Ron Bailey on Al Gore

My colleague, Dr. Schaff, notes below the topic of Al Gore and Global Warming.  Ron Bailey at Reason has this on Gore's New Movie. 

I have long been a critic of former Vice-President Al Gore, but as a recent convert to the view that humanity is contributing significantly to the current increase in average global temperatures, I was trying to keep a somewhat open mind about his new global warming movie, An Inconvenient Truth.  . . .

Gore claims to be presenting the "scientific consensus" on global warming. But is that so?

Well, at least not always. Take sea level rise for example. Gore spends a lot of time talking about how dramatic melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice caps that could raise sea level by 20 feet by 2100. He shows computer animated maps in which most of southern Florida, southern Manhattan, Shanghai, and Bangladesh are inundated. "Think of the impact of a couple hundred thousand refugees, and then imagine 100 million," says Gore. Of course his reference to the couple of hundred thousand refugees aims to evoke thoughts about the horrific experience of New Orleanians last year.

Well, the "consensus" of climate scientists as represented in the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is that sea level is likely to rise between 4 inches to 35 inches with a central value of 19 inches. Nineteen inches is not nothing and is 3 times greater than the sea level rise the world experienced during the 20th century, but Manhattan and most of Florida will most likely still be above water in 2100. A new study in Science concluded if temperatures rose steeply that the Greenland ice sheet might melt away in 500 to 1000 years. So fortunately we don't have to worry about the impact of 100 million people fleeing relentlessly rising seas all at once, though it would be a good idea for builders and insurance companies to keep the projected rise in sea level in mind.

Read the whole thing, but that passage its pretty good indicator of how honest Honest Al is in this film.

Tinklenberg

SD War College is reporting that the Argus Leader has been serving as a booster for one of its own:

I always wondered why the Argus Leader had been promoting the odd notion that it was ok for an insurance agent to end up as the beneficiary on a life insurance policy that they had written. Now I know why they've been ramming that notion down their readership's throat

...

[H]ere's what got my attention:

Tinklenberg had worked for the Argus Leader circulation department for four months at the end of 2005 and beginning of 2006 as an independent contractor setting up kiosks at different locations for the purpose of selling newspapers.

That's rather telling. Read it all here and make up your own mind. But it certainly seems like some quid pro quo for his participating in their series of stories. Or do they hire everyone who contributes to big sensationalistic expose's?

Despite their best propaganda, I'd be hard pressed to ever believe that an insurance agent ever had an insurable interest in the life insurance policy of someone whom they weren't related to, nor had a business relationship.

The New Media and Competition

Mary Katharine Ham of The Examiner writes about competition and accountability in the media.  Excerpt:

I grew up in a cross-town newspaper battle — one of the few left in a news climate where chains had bought most major dailies and many markets had become monopolies. I learned early that two newspapers fighting for scoops and readers meant that readers got better news coverage than they would have gotten if they were served by one paper.

I know because I watched both papers grow. We got the competition’s newspaper delivered to our house for opposition research.

...

I decided to give up newspapers when I started thinking of blogs and conservative media as just another competitor to the Mainstream Media. I don’t have to be the mortal enemy of the papers I grew up with. Sure, they do stupid things, and I love to call them out for it just as they love to call out bloggers, but the truth is that blogs have the ability to push newspapers and other mainstream media to be better.

I need the foreign bureaus and the years of experience embodied by an MSM news organization in order to be a decent blogger. I see the virtues of the MSM despite its many gaffes. After spending half my career in the newsroom and the other in my pajamas, as is the blogger custom, I know that if more members of the MSM did the same, we’d all end up with better products.

There is a reason the competition newspaper landed on our doorstep every day growing up. It thumped against the stoop next to “our” newspaper, weighty with ideas that could be used and tweaked in competition against it.

