue for the next generation."

Speaking at Newsweek's "Who's Next" event in New York, Daschle discussed the prospects for the upcoming campaign. He was joined on the panel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Caro, author of biographies of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson, and Anne Marie Slaughter, dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Jonathan Alter, Newsweek's senior editor and columnist, served as the moderator.

Asked by Alter if the Democrats had been too nice or accommodating to Bush, Daschle said that "nice" was probably the wrong word. But he didn't necessarily disagree with that conclusion. Daschle said his colleagues didn't send their message forcefully enough to Bush to contest some of his policies, especially since Bush won a contested election and didn't emerge with a mandate from American voters.

"I don't think we sent it as strongly as I would have liked," said Daschle, referring to the Democrats' message. Daschle is also the author of a new book called "Like No Other Time."

Daschle said the Democrats' accommodating style in early 2001 was "a reflection of a division in our caucus."

New ideas

With such Democratic hopefuls as Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, the frontrunner at this point, and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry blasting Bush for his handling of the Iraqi occupation and the U.S. economy, it's not likely that the Democrats will be so accommodating going forward.

In fact, Daschle wouldn't concede a Republican landslide in the southern states. There is "going to be real competition in the South," Daschle said.

Caro said the Democrats could learn valuable lessons from following the example set long ago by Lyndon Johnson. Johnson was the Vice President when President John Kennedy was assassinated 40 years and he was re-elected in 1964, before deciding not to seek another term in 1968.

Caro said Johnson was a "PR genius" in his ability alternately to charm and bully potential foes in politics and the press.

Daschle said Al Gore, Vice President under President Bill Clinton who ran against Bush in 2000, could have done things differently in his bid to capture the White House.

Gore "could've won Arizona," Daschle said, and offered that Gore was "probably premature" in giving up on other states in the election.

Money talks

Daschle, who is up for re-election himself next year, conceded that money will continue to give Bush a leg up in the next election.

With Bush boasting a war chest of something like $200 million, he "can play wherever he wants," meaning he'll have no restrictions on being able to spend a lot of money.

The unique power of SD's two Senate seats

Sibby has posted an interesting column from a free-lance writer. Excerpt from the column:

[T]hanks to the wisdom of our founding fathers, South Dakotans can affect change well beyond the geographical boundaries of their state. The framers of our Constitution designed Congress so that the interests of South Dakota (and other states whose populations are comparatively small) are protected through the establishment of equal representation in the Senate. This gives South Dakota a tremendous amount of clout in the United States Congress and the nation as a whole.

Based on 2000 census data, South Dakota is generously blessed with one vote in the Senate for every 377,422 of its citizens. That’s nearly 45 times greater representation than California with only one vote for every 16,935,824 people. Consider that other bastions of liberal thought like New York have only one vote for every 9,488,228 residents and Massachusetts has only one vote for every 3,174,548 of its citizens. South Dakotans would be well served to ensure that this tremendous influence is used for their advantage – not for the advantage of those who oppose their values -- or for the personal benefit of Tom Daschle’s political career.

Return of the Black Hills to the Sioux

The long-anticipated meeting between Tim Giago and Senator Daschle that was promised in exchange for Giago to drop his independent bid for the U.S. Senate last spring is being held today. Rapid City television station KOTA has a story about the meeting headlined "Wind Cave used as bargaining chip?":

Earlier this year, Senator Tom Daschle convinced an independent challenger to drop out of the race for US Senate, but what did Daschle promise in return?
A report published in the Lakota Journal newspaper says control and ownership of Wind Cave National Park were used as a bargaining chip in convincing publisher Tim Giago to leave the Senate race.

The former newspaper publisher announced last year he would run against Daschle as an independent, but later ended his campaign after meeting with Daschle face to face told reporters he was running for Senate because Daschle had done a poor job of representing Native American issues on capitol hill.

