South Dakota Politics

Power Line liveblogging tonight's debate

Be sure to visit Power Line during or after tonight's presidential debate. John Hinderaker will be liveblogging it.

Movie premiere

While Senator Daschle strenuously denied hugging Michael Moore at the premiere of "Fahrenheit 9/11" in Washington, DC, John Thune wholeheartedly embraced Stephen Bannon, the producer/director of "In the Face of Evil," at its premiere in Sioux Falls last night. As DVT states, you won't see Thune strenuously denying it, either.

Daschle “very concerned” about the repercussions of passing yet another tax cut

From The Hill: "Tax vote splits centrist group." Excerpt:

Minority Leader Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said on the floor that he was “very concerned” about the repercussions of passing yet another tax cut that would add to the deficit, adding that the deficit amounted to a “birth tax” on every American newborn.

“We ought to be embarrassed by the irresponsibility of doing things that are not properly offset and paid for,” Daschle said. Daschle, who is engaged in a fierce battle for reelection, also voted for last week’s tax cuts.

Greg Belfrage to discuss SDP posts on today's show

Be sure to listen in on Straight Talk with Greg Belfrage today at 4:00. He'll be discussing some of the latest posts on this blog. The marriage made in heaven between radio and the blogosphere continues apace.

AP: Kerry Association Hurting Daschle

The AP has a story headlined "Kerry Association Hurting Some Democrats." Excerpt:

Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle hugged President Bush from one end of South Dakota to the other this summer. In his own campaign commercials.

The brief embrace might seem an odd claim on re-election for the man Republicans depict as obstructionist-in-chief for the president's congressional agenda. But Daschle is one of several candidates with a common political problem as Democrats nurse fragile hopes of gaining Senate control this fall.

From the South to South Dakota and Alaska, they are running in areas where Bush is popular - and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry not so much....

South Dakota holds the marquee Senate race of the campaign, and polls show a close race between Daschle and former GOP Rep. John Thune in a state that Bush carried by 22 percentage points in 2000.

The hug - two or three seconds in length - is a videotaped image of the embrace Daschle gave Bush when the president spoke to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

Daschle's spokesman, Dan Pfeiffer, said the ad's message is that he "will work with the president when the president is right but oppose him when he is wrong." Daschle's latest commercial criticizes the administration for failing to provide adequate drought relief, while faulting Thune for not standing up to Bush on the issue.

The Republican Party demanded unsuccessfully that Daschle stop airing the ad, arguing it left a false impression.

Thune's campaign manager, Dick Wadhams, says Daschle "is running from the arms of Michael Moore to the arms of George Bush," referring to the liberal filmmaker whose name was heartily booed at the Republican National Convention.

No, Wadhams was referring to Daschle attending the premiere of Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" and the subsequent furor over the report in Time magazine that Tom Daschle hugged Michael Moore there.

Here's a picture of Daschle eagerly rushing to get to the premiere of "Fahrenheit 9/11," ticket in hand.

The Reuters picture below was taken March 11, 2004, at the conclusion of a press conference in which John Kerry refused to apologize for calling President Bush and his advisers “the most crooked ... lying group I’ve ever seen.” Tom Daschle didn't take the opportunity to decry the "startling meanness" of Kerry's comment, and instead shook hands with Kerry and mugged for the cameras.

New scandal emerges; it's called "Pillowgate"

DVT has coined the term "Pillowgate" after The Hill, a Capital Hill publication, published a blurb today headlined "Sen. Daschle’s advice for short people: Use pillow, appear taller." Excerpt:

Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) likes some comparisons with his lanky Republican challenger, John Thune, and dislikes others. Their relative heights fall into the latter category.

During their “Meet the Press” debate a week ago, the minority leader came up with a solution — or rather, he came down on a solution.

A pillow, to be precise. Hill sources say an aide carries a blue pillow around for Daschle just in case the boss needs to avoid being looked down on. It is a favorite prop of the 5-foot-8-inch Senate minority leader. Daschle’s press office had no comment.