There are hundreds of cities that publish only one major daily, and far fewer that publish two or more.  New York and Chicago may be the last few metropolitan areas in the United States that benefit from competition among newspapers.  Out here on the High Plains, the Gannett-owned Sioux Falls Argus Leader dominates the region and holds a great amount of influence.  Thousands of people in the southeast corner of the state read the paper and many small town dailies and weeklies run Argus stories.  The rippling effect is large and, as such, the Argus plays an important role in presenting information to the citizens in the state.  The Argus also holds monopoly power in terms of profitability.  In short, the Argus is critical to the proper functioning of the democratic process in South Dakota.  The core critique of the South Dakota bloggers during the 2004 campaign was the paper's biased reporting of the senate race, which favored Tom Daschle, and the Argus' political reporter, David Kranz, an old college buddy of Daschle's.  The two were active in politics together in the 1960s, when Kranz was Daschle's "publicity chairman" for a mock Democratic convention.  When Daschle and other staffers looked for friendly reporters in the 1970s, they immediately went to Kranz.  The "bombshell memos" (which you can find on the right-hand side of this blog) called him "very much a strong Demo" and documented his work to help Democrats and hurt Republicans.  Also note that the Argus buried at least 66 stories that reflected negatively on Daschle back in 2004.

The executive editor of the Argus, Randell Beck, responded to the blogospheric criticism of Kranz and the Argus, saying Kranz was "the best political reporter in the region" and "one of the finest, most honest, credible reporters in the region."  Beck also said that the criticism was "crap" and driven by a "violent" internet "cabal" of "yahoos" and "jokers," who are full of "hatred" and "vitriol" and lacked "guts" because they hid "behind their computer screens" and wouldn't face him "man to man." Beck then went on to highlight the importance of debating issues "without calling each other names."  That the Argus has a political slant is obvious, and that's fine.  This blog also has a political slant that's obvious.  But the Argus wasn't (and isn't) honest about it.  To feign objectivity is absurd--and a fraud.  Blogs never claim to be objective like the newspapers do.

There is no doubt that the South Dakota blogs affected the Argus' coverage of the Daschle-Thune Senate race that Ms. Ham talked about above.  A University of South Dakota political science professor said the blog impact was "huge."  Former KELO-Land anchor Steve Hemmingsen thought blogs had "a lot of clout" in the Senate race.  Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit wrote about the Dakota Blog Alliance in a post-election column.  The Argus Leader was put in a position where it had to respond to the blog criticism of its coverage, which made the coverage of the race (sometimes) better and, thus, made the citizens of this state more knowledgeable about the Senate race.  These are the benefits of competition: more efficiency, better results, and a better service for consumers.  Additionally for newspapers, there is better news coverage and a more informed electorate, an essential component in the practice of democracy.

Ethanol

Argus Leader:

Not long ago, investors who wanted to put money into ethanol had to do it at the gas pump.

But with a strong initial public offering this week from ethanol maker VeraSun Energy Corp., and more IPOs on the way, it looks like investors will soon have more choices.

VeraSun’s $419.8 million IPO, which raised significantly more than the company had expected on Wednesday, suggests that ethanol has morphed from a fringe energy source into the next hot investment opportunity on Wall Street. VeraSun, based in Brookings, S.D., is the country’s second-largest ethanol producer behind agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland Co.

Barone

Michael Barone in the Wall Street Journal:

It has been a tough 10 days for those who see current events through the prisms of Vietnam and Watergate. First, the Democrats failed to win a breakthrough victory in the California 50th District special election--a breakthrough that would have summoned up memories of Democrats winning Gerald Ford's old congressional district in a special election in 1974. Instead the Democratic nominee got 45% of the vote, just 1% more than John Kerry did in the district in 2004.

Second, U.S. forces with a precision air strike killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, on the same day that Iraqis finished forming a government. Zarqawi will not be available to gloat over American setbacks or our allies' defeat, as the leaders of the Viet Cong and North Vietnam did.

Third, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced that he would not seek an indictment of Karl Rove. The leftward blogosphere had Mr. Rove pegged for the role of Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. Theories were spun about plea bargains that would implicate Vice President Dick Cheney. Talk of impeachment was in the air. But it turns out that history doesn't repeat itself. George W. Bush, whether you like it or not, is not a second Richard Nixon.

Iraq Pullout

The pullout crowd was handed another legislative defeat today.  Excerpt from Fox News:

The Senate rejected a call for the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq by year's end on Thursday as Congress erupted in impassioned, election-year debate over a conflict that now has claimed the lives of 2,500 American troops.

The vote was 93-6 to shelve the proposal, which would have allowed "only forces that are critical to completing the mission of standing up Iraqi security forces" to remain in 2007.