In the Lakota Journal report, Giago is quoted as saying he and Daschle agreed to a deal…hinting that the ramifications would surprise everyone involved. “Every Lakota, Dakota and Nakota will be shocked and surprised at some of the issues Senator Daschle will bring forth.”

KOTA Territory news will talk with Senator Daschle later tonight to gain confirmation.

DVT is all over this development. Just start at the beginning and keep scrolling.

Rapid City Journal opens its newsroom to public scrutiny

The Rapid City Journal is actually inviting the public to attend their daily story conferences, and even encouraging the public to participate in deciding what stories get published and where stories are placed. I'm rendered almost speechless at this offer, but not speechless enough to prevent me from asking why the Argus Leader doesn't make the same offer.

Billboard on reservation

Mt. Blogmore, the Rapid City Journal's excellent blog, carries the interesting photo below, taken last week on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

UPDATE: To better understand the Sioux Nation's antipathy toward General Custer, read the U.S. Supreme Court's opinion in United States v. Sioux Nation of Indians, which gave the Sioux a just compensation award of $106 million for the taking of the Black Hills. The Sioux have refused to take the money, believing that doing so will relinquish their claim to the Black Hills, which was ceded to them in the Treaty of 1868. Edward Lazarus, author of the book Black Hills, White Justice, writes that this belief is probably erroneous, and advocates that the Sioux take the money. Today, the just compensation award is gathering dust in a federal trust account, and is now worth more than $500 million.

Flag desecration statute

A friend sent along a note pointing out that the South Dakota code still contains a flag desecration statute:

22-9-1. Desecration of flag.
Any person who knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States or flag of the State of South Dakota is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The term, flag of the United States, as used in this section includes any flag, standard, or colors, or any part thereof, made of any substance and of any size evidently purporting to be the flag, standard, or colors of the United States of America.
The term, flag of the State of South Dakota, as used in this section includes any flag, standard, or colors, or any part thereof, made of any substance and of any size evidently purporting to be the flag, standard, or colors of the flag of the State of South Dakota.

Flag amendment debate

I've prepared a roundup of links about the debate over the flag amendment that has become intertwined with the debate over Senator Daschle's divisive remarks on the eve of the Iraq war.

First, there's this press release from the Thune campaign.

The Argus Leader has a story headlined "Candidates tout military backing in loyalty feud."

The Rapid City Journal has a piece headlined "Daschle supporters show military might." The story encapsulates the straw-man arguments and vitriol that is beginning to define the Daschle campaign. Excerpt:

"But somehow, John Thune has been willing to embarrass himself by suggesting that somehow Tom Daschle is not a patriot," McPeak said. "Now look, a vigorous debate is OK and is, in fact, what we expect in a political campaign. But baloney is baloney. And if you wrap it in the flag, it's still baloney, except that now you've insulted the flag."

McPeak said Thune owes the country and especially South Dakota an apology for his unfounded attack on Daschle. He also questioned Thune's standing to challenge Daschle on the issue.

"I can't stand the sunshine patriotism of a guy like Thune who's never seen the inside of a uniform to come forward and impugn the integrity and the honor and the patriotism of a guy who has served our country so long and so well as Tom Daschle," McPeak said.

Thune said in response that he wasn't criticizing Daschle's patriotism or military service record but was questioning the Democrat's judgment in one particular statement he made just before the invasion. In a speech during the days leading up to the Iraq invasion, Daschle said he was "saddened that this president failed so miserably at diplomacy that we're now forced to war."

Elsewhere in today's edition of the RCJ is a story headlined "Thune, Daschle spar over flag burning."

UPDATE: The indefatigable Q has more HERE and HERE.

UPDATE 2: Here's a link to the case of Texas v. Johnson, which held flag burning is protected speech under the First Amendment. It was a 5-4 decision and, surprisingly, Justice Scalia voted with the majority. Even more remarkably, Justice Stevens sided with the dissenters, which included Rehnquist, O'Connor, and White.