Just so you know, SDP broke this story long before The Hill did. Of course, Daschle doesn't just use a pillow to inflate his stature. He also has a nice booster stool to stand on when he's in front of television cameras.

Daschle on the timing of his Iraq war comments

I've been meaning to get to this all day, but please note what Daschle states at the end of the latest Argus Leader story about Senator Daschle's divisive comments on the eve of the Iraq war:

The inevitability of war was the nation's prevalent mood in March 2003, and Bush had said repeatedly that he intended to use force to remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. But Daschle said the precise moment of Bush committing troops to battle wasn't yet known.

"The truth is, I didn't know that when I said it, I would be getting a call that night from the president saying that we would be going to war," Daschle said. "Had I known then what I know now, I may have found a different time to say it."

The thing is, Daschle DID know that we would be going to war when he made those statements. The whole country knew. Daschle made his divisive comments immediately AFTER it was announced that President Bush would speak to the nation that evening, and AFTER he had been summoned to the White House for a briefing. Just look at what Daschle said immediately before he made his divisive comment:

“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.

Why won't the Argus Leader call Tom Daschle on this? It's completely dishonest for Daschle to say he didn't know that we would be going to war when he made his divisive comments. One more thing. Why won't the press ask Daschle WHY he thinks his comment was poorly timed?

McCain "wouldn't have made" Daschle's comment on the eve of war

Here's John McCain's response to Daschle's divisive comments on the eve of the Iraq war, made in an exchange with CNN's Paula Zahn on the show "American Morning" dated March 20, 2003:

ZAHN: When you say the time to debate is over, I know you heard the same remark Senator Tom Daschle made the other day that most of us heard.

Do you have reason to believe that debate will be shelved until the end of these military operations?

MCCAIN: I do. I believe that all people in the Congress and throughout the country will rally behind the men and women, their mission and the president of the United States. And that's something that is important for us to do.

ZAHN: Do you think it was a mistake for Senator Tom Daschle to have made such pointed remarks on the eve of war?

MCCAIN: I wouldn't have made those comments. But I don't usually, having on occasion said a thing or two that perhaps I shouldn't have, I'm reluctant to discuss the remarks of others. But I think now we're all going to get behind the president and we're going to pass a resolution, I'm sure, today that will be a hundred to nothing supporting what's going on and we'll put that and other remarks behind us.

Senator Daschle and General McPeak

Last Friday, the Argus Leader reported that Senator Daschle "rebuffed" the startlingly mean comments by General McPeak about John Thune in an article headlined "Daschle rebuffs attack on Thune for lack of service." Relevant excerpt:

Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle said Thursday he didn't necessarily support the words of an Air Force general who defended him by criticizing Republican challenger John Thune for not serving in the military.

"I don't know that I do," Daschle said when asked if he agreed with the general. "I don't think anybody should be castigated for not serving."

His comment came a day after Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, in a telephone news conference arranged by Daschle's re-election campaign, said, "I can't stand the sunshine patriotism of a guy like Thune who's never seen the inside of a uniform."

Once again, one can readily observe the Daschle double talk, because at this very hour Daschle's own campaign website contains General McPeak's quotes in a laudatory post headlined "Baloney is baloney." Below is a screen capture of Daschle's website showing the "rebuffed" comments:

I would think that since the McPeak comments are on Daschle's campaign website at this very hour, the claim that Daschle has rebuffed them should be considered baloney. It also could be considered startlingly mean.

Argus Leader quotes John McCain; ignores Zell Miller

Well, today's edition of the Argus Leader contains more evidence that the editors at the AL can swing into action at a moment's notice when they want to. (In other words, when it helps the Daschle campaign.) The story at issue is headlined "McCain, Bush cited in Senate patriotism flap" and it's about what Senator John McCain said, or more accurately sort of said, on the Ed Schultz show yesterday. I hasten to add that Jon Walker, the reporter who wrote the story, is not the problem here. He's a principled, conscientiously objective reporter who is simply carrying out an assignment from his editor, Patrick Lalley. Patrick Lalley is the AL editor responsible for what political stories are covered (and more importantly what political stories are NOT covered). Patrick Lalley's guiding principle of political coverage rests on his notion (as Lalley himself has written) that Republicans are "evil."