Bookmark It

Randy Barnett over at Volokh makes note of this new site that allows paragraph by paragraph permalinking of the Federalist Papers. 

The Incredible Shrinking Deficit

From Investor's Business Daily:

Aided by surging tax receipts, President Bush may make good on his pledge to cut the deficit in half in 2006 — three years early.

Take a look at this chart:
 

Look at that first line.  How is that possible?  You mean we cut taxes and revenue went up?  The next thing you know they'll say that government revenue is most effected by economic growth.

Hat tip to Instapundit.   

Linda Daschle

John McCaslin writes about Linda Daschle's "power grab":

A "political power grab" is said to be under way at historic Ford's Theatre, orchestrated by theater board member Linda Daschle, lobbyist-wife of former Democratic Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, and involving one of Washington's more mysterious, if not generous couples.

"For years, the board (leadership) has been carefully kept bipartisan," an outgoing trustee tells The Beltway Beat. "This is partisan politics, pure and simple."

Partly for political exposure, the board member insists that Linda Daschle has "orchestrated a behind-the-scenes secret slate" of friends, including congressional spouses, to replace the 42-member board's outgoing chairman, pair of vice chairmen, secretary and treasurer.

Figuring into the controversy are Washington power couple Wayne and Catherine Reynolds, who already have envious tongues wagging in Washington's social circles with their $100 million-plus in donations to the National Gallery of Art and Kennedy Center, among other recipients.

But not everybody wants the dough. Catherine Reynolds took back one $38 million contribution to the Smithsonian Institution after the couple was accused in gossip sheets of trying to buy their way to the top of Washington's A List, if not into personal control of the museums' exhibits.

Linda Daschle is proposing that Wayne Reynolds become the board's next chairman, the trustee reveals, adding that the Daschles in recent weeks flew aboard the Reynolds' private jet, which we could not confirm Monday. Also, says the trustee, the Reynolds' have already made a $1 million donation to Ford's Theatre - site of President Lincoln's assassination in 1865 - "with promises of more to come."

Board member Debbie Dingell, wife of Michigan Democratic Rep. John D. Dingell, was pushed by Linda Daschle to become secretary, the trustee continues, but for personal reasons withdrew her nomination.

Linda Daschle did not return a telephone call to her office early Monday seeking comment.

Among current board members are Karyn Frist, wife of Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist; Kathleen Gregg, wife of Sen. Judd Gregg, New Hampshire Republican; Patricia Lott, wife of Sen. Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican; Landra Reid, wife of Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada; and Kimberly Dorgan, wife of Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat.

Meanwhile, talk about timing, tickets go on sale Aug. 14 for the Ford's Theatre production of "State of the Union," which is about a charismatic candidate being groomed for the presidency during "a politically cantankerous time, eerily similar to our own."

"Perfect for midterm elections, it's a wild ride of politics, power and personalities," touts the theater's box office.

Bush in Iraq

Washington Post:

PRESIDENT BUSH delivered an important demonstration of American support for Iraq’s new democratic government in his visit to Baghdad yesterday. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki represents the best and maybe last hope that a national government can stem sectarian bloodshed, defeat Islamic terrorist organizations and die-hard defenders of Saddam Hussein, and make economic recovery possible. He has formed a unity cabinet, appointed a well-qualified defense minister and spelled out the right agenda, including an imminent campaign to pacify Baghdad with tens of thousands of Iraq’s newly trained troops. But Mr. Maliki desperately needs international help to turn the tide of violence and chaos. Mr. Bush’s appearance, and his assurance that America “will keep its word,” should reassure Iraqis who have feared that the United States would precipitously withdraw rather than defend the country’s first truly democratic government.

...

If Democratic leaders such as Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) had their way, almost all U.S. troops would be out of Iraq by the end of 2006 — a blow that Mr. Maliki’s government almost certainly could not survive. Mr. Bush’s willingness — at least for now — to resist such politically expedient demands may not rescue Iraq’s fledgling political system; it may be that nothing can at this point. But he is — correctly and courageously — using what remains of his personal political capital to give Iraqi democracy a chance.

Roger Andal

We've just learned that Roger Andal, former state commander of the South Dakota Disabled American Veterans and former head of the Minnehaha County Democratic Party, has passed away after complications from surgery for Crohn's disease.  Our thoughts and prayers go to him and his family.