Stephen Hess: Daschle's remarks on eve of war "verged on being offensive"

The March 18, 2003 edition of the White House Bulletin contained the following passage about Senator Daschle's divisive remarks on the eve of the Iraq war:

Asked about Daschle's comments, Larry Sabato, head of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics told the Bulletin that Daschle's remarks were "pretty tough, especially for one who's running for reelection - or presumably running for reelection -- in a state that voted 60 percent for Bush." Asked about historical examples of similar comments, Sabato said there was serious criticism of former President Bush in the last week prior to Operation Desert Storm in 1991, noting, "Sam Nunn was predicting complete and total disaster. That was the end of his presidential aspirations." Sabato added that while Daschle is not seeking the presidency this time around, he is similarly "rolling the dice" politically.

Stephen Hess, a senior fellow at Brookings who has made a career studying the presidency, told the Bulletin that Daschle's remarks were "stunning" and "verged on being offensive, and I'm used to a lot of rough political talk." Hess added Daschle's remarks "couldn't have been more grossly stated at the wrong time," though they could have been "great remarks" after the war. Hess concluded, "He could live to regret that deeply."

Daschle's Second Amendment ad

Jennifer Sanderson of the Argus Leader delivers another stellar analysis in her latest "AdWatch" headlined "Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle walks hunting grounds and states his commitment to the right to bear arms." Excerpt:

“One thing that is predictable in an election year is that Tom Daschle will appear somewhere in fluorescent orange, carrying a shotgun and touting his respect for the Second Amendment,” said John Thune, the Republican challenger.

“Tom Daschle gets an ‘F’ from the NRA. How are you an advocate for the Second Amendment if the largest gun owners association in America flunks you?” Thune asked. “Daschle has consistently voted with the anti-gun lobby. When you’re in a state like South Dakota, with a very gun-owning culture, and you vote against that culture, you have to spend a lot of money to convince people you’re not.”

[...]

Thune is correct in his assessment of Daschle’s rating from the NRA. The group gives Daschle an “F.” In contrast, the Brady Campaign reports a 78 percent rating for the incumbent.

Presidential historian: Daschle's comments "bitter, almost mean-spirited"

The March 19, 2003 edition of the Argus Leader carried the following quote from a presidential historian regarding Daschle's divisive comments on the eve of the Iraq war:

"It's certainly a different perception of the role of Senate leader than we have had typically," said Charles Jones, a presidential historian and emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin. "We have had good Senate leaders. (Democrat Mike) Mansfield was fantastic. ... But never, even with Nixon, did he respond as Daschle has.

"It perplexes me," Jones said. "... Daschle just sounded bitter, almost mean-spirited, and I simply don't understand that."

Michael Barone on Daschle's Iraq war comments

Michael Barone wrote a piece headlined "Diplomatic debacle? Not so; Countering the president's critics" analyzing Senator Daschle's divisive comments on the eve of the Iraq war. Excerpt:

It is clear that [Daschle] speaks in the accents of the Senate Democratic cloakroom, in which Bush is regarded as an illegitimate president, a usurper who is trying to impose crazed conservative policies, a stupid man incapable of understanding a sophisticated world, who must be opposed ferociously at every step and on any ground. No Democratic campaign consultant whom I know, and I know all the leading Democratic campaign consultants, would have advised Daschle to make the comment that he did. If the war goes badly, Bush and the Republicans will pay a political price, whatever the Democrats say now; if the war goes well, comments like Daschle's will work powerfully against the Democrats and for George W. Bush. Daschle's words can only be explained as the product of a kind of hatred, unbuttressed by any serious intellectual argument, likely to hurt the party of the speaker far more than the party of the president they were directed against.

