Daschle has it both ways on disclosure

Watch the Argus Leader turn on a dime in following up a report in Roll Call today headlined "State Account Helped Thune." Excerpt:

Former Rep. John Thune (R-S.D.) spent roughly $50,000 from a long-dormant state campaign account to fund travel, staff salaries and consulting fees in 2003, leading Democrats to call on him to fully disclose the nature of those expenditures....

"JohnThune should provide full disclosure of what he spent this soft money on," said [Daschle campaign manager Steve] Hildebrand. "He should say what consultants got paid, what travel was used for what and come clean in a very specific way as to how this money got spent."

[Thune campaign manager Dick] Wadhams shot back: "If the Daschle campaign wants to wrap their arms around full disclosure we are going to give them ample opportunity to disclose a lot in the coming months."

...

At issue is whether Thune's activities in 2003 qualify as "testing the waters" for a political race.

Under a guide written by the Federal Election Commission for potential federal candidates, an individual in this stage "does not have to register or report as a candidate even if the individual raises or spends more than $5,000 - the dollar threshold that would normally trigger candidate registration."

"Nevertheless the individual must comply with the contribution limits and prohibitions," according to the guide.

A reader shares the following insight:

There's a familiar technique afoot.

1. Start campaign by warning opponent will go negative.

2. Find some technical matter of the campaign finance law that is too abstruse for the public to understand or reporters to get accurately.

3. Charge your opponent with illegality or ethical missteps.

4. If criticized in return, claim the campaign is going negative.

Of course, if Tom Daschle were really interested in full disclosure, he would release his tax returns, which for some strange reason he doesn't do anymore, although he did release his tax returns back in 1982. Last year, Power Line chimed in about Daschle's refusal to release his tax returns. Even Senator Schumer discloses his tax returns. Why won't Senator Daschle? The issue of tax returns has an impressive topicality, as April is approaching. Watch for Daschle's acrobatics as he tries to weasel out of disclosing his tax returns again this year.