Marine in Iraq Elected in ND

Grand Forks Herald:

"We've got a raid going on right now, and I can't do anything for another 90 minutes. Can I call you then or is it too late?"

Thus went the e-mail from Maj. Mike McNamara from Fallujah, Iraq, replying to a request for an interview following his victory in the Grand Forks City Council Ward 2 race.

The race had been an intense one with four other candidates fighting for the same office and all of them having the advantage of being in town during the campaign.

Not that Mac, as he is often known, didn't have advantages of his own being both a local media celebrity - he's the host of "Mac Talk" on KNOX radio - and a Marine in a time when the military enjoys the most prestige it's had since World War II.

As things turned out, he had no problem wooing the voters. Mac got 49 percent of the 695 votes cast in Ward 2, the city ward with the biggest voter turnout. His closest rival was Jon Dorner, who had 19 percent of the vote.

Al Gore and the Global Warming Debate

It appears that many scientists don't agree with Al Gore's position on global warming.  Excerpt:

"Scientists have an independent obligation to respect and present the truth as they see it," Al Gore sensibly asserts in his film "An Inconvenient Truth", showing at Cumberland 4 Cinemas in Toronto since Jun 2. With that outlook in mind, what do world climate experts actually think about the science of his movie?

Professor Bob Carter of the Marine Geophysical Laboratory at James Cook University, in Australia gives what, for many Canadians, is a surprising assessment: "Gore's circumstantial arguments are so weak that they are pathetic. It is simply incredible that they, and his film, are commanding public attention."

But surely Carter is merely part of what most people regard as a tiny cadre of "climate change skeptics" who disagree with the "vast majority of scientists" Gore cites?

No; Carter is one of hundreds of highly qualified non-governmental, non-industry, non-lobby group climate experts who contest the hypothesis that human emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) are causing significant global climate change.

Dr. Robert Balling Jr., professor of climatology at Arizona State University and a specialist in climate change and the greenhouse effect, also looks at some "inconvenient truths" regarding Gore's new movie.  This Wall Street Journal article also looks at global warming data.  I haven't read any nonfiction books regarding global warming, but I would recommend State of Fear by Michael Crichton, whose storyline revolves around the assertion that global warming is a hoax.  And then I would read this rebuke of Crichton's book by Gregory Benford and Martin Hoffert.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go In The Water

Remember this (and this) spitting match over leaking classified information to the press?  The WSJ publishes the congressional testimoney of John C. Eastman of Chapman University Law School.  Read the whole thing, but here is an important passage:

No one contests that in each instance, classified information was illegally provided to these media outlets and then subsequently published by them. And to my knowledge, no one seriously contends that the individuals who leaked the information are not subject to prosecution for violating the Espionage Act (or even subject to prosecution for treason if it could be proved that their intent in leaking the classified information was to undermine our war effort and thereby give aid and comfort to the enemy). Even those who would seek to bestow on the leaker the protected status of "whistle-blower" surely will acknowledge that the whistle-blower statute requires that the allegedly illegal activities be reported internally, through a certain specified administrative route, rather than shouted to the world from the front pages of our nation's major newspapers. Otherwise, the whistle-blower statute would permit every government employee to be a classified information law unto himself, determining what should or should not be secret. The devastating consequences to our national security, and also to individual privacy, of such a flawed interpretation should be manifest. 

Outrageous Claim

Jason claims Sunday Bloody Sunday as the best rock song ever.  I think we can all agree that the winner of that honor is Sugar, Sugar by The Archies.  That song reaches into your soul and helps you see God.   

Ward Churchill Update

Rocky Mountain News:

A majority of the University of Colorado committee looking into charges of research misconduct against Ward Churchill said Tuesday that the ethnic studies professor should be fired.

The panel - made up of nine CU faculty, a staff member and a graduate student - agreed unanimously with an investigative committee's earlier findings that Churchill "has committed serious, repeated and deliberate research misconduct," including plagiarism and fabrication of material.

Of the nine members who cast secret ballots, six recommended dismissal. Two said he should be suspended without pay for five years, while one suggested a two-year suspension without pay.