Mort Kondracke on Daschle's Iraq war comments

Here's what Roll Call executive editor Mort Kondracke had to say about Senator Daschle's divisive comments on the eve of the Iraq war:

"You know, now Tom Daschle blamed only George Bush for the diplomatic disaster. Didn't have a thing to
say about Saddam Hussein." - (Fox News "Special Report," 3/18/2003).

Bill O'Reilly: "...the good people of South Dakota need to take a hard look at this guy"

Here's what Bill O'Reilly had to say about Daschle's comments on the eve of the Iraq war:

As you may know, Daschle has criticized the war against Iraq, saying, "This president failed so miserably in diplomacy that we are now forced to war."

But in 1998, when President Clinton bombed Iraq, Daschle said this, "We have exhausted virtually our diplomatic effort to get the Iraqis to comply with their own agreements and with international law. Given that... We have got to force them to comply, and we are doing so militarily."

So, what's up with the hypocrisy, Senator? You were all for using force five years ago. Now, after 9/11, the threat from Saddam's weapons even greater-- what say you?

The No Spin truth is Mr. Daschle is playing politics in a time of life and death and that should be unacceptable to all Americans, not just Republicans.

Senator Lott lost power because his credibility dissolved after he applauded a philosophy that hurt African-Americans. Now Senator Daschle is embracing a philosophy that's position is inconsistent with his past positions and it is not helpful in the war against Saddam.

Talking Points believes it is over for Tom Daschle, at least as far as national influence is concerned. I also believe the good people of South Dakota need to take a hard look at this guy.

Lou Dobbs: Daschle inconsistent

Here's what CNN's Lou Dobbs had to say about Senator Daschle's divisive comments on the eve of the Iraq war:

Senator Tom Daschle said Monday that he was saddened by events, and criticized President Bush saying the president had "failed so miserably at diplomacy that we're now forced to war."

This is the same Senator Daschle who said on the floor of the United States Senate five months ago that "it is important for America to speak with one voice at this critical moment." That on the day Congress approved the Joint Resolution authorized the president to use military force against Iraq to disarm Saddam Hussein.

Senator Daschle has every reason to be saddened, but by his own deeds, not those of the president.

President Bush has been clear and constant throughout, and for that deserves great credit, not criticism from the inconsistent.

Liberal columnist: Daschle's Iraq war comments "not helpful"

Here's what uber-liberal Newsweek columnist Eleanor Clift had to say about Senator Daschle's divisive comments on the eve of the Iraq war in a piece dated March 21, 2003:

Daschle has the skills of a good partisan leader, but this time he overstepped. Once it became clear Bush was taking the country to war, anything said that is not supportive of the commander in chief is by definition not helpful politically. Republican Sen. George Allen called Daschle’s words “disgusting.” Few Democrats publicly backed Daschle, and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who is running for president, issued a statement that Bush wasn’t to blame for the war; it’s Saddam Hussein’s fault. “Congress has a role and that is to shut the hell up,” says Bob Boorstin, director of World View Initiative, which studies American attitudes toward U.S. foreign policy. “Anyone who tries to say anything that’s critical will be drawn and quartered.”

Daschle's two-trick pony

A friend writes:

Daschle's campaign strategy is a two-trick pony. Either he's the most powerful man in the universe, or he's the victim. It seems to me that it would be hard to reconcile these two components.

Not if you're as adept at having it both ways as Tom Daschle is.

Residency

Wally of Irreconcilable Musings has more interesting insights on the "RV vote" particularly the aspect of how residency is defined in South Dakota for election purposes.

Interestingly, Joseph Bottum of the Weekly Standard also briefly touched the issue of residency as it relates to Senator Daschle and his wife in a piece published this week. Excerpt from the Weekly Standard:

Still, the message has gotten out: Daschle is one person back home, and another person on the East Coast. In South Dakota, he proudly announces his support for the president; in Washington, he's the minority leader of the Senate who does his best to thwart the president. In South Dakota, he campaigns as a man of the people; in Washington, he and his lobbyist wife recently bought a $1.9 million house, for which they promptly claimed a "homestead" tax credit that requires declaring the house one's primary and legal residence--leaving curiously unresolved the question of how the couple remain registered voters in South Dakota.

