South Dakota Politics

Astounding figures

This brief report speaks volumes about how Tom Daschle has lost touch with South Dakota.

The New Republic runs correction on Hug Gate

Next week's edition of The New Republic carries the following "correction" on Hug Gate under the headline "Consider the Source":

In an article about the influence of Michael Moore on the Democratic Party ("Crashing the Party," July 19), Jason Zengerle noted that the filmmaker had recently boasted to Time about his warm post-movie reception from Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, despite Moore's merciless lampooning of the senator in Fahrenheit 9/11. After attending a screening of the film, Moore told Time, Daschle "gave me a hug and said he felt bad and that we were all gonna fight [Bush] from now on. I thanked him for being a good sport."

But it turns out Moore and Daschle aren't so close--or at least not close enough to have hugged. "I know we senators all tend to look alike," Daschle told reporters. "But I arrived late to the film and had to leave early for Senate votes. I didn't meet Mr. Moore." Maybe this episode will shake the faith of Daschle and his fellow Democrats in Moore's other stories.

Sibby at Mitchell's Rodeo Parade

Sibby Online has posted some great pictures of John Thune, Larry Diedrich and Stephanie Herseth at Mitchell's Rodeo Parade today.

Is Daschle for the ranchers or the extreme environmentalists?

The Senate is scheduled to vote on the nomination of William G. Myers III to the federal appellate bench next Tuesday. The AP has this report.

The Cattle Network has a missive headlined "Cattlemen vs. Extreme Environmentalists in US Senate Next Week." Excerpt:

Please contact your Democratic Senator and ask them to ask Senator Daschle to allow an up or down vote on Bill Myers’ nomination. Bill Myers’ nomination should not be filibustered in the Senate just because he worked for ranchers and the cattle industry – which is why he is opposed by environmentalists. Therefore, we need cattlemen and women that have Democratic Senators to begin aggressively calling these offices and asking them not to filibuster Bill Myers’ nomination, and should there be a filibuster, to vote YES for CLOTURE and allow an up or down vote on the appointment of Bill Myers to the 9th Circuit.

Earlier this week, the Aberdeen American News published an opinion piece written by the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association's director and executive director headlined "Daschle should allow vote on judge."

Will Daschle's obligations to the national Democratic Party outweigh his obligations to South Dakota ranchers on this issue? Or will he "reluctantly" support the nomination but sit on the sidelines and do nothing to battle against a Democratic-led filibuster?

Buckley on Daschle and gay marriage

William F. Buckley, the founder of National Review, has just published a new piece headlined "Circle-Squaring by Daschle; The South Dakota senator and marriage." Excerpt:

Now consider Senator Daschle's plight. Most of the leaders in his party who oppose the amendment do so on the grounds that it impairs gay rights. They aren't saying exactly that, but the essence of what moves them is what they'd call one more step in gay liberation. If non-gays can marry, so should gays be permitted to "marry."

But that by no means is the position being taken by Senator Daschle in his nervous fight to survive. He says the amendment is "unnecessary." Why? Because South Dakota law prohibits same-sex marriage, and the federal Defense of Marriage Act means South Dakota does not have to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

If it were actually so, the movement to amend the Constitution would indeed be unnecessary. But it isn't so because there are judicial activists in the land who tend to edge the argument about marriage over not into what state legislatures have done, but into the great sunlight of rights that inhere in us at birth, endowments of nature/philosophy/the Bill of Rights/the Areopagitica, whatever.

IBD on Daschle and gay marriage

Investor's Business Daily has an interesting opinion piece today headlined "Courting Trouble." Excerpt:

We have to agree with Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle that, as he put it this week, there is no "urgent need" to amend the Constitution right now to defend traditional marriage.

Federal law is clear. It defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman, and it declares that no state can be forced to honor same-sex marriages established under another state's law.

This law, the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, strikes the right balance between state and federal powers. As long as it stands, states are free to make their own decisions on same-sex unions without imposing their choices on others.

But for a man who says he believes that "marriage is a sacred union between men and women," Daschle sounds remarkably serene about the less immediate future.

"In South Dakota," he declared, "we've never had a single same-sex marriage and we won't have any." How can he be so sure?

The truth is, he can't. The future of same-sex marriage is not just up to states, and it's not just up to Congress. It's also up to the courts, especially the Supreme Court. And whatever the people of South Dakota or any other state believe, they could wake up one morning to find marriage redefined with no regard for their opinions.

NPR on the Four Directions Committee

NPR has a story in today's Morning Edition headlined "Native Americans Challenge S.D. Voter I.D. Law." The piece contains quotes from Brett Healy, executive director of the "non-partisan" Four Directions Committee.