In a 20-page report forwarded to CU's interim provost and the dean of arts and sciences, committee members said the findings were only exacerbated by Church-ill's unwillingness to admit wrongdoing.

"We are drawn to the irresistible conclusion that Professor Churchill is unable, or at least unwilling, to acknowledge legitimate critique," the report states. "If he is unwilling to acknowledge critiques, we are pessimistic that he is likely to change his behavior."

Wild Rover Beats Indictment

David Corn, of the Nation, discovers the real cost of the special counsel: dashed hopes of indictment. 

Early this morning, Robert Luskin, Karl Rove's lawyer, told reporters that special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald had sent him a letter stating that Rove would not be indicted in the CIA leak case. In a statement, Luskin declared, "We believe that the Special Counsel's decision should put an end to the baseless speculation about Mr. Rove's conduct."

Once a special counsel is appointed, he has none of the limitations in time and resources that ordinary investigators have to live with.  As a consequence, he pursues lines of investigation that no responsible police force would bother with.  This results in enormous costs and hardships for the targets of the investigation, often without any charges.  It also builds unrealistic expectations in the enemies of those targets.  Of course, Corn thinks that Rove plenty guilty. 

Bush administration (and Rove) advocates will spin this news as vindication for the mastermind of George W. Bush's presidential campaigns. But there is no need for baseless speculation to conclude that Rove was involved in the leak and that the White House misled the public about his participation and broke a pledge to fire anyone who had leaked information about Valerie Wilson, the CIA officer married to former ambassador Joseph Wilson, a critic of the administration.

Okay.  But none of this has attracted much public interest yet, and if nothing illegal happened, what does it matter?  Corn and the KOSsacks were hoping for a big, juicy indictment just before the fall elections.  Now that we know that isn't going to happen, it counts as a net win for the administration.  Its been the first good week for the Bush folks in more than a year, but its been a very good week.

Greetings from the Smokey Mountains

My family and I spent the last several days hiking and throwing dollars at tourist traps.  We have been in Gatlinburg, TN.  The National Park is gorgeous, full of waterfalls, foggy vistas, and moss covered rocks.  The Highway north of the Park, from Gatlinburg to Sieverville, is like Disney World without the entrance fee, or maybe Vegas for Christians.  Maybe thirty miles of non-stop pancake houses, souvenir shops, and "attractions," including Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.  Its a pretty good mix of wilderness and consumerism gone full hog nuts.  If you go, just one piece of advice.  These folks are good people, and they fix good BBQ.  Apart from that, they do not know what food is.

I do notice a couple of interesting notes in USAToday.  The picture nation wide for state house races looks much better for Republicans than it did a few months ago, and Bush got a boost from the recent Zarqawi story.  Not great, but better.  Maybe I should go on vacation more often.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Blogger Rx has created this video of George W. Bush singing "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" by U2 (perhaps the greatest song in rock-n-roll history).  Hat tip to tdaxp, who links to a few other musical renditions by Bush and other public figures.

Deadwood

Given my emphasis in school on the history of the American West, I wish I could attend this out in Deadwood.  Rapid City Journal excerpt:

Deadwood will have a big party June 16-18 as it celebrates old western lore and the legend of Wild Bill Hickok.

Wild Bill Hickok, whose given name was James Butler Hickok, was a western lawman during the expansion of the Great Plains and west after the Civil War. Hickok traveled to gold camps because of gold rushes in Colorado, Montana and South Dakota.

Hickok came to Deadwood in 1876 and worked a gold claim for six weeks. While he was sitting in a bar, Jack McCall shot him in the back, and Hickok's death left an indelible mark on the historical flavor of the city.

Wild Bill Hickok Days offers fancy pistol-handling, old west parades and free concerts.

The event begins Friday, June 16, with a fast-draw shootout to benefit Easter Seals, western re-enactors and a "Wild Bill Hickok Wild West Parade" on the streets of Deadwood. The shooting begins at noon, but participants are asked to arrive at 11 a.m. for instructions. The event includes a series of concerts, fast-draw shooting competitions and a Main Street parade at 7 p.m. Friday.

Bush In Iraq

President Bush has made a surprise visit to Iraq.