Daschle supported bipartisan delegation in '93

DVT unearthed this gem from the November 16, 1993 edition of the Argus Leader:

Argus Leader: South Dakota has only 3 members of Congress, yet there if often division among you. Is the state hurt by the frequent disagreements on issues that split you and Sen. Larry Pressler (R)? ... Are South Dakotans being hurt?

Daschle: I think they are being assisted by it. You certainly would not want everybody to march in step just for the sake of unanimity. I think they benefit from hearing both sides.

Daschle's leadership in jeopardy?

DVT has the complete text of a portion of today's Political Diary from the Wall Street Journal regarding the slim likelihood that Daschle will retain his leadership post on the off chance he gets reelected. Excerpt:

An article in The Hill newspaper over the summer noted that "fault lines of a potential leadership struggle within the Democratic Caucus are already visible." Members who are upset with Mr. Daschle's leadership style will not be forgiving if Democrats lose more seats in the Senate. If he wins re-election but Democrats are still a minority in the Senate, Mr. Daschle may well decide to leave to take a top spot on the Appropriations Committee.

Vote Now!

Fellow South Dakota readers, I strongly urge you to bring yourself and a photo ID to your county courthouse and vote today! South Dakota early voting laws allow you to just walk in and vote at your local county auditor's office from now until election day. Let's get your votes in the bank as soon as possible, and then get all your friends to do the same. It's going to make a huge difference.

Quote of the Day

"The question is one about judgment. In times of war ... words have impact, and they have meaning, and we need to be sensitive to that. I didn't see Thune as criticizing [Daschle's] patriotism. He was criticizing his judgment." - Senator Norm Coleman, as quoted in today's edition of the Argus Leader regarding the debate in South Dakota about Daschle's comments on the eve of the Iraq war. In a bizarre turn, Daschle seems to be embracing this debate.

The Senate Graveyard

Here's a photo of yesterday's lead editorial in the Wall Street Journal, which includes a handy chart of "Legislation that has passed the House in the 108th Congress but is dying in the world's greatest deliberative body."

Councilman: AL editor had "awfully friendly coffee" with U.S. Senator

The gaffe-prone Randell Beck, executive editor of the Argus Leader, seems to have committed yet another one. A week and a half ago, Beck wrote a column about going to a "froufrou coffee house" to "chat" with a "South Dakota politician," and while doing so, noticing a group of city council members "lurking in a dark corner."

Today, Vernon Brown, one of the victims of the Beck sighting, responded to Beck's column with some intriguing new facts that Beck conveniently omitted from his column. The "South Dakota politician" Beck was "chatting" with was none other than Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Johnson. As Brown writes:

"In fact, Beck and another editor were meeting the senator for what appeared to be an awfully friendly coffee. I could assume Beck might be the one with an agenda, but I won't."

(Emphasis added.) Hmmm. Could this meeting between Beck, another AL editor (Patrick Lalley?) and Sen. Johnson qualify as a cabal of yahoos? Perhaps they were discussing the best way to phrase the AL's forthcoming endorsement of Senator Daschle.

Fittingly, the Weekly Standard's Joseph Bottum has a piece this week in which he notes that the Argus Leader's profile of Senator Johnson in 2002 was "so puffy and sweet it should be handed out in journalism school as a model of disingenuous advocacy." Perhaps this explains that "awfully friendly coffee."

Here's a photo of Vernon Brown's response to Randell Beck in today's edition of the Argus Leader:

Thune holds rally to support flag amendment

Thune supporters held a rally to support a constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from desecration today, and were met by a coterie of Daschle supporters holding a protest outside Thune's campaign headquarters.

