Senator Tim Johnson's remark about "the Taliban wing of the Republican Party" at Stephanie Herseth's Sunday rally is drawing fire from various congressional leaders as well as the blogosphere. Johnson seems to be digging in his heels by refusing to apologize, although he does seem to be backpedaling furiously, saying his comment "was a flip remark" that "has nothing to do with Larry Diedrich." Oh, really? Johnson made those comments in the context of Stephanie Herseth defeating Larry Diedrich, yet somehow we're led to believe those comments have nothing to do with Larry. It's more unsettling that Johnson admitted that it was a "flip remark." Apparently, to Johnson's mind, it's just conventional wisdom that Republicans can fairly be equated to the Taliban, a murderous terrorist regime.
Larry is a good man who has run a clean campaign on the issues, drawing fair comparisons to Stephanie Herseth's record. Yet he has been maligned by Stephanie Herseth as "not committed to running a truthful campaign" (even non-partisan commentator Stuart Rothenberg declared that Herseth was guilty of directing a "negative attack" by accusing Larry of untruthfulness) and now Senator Johnson maligns Larry further by implying that it is the "Taliban wing of the Republican Party" that supports Larry.
Ironically, Senator Johnson's "Taliban" remark comes on the heels of his colleague Tom Daschle's speech in Manhattan, Kansas a few weeks ago decrying the "startling meanness" in contemporary American politics (Daschle was on the stage right next to Johnson when the "Taliban" remark was made, and laughed and clapped when it was made). Daschle's and Johnson's behavior subsequent to the Manhattan speech is stark evidence that Daschle's speech was insincere, and merely another cynical ploy at playing the victim, in a long line of such cynical ploys.
UPDATE: Recall, too, Daschle standing next to John Kerry at a press conference on March 11, in which Kerry refused to apologize for and stood by his comments referring to President Bush and his advisors as "the most crooked ... lying group I’ve ever seen.” Here's what Kerry said at that press conference with Daschle looking on:
"I have no intention whatsoever of apologizing for my remarks. I think the Republicans need to start talking about the real issues before the country. George Bush doesn't have a record to run on. He has a record to run away from."
After that, Daschle and Kerry shook hands, exchanged backslaps, and grinned for the cameras.
Yes, there's a startling meanness in American politics today, and Tom Daschle is in the thick of it.
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