Herseth Campaigns in Texas

SD War College is reporting on Stephanie Herseth's campaigning for Democrat Barbara Ann Radnofsky in Texas:

Senate hopeful Barbara Ann Radnofsky challenged Democrats on Saturday to mount a campaign of "courage and optimism" to reverse the GOP tide in Texas.

Speaking to about 6,000 Democratic delegates and alternates, Ms. Radnofsky cast her campaign to unseat Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison as an opportunity for voters to reclaim trust in government.

Her speech capped a two-day convention that served as a sendoff for a Democratic slate looking to win its first statewide election in more than a decade.

Political moderates dominated the proceedings, beating back a challenge for state party chairman by liberal activist Glen Maxey of Austin, a former House member who was Texas' first openly gay lawmaker.

Featured speakers during the biennial gathering included Gen. Wesley Clark, a 2004 presidential candidate, and U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., who opposes abortion rights and won statewide election in a state President Bush has twice carried overwhelmingly.

The Hotline

From today's edition of The Hotline about Daschle's presidential ambitions:

DASCHLE: Politically Expedient Since 1978

     Ex-Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) toured IA 6/9, a day after he visited NH, "conceding he is looking at the idea of seeking" the WH '08 nomination. While in IA, Daschle said he wouldn't be deterred from campaigning in the state should IA Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) also decide to run. Daschle: "If you think you can give the country new leadership and new direction, that's what matters, not who else is running."
     While in IA, Daschle raised money for local pols, toured an ethanol plant with Dem Gov. nominee Chet Culver, and did about 2 hours of "unscheduled" driving, a "standard feature" of his SD campaigns "where he hops in a car and drives around, talking to whoever he meets"
     Daschle endorsed Culver's bid for GOV "months ago, partly because of Culver's call" for a $100M expansion of the renewable fuel industry. Culver "said Daschle's opinion counts because of his long history pushing for ethanol." Culver: "He has been a national leader on ethanol since 1978" (Glover, AP, 6/10).

Imporoving, Despite One-Loss Record

     Daschle "sounded very much the" WH "candidate last week during a speech in a Manchester restaurant," appealing to Dem activists with criticism of Pres. Bush and SD's abortion ban. NH state Sens. Sylvia Larsen, Lou D'Allesandro and Maggie Hassan said Daschle "impressed them." Hassan, on Daschle: "This went a long way to make me think that, if he wants to, he could be part of the serious field. That was a top notch speech."
     Veteran Dem strategist Peter Fenn: "It's a little tough to make a case sometimes that you have something going for you when you're not in office and in fact have been defeated. The bad news is that he doesn't have an office; the good news is that he doesn't have an office. He's free as a bird" (Jalonick, AP, 6/11).
     Daschle: "I'm 7-1 in a bright red state and I don't know of anyone else thinking about a race for the presidency who can talk about that kind of a record. I feel pretty good about my political past" (Glover, AP, 6/10).

Still Getting Local Ink

Daschle sat down with the Sioux Falls Argus Leader recently. Some highlights:

Asked if he's running for WH '08: "I've given it some thought, and this week will be another step in that decision-making process. I'll be going to" IA and NH "to talk to people there and to explore the possibility of a run, but I'll make that decision later on this year."
On why he'd run: "I think we're on the wrong track in so many ways, and I believe that the country is ready for change. It wants a new direction, and I think I may be in a position to provide it."
On if he'd run to raise money for his PAC or to get the VP nod: "I'm not looking at this challenge for any other reason than to examine the possibility of a race for the presidency. I don't give any credence to the notion that somehow you can run for" VP, "and I would have little interest in it at this point. I also have not had any difficulty raising money just in terms of my PAC or my activities politically since I've been in the" Sen. "So I don't need to run for" pres. "to raise money. That seems to be something that comes rather easily in any case."
On how he'd decide to run: "There's two major questions. One are the issues and the concerns I feel deeply about, concerns that are shared among my fellow" Dems "in the states that will make a decision with regard to the next" pres. "contest. And that's most important, it's just the opportunity to talk about these issues and to get their feedback and to listen. That's why I'm going to be doing something in" NH and IA "that I always have done in" SD. "I'm going to do some unscheduled driving in both" IA and NH "just to talk to regular people about the concerns and issues that I care about. The second is, of course, organization. Can we put together an organization that can be competitive? I'm not in this to have my name on a list. If I want to do this, I want to win."
On whether he'd be interested in talking to Sen. John Thune (R-SD): "Oh, sure. I'm sure that at some point in the future I'll have the opportunity. But we haven't had it yet. I haven't been on the Hill actually since I left the" Sen (Walker, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 6/11).

