Steve Hildebrand, Tom Daschle's campaign manager, is busily motivating the troops, as seen by an e-mail sent to supporters today. The text of the e-mail follows, and my comments are bracketed and italicized:

To: Friends and Supports of Senator Tom Daschle

Fr: Steve Hildebrand, Campaign Manager

Re: Former Congressman John Thune to Run Against Senator Daschle

Last Monday night, at a Republican fundraising dinner in Lincoln County, former Congressman John Thune, now a lobbyist in Sioux Falls, announced his intentions to challenge Senator Tom Daschle. [Note the word "lobbyist" is used to describe Thune. In the interests of full disclosure, one should note that Tom Daschle's wife is one of the most powerful corporate lobbyists in Washington. A Washington Monthly piece has described her as a "high-powered lobbyist" while The Hill named her a "star rainmaker."]

The news wasn't a big surprise to us as we've been preparing for the Thune challenge for nearly a year. [In other words, having big fundraisers around the country and running campaign commercials two years before an election]

One fundamental question should guide this election - what is best for the people of South Dakota? Tom's leadership position in the Senate gives South Dakota an unprecedented opportunity to put our priorities on the national agenda and deliver for this great state as he did securing the funding for the Lewis and Clark and Perkins County water projects this year and saving Ellsworth Air Force Base from the base closure list in the mid-1990's. [Didn't Tom Daschle tell us when he was the majority leader that his leadership position was "an unprecedented opportunity" for South Dakota? Note there's no mention of ethanol, which failed because Daschle did not use his clout to get it passed. In fact he was out signing copies of his book when he could have been rounding up support for ethanol. The Congressional Quarterly reported just yesterday that Daschle "did not aggressively seek more Democratic support and the vote failed."]

"I look forward to this campaign as an opportunity to discuss my record of accomplishment for South Dakota and to put forward my ideas on how we can make health care more affordable and available, how we can create more jobs and economic opportunities, and how we can expand South Dakota's agricultural economy," said Senator Daschle last night. [How can Daschle expand South Dakota's agricultural economy when he can't-or won't-deliver on ethanol?]

Now we must begin to maximize our efforts to ensure that Senator Daschle is able to continue delivering for South Dakota. Election Day is just 10 short months from now. Your support has put Tom in a position of strength. But we must turn up the heat, assemble the biggest volunteer effort South Dakota has ever seen, register more supporters and send a message to Karl Rove and the special interests that Senate races aren't decided in Washington. [Of course we'll ignore the stuff about Tom Daschle's Hollywood contributors (to whom he discussed the problem of runaway film production, an issue of pressing concern to South Dakotans) and the incredible amount of money he's raising from trial lawyers].

This is South Dakota's choice! [South Dakota's choice is a senator who votes right on the issues and brings home the bacon. That description does not fit Tom Daschle, who has a liberal voting record and didn't deliver on ethanol, and is currently holding up the omnibus spending bill which gives $46 million in federal money to South Dakota priorities.]