Here's a picture of a couple of veterans at the rally who support Thune:

Here's a couple more photos of the rally:

Here's the Thune campaign's press release about the event.

Argus Leader: Daschle's Iraq comments were "divisive rather than constructive"

DVT notes that even the Argus Leader, Senator Daschle's most influential cheerleader, castigated him for his comments on the eve of the Iraq war. Below is a picture of the March 19, 2003 Argus Leader editorial:

After the firestorm over Daschle's comments, Daschle said that he had "no idea when I said them what the timing of the military operation would be." That is patently false. Just look at what he said in the same speech:

“I’m going to the White House this afternoon and I have a pretty good understanding, a pretty good idea what was I’m going to hear. I’m saddened, saddened that this president failed so miserably at diplomacy that we’re now forced to war. Saddened that we have to give up one life because this president couldn’t create the kind of diplomatic effort that was so critical for our country. But we will work and we had do all that we can to get through this crisis like we’ve gotten through so many.

Daschle's timing was impeccable. What he didn't foresee was that the entire country would be outraged by his impeccable timing.

Kerry Aide: Daschle just saying what he has to say in a close race

Last night on CNN's Crossfire, Jamie Rubin, a policy adviser to John Kerry, suggested Daschle's criticism Of Kerry's Iraq vote during Sunday's Meet the Press debate wasn't genuine. Below is the relevant portion of the transcript from Crossfire:

CARLSON: Now, Jamie Rubin, kind of a remarkable exchange between Tim Russert and Tom Daschle, Senator Tom Daschle yesterday on "Meet the Press" -- I'm sure you were watching very carefully -- and kind of devastating to John Kerry.

Here's what it was. Here's the exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "MEET THE PRESS")

TIM RUSSERT, HOST: Didn't Senator Kerry vote against $87 million for aid to the troops?

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MINORITY LEADER: He did. I disagree with that. When I was over there, that was one of the most important things we could do, was to send the message, I think, that these members of the Guard and the Reserves, our active duty personnel, need the support, need the equipment they've got to have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: So that's Tom Daschle saying what a lot of Republicans have been saying, not even as strongly as Tom Daschle just said, and that is that the message Senator Kerry sent to the troops when he voted against that 87 million dollars -- billion dollars, was devastating, that it was a lack of confidence in them. That was the message that it sent to them.

JAMIE RUBIN, ADVISER TO SENATOR JOHN KERRY: Well, Tom Daschle is in a close race in South Dakota. And there are certain things he has to say during that race.

Even Daschle's allies see Daschle's cynicism for what it is.

The Daschle Two-Step

DVT has posted the complete lead editorial of today's edition of the Wall Street Journal headlined "The Daschle Two-Step." Excerpt:

[Senator Daschle] has been doing a political two-step his entire career. At home, he presents himself as a cultural conservative, a uniting force in Congress, and a prairie populist who only does what is "good for South Dakota." Yet back in the Beltway, Mr. Daschle is an iron-fisted partisan who leads (or follows) his liberal caucus in attacking most of Mr. Bush's agenda.

In 1978, when he was running for the House, and 1986, when he was running for the Senate, Daschle had members of the clergy in South Dakota write letters to constituents on his behalf declaring that Daschle was pro-life. Click HERE to view a pdf copy of the letters. In one such letter, Daschle stated "The truth is that I am unalterably opposed to abortion on demand." In 2002, Daschle wrote a fundraising letter on behalf of NARAL, stating that

"As the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, I've stood up for a woman's right to choose, and the pro-choice leadership of the Senate has made a difference by safeguarding women's rights from the anti-choice agenda of the Bush administration."

That's just one prime example of the Daschle Two-Step. Daschle presents himself as a cultural conservative at home, while in Washington he writes Bush-bashing fundraising letters for NARAL.

The RV vote

Wally and Q have some intriguing insights on how the RV community will affect the South Dakota election. Their thoughts were spurred by this AP story.