Daschle Bombs in Iowa Poll

The Des Moines Register is reporting on a poll among Iowa caucus participants that shows John Edwards and Hillary Clinton leading the pack, while Tom Daschle received only 3% of the voters saying they want Daschle in 2008.

The handful of potential Democratic candidates with support in the low single digits in the Iowa Poll are former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota, 3 percent; U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, 3 percent; former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, 3 percent; U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, 2 percent; and retired general Wesley Clark, 2 percent. Nine percent are unsure or prefer another person.

Fonda

Terry Woster is reporting on how Jane Fonda and the author of "The Vagina Monologues" have been funneling money into South Dakota politics.  SD War College has the details.

Daschle

Tom Daschle reflects on the 2004 Senate race and his loss to Senator Thune in an Argus Leader interview today.  Despite the fact that his staffers, who Daschle allegedly still provides a paycheck, still constantly attack Thune, and are still bitter about losing, Daschle says that he does not "feel any animosity or any ill will":

Q: When I talked to John Thune a year ago I asked him the same thing. You two, I believe in your final debate or one of those debates, someone said "will you have a cup of coffee after this is all over?" And you both said, "Yeah, that's fine." It was a fairly divisive moment for South Dakota. Would it not be a healing gesture for the two of you to talk?

A: Oh, sure. I don't know that healing is necessary. I don't feel any animosity or any ill will. I didn't like the way the race turned out. But that's politics. And politics is not for the fainthearted. I knew that a long time ago. So, there's no ill will. I respect the decision made by the people of my state but that doesn't mean that doesn't go on. I don't think it should be artificial either. I don't think that there's any particular difficulties that have to be reconciled. It's just the way the race turned out.

Q: Are there still things on your mind from 2004? Do you wake up and say, "Why did I get in the race so early?" Or "Why did I agree to eight debates?" though in the end it was six. "Why the late lawsuit by the campaign the night before the election?" "Why didn't I come out and explain the 'I'm a D.C. resident' quote in its context?" Are there things you think about?

A: I really don't. ... There is nothing that can be done to change the way the election turned out. So there's very little value in reliving or restrategizing any aspect of the campaign. I'm proud of the campaign I ran. Probably knowing what I know now, I might do things differently. But I think it's so important to look forward, not backward. That's what I'm doing.

Q: What might you have done differently?

A: I haven't thought about it enough to be able to tell you that. I said there might be, but I seriously have not given much thought to what could have been done differently. I think it's important to be saying, what can I be doing now? And that's what we're talking about, what my plans are.

Q: Did you have the same fire in '04 as you did in '98 and '92 and '86? Did you want to win as badly in '04?

A: I think I did. The circumstances are always different. I'm older. But I worked just as hard. I don't know how I could have worked any harder. The work was different, of course. I spent a lot more time knocking on doors in my earlier races and wish I could have done that. But when you're the leader of the Senate Democratic caucus you don't have some of those opportunities. But I had a lot of fire, a lot of determination, a lot of commitment to work. My family did, too. But you know I think if the election were run this year, it would be a lot different.

Q: Because?

A: Because the circumstances have changed dramatically in these two years.

Q: Well, you're out of office most obviously.

A: No, I mean if I were not out of office. ...

Q: You mean because there's no presidential election this year?

A: No, even if there had been a presidential election. I'm saying if everything would have been the same this year as it was two years ago, circumstances would have been different.

Q: Because of the war?

A: There's just a lot of things. The climate is so different now than it was back then.

Q: Do you think you would defeat John Thune if the election were today?

A: As I said before, the political circumstances are vastly different than they were in 2004. However, I certainly can't predict an outcome of an election now any better than two years ago.

Daschle's Chances

Richard Winters, a government professor in New Hampshire, discusses Daschle's chance of winning the presidency in today's Argus Leader:

"Part of it's physical," Winters said. "I'm 6-21/4 and 180 pounds. Voters here like big, tough-talking, inspiring policy wonks. That's a tough, tough recipe, and I'm not sure Daschle has it."