Here's the relevant excerpt from the AL article:

McCain was a guest Monday on a talk radio show hosted by Ed Schultz of station KFGO of Fargo.

"We have differences of opinions with the Democrats," McCain said. "We are not enemies. The real enemy is out there - al Qaida and others that are trying to destroy us."

"But is debating war policy 'emboldening' the enemy?" Schultz asked.

"I think that debating a war policy is a legitimate exercise in democracy," McCain answered. "We are entitled to and must respect each other's views even if we disagree with them. Wars throughout our history have been disagreed with by certain elements in our society. That's what we fight for."

I'll wait for a later post to expound on the fact that even the Argus Leader editorial page said Daschle's comments at the 11th hour could not possibly be viewed as legitimate dissent.

Apart from the debate over Daschle's Iraq war comments, it's important to explain who Ed Schultz is. Ed Schultz, of course, is the North Dakota radio personality touted as the liberal version of Rush Limbaugh, and this blog has kept an eye on him since he began his nationwide broadcast that nobody listens to. In fact, no South Dakota radio station carries Schultz's nationwide broadcast, which leads one to ask how many degrees of seperation had to occur for the Argus Leader to even know about John McCain being on the Ed Schultz show yesterday. Oh, Patrick Lalley just happened to be listening in on the Ed Schultz show yesterday? Of course not. Undoubtedly, Daschle campaign manager Steve Hildebrand or one of his minions got in touch with Lalley to alert him that John McCain was going to be on the show and was going to be asked about John Thune's "emboldens the enemy" comment. Ed Schultz is friends with Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, (it was Dorgan who was instrumental in getting Schultz's nationwide broadcast off the ground) who in turn is one of Senator Daschle's closest allies. There can be no doubt that this was a carefully orchestrated setup of John McCain by Daschle and his allies in order to get a favorable story in a friendly newspaper back in South Dakota. The Democrat-Argus Leader collaboration can be readily observed, a phenomenon explained by Daschle's media strategist in a 1997 article in Campaigns & Elections magazine. Relevant graf:

The press ate it up. Our campaign systematically doled out the information piece by piece to reporters in D.C. and South Dakota. The result was a series of damaging articles. ... We used the headlines generated as validators for our ads.

So, clearly the Democrat-Argus Leader collaboration effect can be readily observed here. Another indication of how badly the Argus Leader editors want Daschle to win is how quickly they report a fellow Republican who says something negative about John Thune, and how the Argus Leader totally ignores what a fellow Democrat says that's negative about Tom Daschle. Earlier this month, Zell Miller, a Democratic Senator from Georgia, had this to say about Tom Daschle:

"[Tom Daschle has] taken the party so far to the left that I can't even recognize it."

Of course, the Argus Leader didn't say peep about this comment critical of a fellow Democrat. Zell Miller has also implicitly criticized Senator Daschle and the fact that his wife is a lobbyist in his book entitled "A National Party No More." Relevant graf about the propriety of congressional spouses being lobbyists:

"Talk about 'gathering ye rosebuds while ye may.' It gives a new meaning to 'pillow talk.' I cast no aspersions on the ones who do this, nor do I doubt their honesty. But in a business where 'perception' is just about the same as 'reality,' it looks suspicious as hell. It looks like someone's riding the gravy train. It does not pass the smell test."

The Argus Leader, of course, didn't say peep about this either. The AL double standard is readily apparent. When a fellow Republican says something negative about John Thune, it's front-page news in the very next day's edition. When a fellow Democrat says something negative about Tom Daschle, it's ignored.

Now watch Argus Leader executive editor Randell Beck, who seems to be living in an alternate universe lately, say that the AL has reported Zell Miller's comments "at least twice."

CQ on the SD Senate race

From Congressional Quarterly:

Though Daschle's position as the top Senate Democrat helps him remain popular in Republican-leaning South Dakota, GOP strategists are seeking to transform his leadership clout in the minds of the voters into evidence that he is a handmaiden of Democratic liberalism. Hoping to deny Daschle a fourth term is John Thune, the state's one House member between 1997 and 2003, who narrowly lost his bid two years ago against the state's other senator, Democrat Tim Johnson.