WaPo's gossip columnist comments on The Hug

The Washington Post's Richard Leiby, who reported this week that Michael Moore stands by his claim that Tom Daschle hugged him and said he "felt bad" about supporting the Iraq war, made the following comment in a "Live Online" discussion today:

[Daschle] seemed pretty mellow last time I saw him, but if his anxiety has increased lately, maybe it's because he did NOT get a hug from Michael Moore. (Our column had all the info on the "Daschle denies hugging Moore" controversy earlier this week, but I'm happy to fill space by providing more, more, Moore)

The wonders of Photoshop

DVT has a humorous "picture" of Tom Daschle and Michael Moore shaking hands.

Daschle's early exit "raised eyebrows"

The Washington Post has a piece headlined "South Dakota's Allure Tops Boston's." Excerpt:

Daschle will speak at the convention in Boston on its second day, July 27, then return to South Dakota late the next day, 24 hours before Kerry delivers his acceptance speech at the gathering's finale. Daschle's schedule, reported yesterday by Roll Call, raised some eyebrows among congressional Democrats.

Noting that Daschle faces a tough reelection challenge from Republican John Thune, who often ties him to the Democratic Party's most liberal figures, they wondered if the senator wanted to avoid posing on the podium for the big balloon drop alongside Kerry, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.) and others.

Even congressional Democrats are saying Daschle is distancing himself from Kerry.

Does this mean there's no "post-convention" party?

In another indication that Senator Daschle is trying to distance himself from John Kerry by leaving the convention early, note that a party was scheduled to be held at the end of the convention in Tom Daschle's honor, according to a recent report in the Chicago Sun-Times:

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States is throwing a post-convention party at a club near the Fleet Center, where the convention is being held, to honor Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.)

It looks like Daschle made a last-minute decision here.

AP: Daschle to forego Demo convention finale

The AP's Dennis Gale has a piece headlined "Daschle to forego Demo convention finale." Excerpt:

Tom Daschle, leader of the Democrats in the U.S. Senate, won't be in Boston when presumptive presidential nominee John Kerry addresses his party's convention.

Daschle will be at the convention earlier in the week but plans to campaign for re-election in South Dakota later that week. The convention starts July 26 at Boston's Fleet Center.

"I thought it would be fun to watch John Kerry speak from South Dakota with South Dakotans," Daschle said Thursday.

That's the reason Daschle is giving for skipping the finale, but DVT notes a report from the National Journal's Hotline that indicates the real reason.

UPDATE: This is strange behavior for a man who is a co-chair of the convention.

Daschle distancing himself from Kerry?

DVT notes a report in the Capitol Hill publication Roll Call today headlined "Members Fill DNC Roster" which begins:

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle is leaving the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night to return to South Dakota to campaign for his re-election bid, forcing him to miss Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry’s acceptance speech.

Right. I think it's more likely that Daschle can't afford to have pictures like the one below jittering on thousands of South Dakota television screens.

This Reuters picture 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 advisors “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.

Fineman: Frist fumbled FMA

Newsweek's Howard Fineman has an interesting news analysis headlined "How Frist fumbled on gay marriage amendment; Procedural mistake lets Democrats avoid voting on hot-button issue." Excerpt:

Rather than seek an up-or-down vote on a toughly worded version of the amendment, Frist and his allies (led by Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania) allowed discussion of a second, milder one. But since that one (which would leave latitude to the states) might actually pass, Democrats opted to mount a filibuster. As a result, the central (and only) vote turned out to be on a motion to shut off debate — a harder vote to use in an attack TV ad.

So apparently, Tom Daschle filibustered the FMA because alternative language to the amendment might actually have gotten 67 votes. On top of that, Daschle filibustered the FMA after promising not to.

South Dakota ranchers call on Daschle to support Myers

The Aberdeen American News has an interesting guest editorial today by the South Dakota Cattlemen Association headlined "Daschle should allow vote on judge" urging Senator Daschle to support the nomination of William G. Myers III to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Excerpt from the editorial:

We hope Sen. Daschle will hear our call and allow the Myers nomination to come to a full vote in the Senate. We are constantly reminded how powerful the minority leader position is. The senator should use his power to help South Dakota producers in this important matter.

NYT discusses Thune commercial

The New York Times has a piece today discussing John Thune's first television ad headlined "The Kids on the Trail." Excerpt:

Now John Thune, who is trying to unseat Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle in South Dakota, is getting into the act. Or at least his kids are. Mr. Thune's first television ad of the campaign features his two red-headed daughters, Brittany and Larissa, doing a teen riff on their dad, complete with an outtake when the girls giggle over a mispronunciation of ethanol.

"We just wanted you to know that we think our dad would make a really great senator," Larissa Thune says before the pair pokes a bit of fun at their father. Not exactly an independent endorsement, but apparently part of a trend in 2004.

You can view Thune's ad, titled "Fresh Start," by clicking HERE.