Daschle in fact is 5-foot-8, tan and trim at age 58. He runs three or four miles a day, keeps a mental rolodex on people he meets and carries one prop, a water bottle.

"He has a short, Cassius quality about him. He looks lean and hungry," Winters said.

Daschle also carries with him the South Dakota factor, a quality that's oddly elusive for someone who represented the state 26 years in Congress. He calls himself a South Dakotan - "absolutely," he said last week - though he lives in Washington, D.C., and works there as a lobbyist.

The Dakotas

This AP story discusses the differences between our state and our northern neighbor:

You'd think North and South Dakota would be pretty tight. Maybe they are, to outsiders.

But in reality, the states have their differences.

The two states can't even agree how to spell - or pronounce - Sakakawea.

Around here, everybody talks about West River. Even though the same river divides North Dakota in half, that term is not found in the state's vernacular.

North of the border, bison is pronounced by-zun. In South Dakota, it's by-sun.

State and the U are the two big universities in South Dakota. You never hear those terms in North Dakota, where the schools are called NDSU and UND.

Sure, there are some similarities between the Dakotas.

In both states, people have an intense bond with Lawrence Welk.

Famous people visit primarily to go hunting.

Both states are hotbeds of the Sons of Norway.

The B basketball tournament is the biggest event of the year.

If you don't like the weather in either state, just wait five minutes.

Both states both have great rest areas.

Not insurmountable

It's not as if there's an ancient conflict between North and South. But they do have distinct ways of doing things.

Read the whole thing.

Daschle to Run?

After reading this article, it appears that Tom Daschle has made up his mind to run for president:

Daschle's changed his mind about running for president

by O. Kay Henderson

Former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle has changed his mind, and is in Iowa this weekend laying some of the groundwork for a presidential campaign.

Daschle, the former leader of Democrats in the U-S Senate, said during a February appearance in Iowa that he had "no plans" to run for President. "What has changed is my views about the direction the country is taking," Daschle. "I felt badly about the direction before but it's even worse now and I think it's very important for those who believe they might have an opportunity to offer a change in direction to step forward."

Daschle's not formally declaring he's running for president yet. "I haven't made any decisions but I'm enjoying the conversations I'm having with the people of Iowa," Daschle says. On Thursday, Daschle was in New Hampshire, the state that hosts the first primary in the presidential campaign. On Friday, Daschle arrived in Iowa, the first caucus state.

Daschle says if Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack decides to run for president, that "would not be a factor" in Daschle's decision to compete in the Caucuses. "I have always felt that a candidacy should not be dependent upon who else is running. If you feel like you've got something to offer, if you've got ideas that you want people to consider, then I think you ought to get in the race regardless of who else may be doing so as well," Daschle says. "I have great affection and admiration for Tom Vilsack and so if he runs, I would just say 'More power to him.'"

As for ideas, Daschle has called for the "strategic redeployment" of U.S. troops that are now in Iraq and a universal health care system. Daschle, who lost his re-election bid in 2004, says it's a "real strength" to be out of the Senate. "It's an advantage not to be in the Senate right now. First, you're not tied down schedule-wise. Secondly, you're not involved in the day-to-day fights that are so acrimonious right now and third, it gives you more of an opportunity to be with people, to talk about your vision in the larger context than what bills may be confronting the Senate or the House right now."

During speeches this week in New Hampshire, Daschle criticized the Bush Administration as an "arrogant crowd." Daschle met for lunch with Democrats in Davenport over the noon-hour on Friday. He campaigned with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver Friday afternoon and he was the draw for a Friday night reception at a Des Moines brew pub.

Madsen/Epp

Former GOP state legislator Chris Madsen and Democrat activist/Billion spokesman Todd Epp are having an exchange on SD War College about who the Democrats will pick to run for various offices in South Dakota.

Daschle on C-SPAN

Daschle will be on C-SPAN's On the Road to the White House this evening:

Daschle in New Hampshire

Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) will be in New Hampshire this week. Road to the White House will show a speech he's making on Thursday at a luncheon hosted by the New Hampshire Senate Democratic Caucus. It will take place at the Puritan Conference Center in Manchester.

SUN., C-SPAN AT 6:30PM ET