Henry Carlson: Daschle too concerned with DC politics

Henry Carlson, a prominent Sioux Falls small business owner, has this to say about the Senate race in South Dakota:

"As a native South Dakotan, and as someone who employs over 140 of our neighbors, I'm not some outsider, pushing some special interest agenda. I simply believe that Senator Daschle is just too concerned with Washington, DC politics. I hope you will join me in voting for John Thune. John Thune hasn't forgotten his South Dakota values."

This quote is from a mailer I received today from the Associated Builders and Contractors PAC. The mailer includes excerpts from the August 8, 2004 New York Times article reporting on Daschle's escapade in the Hamptons, as well as the picture of Daschle hobnobbing with its wealthy inhabitants.

O'Reilly: Daschle is going to lose

On the September 23 broadcast of The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, O'Reilly had this to say about the Daschle v. Thune Senate race:

CALLER: Yesterday, you made a comment about Daschle of South Dakota?

O'REILLY: Yeah.

CALLER: And judging by the past history, we [in South Dakota] have voted Republican, but it's, unfortunately, seems like Daschle always gets voted in there.

O'REILLY: He's going to lose.

CALLER: They think that he -- you know, it means he has the seniority, that's --

O'REILLY: Yeah. It doesn't matter what he does. He's going to lose. The South Dakota -- the polls are so heavily weighted in the favor of President Bush. And Thune destroyed him on [MSNBC's] Meet the Press. And Daschle? Do we have Daschle music so we can go out to the bump? Do we have it? Roll it!

[MUSIC CLIP FROM THE SONG "NA NA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE" BY STEAM]: Na-na-na-na. Na-na-na-na. Hey, hey-ey. Goodbye.

O'REILLY: [chuckles]

[MUSIC CLIP]: Na-na-na-na. Na-na-na-na. Hey, hey-ey. Goodbye.

What's this about "getting at Bush's neck"?

The Yankton Press & Dakotan has a story today headlined "McGovern To Dems: Take On Bush." Excerpt:

"When Bill Clinton was president, they had to protect him from people who were getting at his tie and cuff links (for souvenirs). Now, we have to protect this president from people who want to get at his neck," Daschle said.

DVT says he doesn't know what this comment means, but I think we can agree that it seems awfully mean. Maybe even startlingly mean.

Daschle was against middle-class tax relief before he was for it

Hugh Hewitt notes a recent article from the Washington Times headlined "Congress extends Bush tax cuts for middle class" and remarks that "Tom Daschle was against the tax relief before he was for it." Relevant excerpt from the Washington Times article:

With the election just around the corner, the pressure was on members of both chambers to support the tax relief.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat in a close re-election race, criticized the bill because its $146 billion value is not offset in any way, but in the end, he supported it.

Hugh Hewitt also makes the following observation about the Argus Leader:

The Argus Leader is to the Daschle-Thune race what CBS was to Bush-Kerry until the forged docs were exposed.

Well said.

Quote of the Day

"People inside the Beltway often have an inflated sense of the impact of what happens in Washington. There's a great disconnect between what's talked about in the salons of Washington and [over] the kitchen tables of South Dakota." - Daschle deputy campaign manager Dan Pfeiffer, in a lame attempt at portraying Thune as a Beltway insider and Daschle as a Beltway outsider. Ironically, no other campaign has been more effective than Daschle's at exploiting the "disconnect" between what Daschle says in the salon of his $1.9 million home in Washington, DC, and what he says in South Dakota. Hugh Hewitt provides the most recent example.

Herseth opposes Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act

Democratic Representative Stephanie Herseth opposed the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act. According to the National Law Journal, the bill "would reinstate mandatory sanctions for lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and would eliminate the current 'safe harbor' that gives lawyers 21 days to withdraw a suit after a motion for sanctions has been filed."

Herseth supports Pledge Protection Act

Last week, the House passed the Pledge Protection Act, a bill providing that "No court created by Act of Congress shall have any jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction, to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of, or the validity under the Constitution of, the Pledge of Allegiance[.]"