It should be noted that Jennifer Sanderson of the Argus Leader was the first to report this story.

People "rolling their eyes" at Daschle's victimhood

DVT notes a fascinating report from Minnesota Public Radio about the MTP debate between Thune and Daschle. MPR reports that the discerning students at USD "rolled their eyes" and laughed when Daschle launched into his victimhood routine:

Daschle responded looking very much the victim.

"John's attacks on me, where I come from, would earn a trip to the woodshed. He knows that's wrong. His effort to demonize me won't work in South Dakota," said Daschle.

The students watching the exchange laughed and rolled their eyes.

Even my apolitical friends said they laughed at Daschle's "Poor Tom" routine. Somehow, I don't think that was the reaction Daschle intended viewers to have.

Thune leads in post-debate tracking polls?

National Review's "The Corner" reports rumors that Thune was LEADING in tracking after yesterday's debate, 51%-46%. Maybe the debate wasn't a wash.

Elsewhere on The Corner, Jonah Goldberg gives props to John Thune on the issue of Daschle blocking judicial nominations:

Yesterday on Meet the Press, Thune zinged Daschle that he was unconstitutionally holding up judicial nominations. Daschle responded, not by questioning the charge of violating the constitution but by saying that the Senate's confirmed 95% of the judges nominated by Bush. As one astute reader notes, Since when is it okay to be only 95% in compliance with Constitution? The issue of course isn't how many judges are confirmed but that they are dealt with according to the correct procedure.

Also, thanks to The Corner for the plug.

Daschle forgot to put on his flag pin

Tonchi commented on Q's blog that Senator Daschle was not wearing an American flag lapel pin at yesterday's "Meet the Press" debate, while Thune was. Because the American flag lapel pin has become a staple of every politician's wardrobe, and because Daschle is well-known for his meticulous and painstaking attention to every detail of his political persona, I was somewhat skeptical of this observation. However, I ran through some photos of the debate, and it turns out Tonchi is absolutely correct. Here's an AP picture of the two side-by-side during yesterday's debate:

Daschle is clearly not sporting any lapel pin, much less an American flag lapel pin. I'm surprised that Daschle missed this important detail. It's not like him.

Quote of the Day

"The Senate is my home." - Tom Daschle, as quoted in the January 20, 2003 edition of Newsweek.

Dakota bloggers make print edition of the Weekly Standard

South Dakota native Joseph Bottum has a must-read piece in this week's edition of the Weekly Standard headlined "Prairie Politics: Daschle, Thune, and the race for South Dakota." There's lots to chew on in the piece, but the following passage was particularly gratifying:

So, if Thune couldn't beat the weaker candidate Johnson in 2002, how's he supposed to beat the stronger candidate Daschle in 2004? Well, part of the answer may be better press coverage. The state's dominant newspaper, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, for instance, ran a long profile of Tim Johnson in 2002 so puffy and sweet it should be handed out in journalism school as a model of disingenuous advocacy. A similar performance this year seems unlikely, as the South Dakota bloggers--particularly Jon Lauck at Daschle v. Thune, Steve Sibson at Sibby Online, and Jason Van Beek at South Dakota Politics--have kept relentlessly after the Argus Leader.

Q's read on the debate

Don't forget to digest Quentin's thoughts on today's Meet the Press debate. Also, be sure to read the comments after Quentin's post, particularly the thoughts of an apolitical South Dakota woman on Daschle's groan-inducing "Poor Tom" routine near the end of the debate.

NYT on today's debate

Sheryl Gay Stolberg of the New York Times has an excellent report on today's Daschle v. Thune debate headlined "Daschle Defends Iraq Remarks." Excerpt:

Their Senate race is perhaps the most contentious and closely watched in the country, in part because it is rare for a Senate party leader to face such a tough challenge at home. Sunday's exchange occurred on the NBC program "Meet the Press," where Mr. Daschle and Mr. Thune, who are running even in polls, sparred for an hour on issues like Iraq, the president's judicial nominees and energy policy.