Democratic Representative Stephanie Herseth voted to support the bill. Should the bill come up for a vote in the Senate in the next few weeks, Herseth's support for it will place Senator Daschle in a box, much as Senator Johnson's support of the flag amendment has placed Daschle in a box on that particular issue.

60 Minutes' Don Hewitt to take questions from SD public

Don Hewitt, the creator of "60 Minutes," will be at The University of South Dakota on Thursday to receive the Neuharth Award. Hewitt will be taking questions from the public after his speech, which is scheduled for 7:00p.m. at Slagle Hall. It's a perfect opportunity to grill him about Ra^thergate. Be there.

WaPo: Daschle picking his way around political quicksand

Today's edition of the Washington Post has a piece headlined "Tight Race in S.D. Constrains Daschle." Excerpt:

In South Dakota, Republican John Thune, a former House member who narrowly lost the Senate race in 2002, has targeted Daschle on Iraq, energy policy and, more recently, the senator's opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment authorizing Congress to ban physical desecration of the U.S. flag.

Daschle "has got a lot of minefields to walk through in the waning days of the session," Thune's Senate campaign manager, Dick Wadhams, said.

Latest poll: Daschle leads 50%-45%

The latest poll numbers are out for the U.S. Senate race, showing Daschle leading 50%-45%. The Argus Leader's Jon Walker reports the details in a piece headlined "Daschle holds narrow lead."

Kranz Watch

David Kranz, the dean of South Dakota political reporters, who has been Tom Daschle's most rabid partisan supporter in his columns since their college days together in 1968, delivers another such column today. Perhaps it's about time to release another "Bombshell Memo" that indisputably documents Kranz to have actively worked behind the scenes to promote Democratic political figures in this state. Today, Kranz offers a few items for us to digest that are patronizing toward John Thune. First there's this:

Thune was perceived as timid and uncomfortable in his race against Sen. Tim Johnson in 2002, often short of the emotion needed to make a convincing point.

In his race against Sen. Tom Daschle, he has adopted a bulldog style that commands attention - evident at their DakotaFest and "Meet the Press" debates.

Some say he probably went to school to sharpen his tone.

As DVT notes, the "some" Kranz refers to are Kranz's sources in the Daschle campaign.

The next item in Kranz's column is a snippet from the National Journal's Chuck Todd about Daschle "scoring more points" than Thune at last Sunday's Meet the Press debate:

Chuck Todd assessed the Daschle-Thune Senate race last week for the National Journal.

He writes: "We never really understood why Daschle agreed to the 'Meet the Press' debate since it seems he had everything to lose and nothing to gain. Then again we saw what times the show airs in South Dakota - 8 a.m. in the two big markets - and realized very few folks would see it.

"That said, from our perspective, we thought Daschle scored more points than Thune. As noted above, Thune got off a good line about Daschle and his use of Bush. But on some other topics, particularly on the issue of the gas tax, we thought Daschle came out in better shape and fairly unscathed."

Interestingly, earlier this week the Daschle campaign's website was making a big deal out of this item from Chuck Todd. (See the Daschle Digest item dated Wednesday, September 22.)

Unfortunately, CNN still takes Kranz seriously, despite him obviously being in the tank for Daschle. Kranz appeared on CNN's "Capital Gang" last night to discuss the Daschle v. Thune race. Relevant excerpt from the transcript:

SHIELDS: Welcome back.

In South Dakota, Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle faces a serious challenge from former Republican Congressman John Thune.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MINORITY LEADER: Tonight, the president has called us again to greatness. And tonight, we answer that call.

ANNOUNCER: Senator Daschle helped forge a consensus to rebuild our military.

JOHN THUNE (R), SOUTH DAKOTA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: For years, Tom Daschle has been telling us one thing here in South Dakota and then doing the opposite in Washington. He says he's fought for lower energy prices, but he hasn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHIELDS: The candidates met in debate for the first time on NBC's "Meet the Press" this last Sunday. And the Republican attacked the Democratic leader's criticism of the Iraq war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THUNE: What it does is emboldens our enemies and undermines the morale of our troops.