The two men, seated side by side, repeatedly interrupted each other, often wagging fingers as they accused each other of distorting voting records. Mr. Daschle, pen in hand, took notes throughout; at one point he grew so irritated that he clapped his hand on Mr. Thune's forearm, declaring, "You've had your shot, and I'll give you mine, John.''

Word on the street

Sources say Tom Daschle sat on a big blue pillow during the Meet the Press debate today, in order to make himself appear taller. Daschle frequently has to inflate his stature when in front of television cameras, as seen by the picture to the right.

Some post-debate remarks

For an excellent, detailed analysis of the debate, be sure to see Ryne McClaren's post on the subject. DVT also has a lot of great insights.

Here's the cold transcript of the debate.

After reviewing the tape of this morning's debate between Senator Daschle and John Thune on "Meet the Press," and getting insights from friends, the overall sentiment is that the debate was a wash. Thune got a few whacks in, and so did Daschle. Daschle was definitely more aggressive this time around, at one point waving a pen a few inches from Thune's face, constantly trying to interrupt Thune, and even grabbing Thune's forearm. It was very uncharacteristic for Daschle, and he came off more like a yapping chihuahua than as this high-powered, illustrious leader of the Senate. Daschle's attempts at condescension also fell flat.

Interestingly, Tom Daschle had it both ways when discussing the Wall Street Journal's news and editorial pages. First, Daschle said the WSJ's news and editorial pages were not a source he would quote:

So whether you read [the Wall Street Journal's] editorial page, which has come out virtually against South Dakota on everything that matters to them, or you read their news pages, which says it's the Republicans who can't get their act together, is up to you. But that's not a source I would quote.

Then, later in the debate, Daschle quotes the WSJ as a credible source:

It's special interest provisions that bailed out some oil companies and special interests, chemical manufacturers that even the Republicans--you look at The Wall Street Journal, The Wall Street Journal said the other day that some of the Republican senators had a commitment from Bill Frist that they would not even bring up the energy bill as long as those special interest provisions were in the bill.

Many are wondering if Tom Daschle actually shed a tear after Russert asked about some of the harsh criticism Daschle has received.

Daschle did a good job of not answering Russert's questions, while John Thune was much more direct in responding to Russert's questions. It's probably more difficult for Thune to fight the Midwestern instinct to respond directly to questions. Daschle, of course, has become a creature of Washington, and is much more adept at dodging difficult questions.

Finally, sources say Daschle was sitting on a big blue pillow during the debate.

UPDATE: Reuters has a report headlined "Senate Foes Daschle, Thune Swaps Barbs in Debate."

MTP Debate

Russert just tried to pin down Daschle on the war, and has now turned to Thune to ask if he agrees with Senator Hagel that we're losing the war.

UPDATE 8:09: Television is definitely a colder medium, there's a lot less electricity in the air compared to the Mitchell debate.

UPDATE 8:14: Daschle is really hammering on the issue of body armor for troops, accusing the Bush administration of not doing enough to equip the troops. Russert notes that John Kerry voted against the $87 billion bill to equip the troops. Daschle says he disagrees with Kerry on that issue.

UPDATE 8:23: Quote of the day: "Daschle ran out of the arms of Michael Moore and into the arms of President Bush" in an election year.

UPDATE 8:27: Daschle tries to get into Thune's face on the issue of judges. Thune remains unruffled.

UPDATE 8:32: Daschle quote as MTP cuts to a break: "If you want a follower you do what John did on drought relief, if you want a leader you do what I did."

UPDATE 8:40: Russert pins Thune down on the issue of gas taxes.

UPDATE 8:46: Russert pins down Daschle on the energy bill.

UPDATE 8:47: Daschle is much more aggressive, at one point he smirked and clapped John Thune's arm, it really came off as cheesy.