DASCHLE: I take this personally. It's not only an attack on me, it's an attack on where I'm from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SHIELDS: A new poll by the "Argus Leader" and KELO TV shows a five-point Daschle lead, compared with a two-point lead in May. Joining us from Chicago is David Kranz, political columnist of the Sioux Falls "Argus Leader."

David, how do you explain this apparent improvement in Senator Daschle's poll numbers?

DAVID KRANZ, SIOUX FALLS "ARGUS LEADER": Well, there's a couple of things you can look at. Really, the race is really starting to intensify in the middle of August, and one of the things that happened was a more aggressive, more pointed campaign by former Congressman Thune. And one of the things I can tell you about our poll that showed up -- I'm not at the liberty of telling you the exact numbers, but Mr. Thune's negatives went up quite substantially compared to last time. And so it may be somewhat of a backlash in that particular situation. You also had the "Meet the Press" debate that may or may not moved some of the numbers some.

SHIELDS: Bob Novak.

NOVAK: Tell us about that, David. Do you think that the position taken by -- by Mr. Thune on the "Meet the Press" debate hurt him? A lot of people thought that the -- the weepy performance by Senator Daschle was a little ridiculous, but do you think it went over in South Dakota?

KRANZ: You know, the reaction to that was kind of like we are in the country today, or in the Senate, when you vote in South Dakota. It was kind of a 50-50 response.

You heard a lot of people saying that that was over the top as far as Mr. Thune was concerned. And other people said, well, Daschle needs to be accountable.

I do know some people who are not in the Thune campaign who wished he wouldn't have said it, though, because it's something for them to deal with that they weren't anticipating.

SHIELDS: Kate O'Beirne.

O'BEIRNE: David, in 1998, Tom Daschle won reelection with 62 percent of the vote. I was intrigued that during that "Meet the Press" appearance, the clip we showed, he seems to think it's necessary to make any criticism of him look like a criticism of South Dakota. Is he so unsure of his own popularity six years after that big win that it's now an attack on South Dakota if you're opposed to Tom Daschle.

KRANZ: That does seem to be one of his messages. And, of course, Mr. Thune is using sort of as a theme that he's a leader and Senator Daschle portrays himself as a victim.

So that's going to be part of that campaign as it intensifies when we're near the finish line. But I think Daschle knows he's in the race of his life right here now. And right now I think when he speaks out he tries to protect South Dakota a lot. And I think that's what he really is intending to do by that approach.

SHIELDS: Al Hunt.

HUNT: David, John Thune a couple of weeks ago, gay marriage was going to be his big issues. And then he turned to terrorism. And now it's the question of Daschle emboldening our enemies.

Is he just desperately searching around for something? Because right now, with -- with, what, only five weeks to go, most people seem to have made up their minds. KRANZ: I think that's true. You really see a lot of rock-solid support on both sides. There's not a lot of undecideds left in this race.

And Mr. Thune's approach, I think he's more taking a nationalized approach to his campaign, discussing national issues that he thinks will resonate with South Dakota voters, while Senator Daschle is localizing his campaign, talking more about "what I did for you," you know, in Brule County, or "what I did for you" elsewhere in Sioux Falls. And he's trying to keep it local, saying this is where I've exercised by clout.

SHIELDS: David, looking at the race, the last time Tom Daschle ran in the presidential cycle it was 1992. And I'm trying to figure out who are the Bush-Daschle voters? Have you figured that out in this campaign?

KRANZ: The Bush-Daschle voters are people who basically look at the big picture nationally, because we generally always vote for the Republican for president. Like three times in our history we voted for a Democrat. But the bottom line is they like, you know, the conservative leadership of the president. But the people who look at Daschle say, "Gee whiz, you know, he can get things done for us. He can deliver for us."

And I think that's a big issue right now that gives him an advantage. And it's surprising with almost 20 percent of the Republican voters consistently are supporting Daschle.

SHIELDS: OK. Hey, David Kranz, thank you so much for being with us.

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.