WaPo: Michael Moore stands by his claim Daschle hugged him

The Washington Post is reporting that Michael Moore stands by his claim reported in Time magazine that Tom Daschle hugged him after the premiere of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and told Moore he "felt bad" about supporting the Iraq war. Tom Daschle subsequently denied Moore's claim, and said he'd never met or talked to Michael Moore in his life. This whole situation is just getting curiouser and curiouser.

(Kudos to DVT for catching the WaPo graf.)

Daschle filibusters amendment after promising not to

Today's Aberdeen American News has a piece headlined "Daschle against gay marriage amendment." Excerpt:

Linda Schauer of Leola, director of Concerned Women for America of South Dakota, had harsh words for Daschle. In a press release, she said he "has promised the homosexual lobby that he would ensure the defeat of the Federal Marriage Amendment."

She said she hopes Daschle doesn't attempt to filibuster the measure. Constituents have a right to know where Daschle stands on the issue, Schauer said.

A filibuster won't happen, according to Daschle's camp. Daschle said Tuesday that he will allow an up-or-down vote on the original amendment proposed by Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.

But just an hour ago, Daschle successfully filibustered the FMA. The AP has a report headlined "Senate Scuttles Gay Marriage Amendment."

Daschle voted to support the filibuster of the FMA, and you can examine the roll call vote HERE.

Judge Piersol testifies before Senate panel

Judge Piersol, a federal trial judge here in South Dakota, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week regarding the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding federal sentencing guidelines. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has the quote in a story headlined "High Court sentence views flummox judges."

Bloomberg: Daschle to block FMA

"Gay-Marriage Bill to Be Blocked in U.S. Senate, Daschle Says": Bloomberg has an article today that begins, "Democrats will prevent a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage from coming to a vote in the U.S. Senate, Minority Leader Tom Daschle said."

Meanwhile, Governor Rounds has sent a letter to Senators Tom Daschle and Tim Johnson asking them to support the Federal Marriage Amendment.

DVT has more.

Hemmingsen: Daschle loading Thune's cannon

South Dakota television icon Steve Hemmingsen has a post headlined "From Nicey-Nice To Obviously-Obvious." Excerpt:

Is Senator Tom Daschle loading John Thune's cannon for him or what? Daschle's latest proposal sounds like the plot of an Elmer Fudd rabbit chase.

Daschle suddenly proclaims that he finds Rural America in decline and has a five-point plan to stop it. John Thune promptly asks where has our Tom been for the last thirty years. Heck, why not make it fifty. Having grown up in Rural America, the peak years I remember were in the 1950's. We've been in a noticeable slide ever since.

Minneapolis Star Tribune notices the Dakota Alliance

"It's busy on the blogs in S. Dakota." That's the headline of a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. More:

On the ground in South Dakota, the race between Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Republican challenger John Thune has been running below most news media radar, but it sure hasn't in the blogosphere.

Daschle opponents have set up at least three Web logs with the sole intention of smoking him out and helping defeat him.

Most recently, last week they climbed all over a story in Time magazine, which reported that Daschle hugged Michael Moore, director of "Fahrenheit 9/11," after a Washington, D.C., screening.

By the end of last week, Daschle had issued a statement saying he had never met Moore and had left the screening early so he could cast a vote in the Senate.

The incident prompted conservative radio talk show host and columnist Hugh Hewitt to comment: "The influence of blogging on politics is nowhere more obvious than in South Dakota. Tom Daschle has long sold himself as a moderate to South Dakota voters, and has done so with the assistance of a very friendly local press. But now the locals get the news via a stream of serious reporters trawling the national press and Internet sites for the real news on the hyper-partisan Daschle."

There's more than three. We can't forget Ryne McClaren and Quentin Riggins.

DVT joins the ranks of the doubtful

DVT has a post regarding "Hug Gate" (Michael Moore's claim that he hugged Tom Daschle after the premiere of "Fahrenheit 9/11" and Daschle's categorical denial of it) headlined "Hug Gate: Daschle's Alibi Implausible." DVT persuasively notes, among other things, that The New Republic reported Daschle was among those giving a standing ovation at the end of the movie. TNR is unlikely to report such an important fact inaccurately. To underscore that notion, TNR's Jason Zengerle has assured me that his editors are looking into the accuracy of Michael Moore's claim, after Zengerle wrote a piece for this week's edition citing it:

Moore's parallel presidential campaign poses a dilemma for Democrats. The Kerry campaign--mindful of the heat Wesley Clark took in the Democratic primaries when Moore, appearing on stage with Clark at a rally, accused President Bush of being a "deserter"--is keeping its distance. While it obviously appreciates the scrutiny Moore and his film are bringing to bear on the Bush administration, a campaign spokesperson was quick to announce that the Massachusetts senator hasn't seen Fahrenheit 9/11 and doesn't plan to. "The campaign will keep an arm's length from the film," says a Kerry adviser. "There's no upside to embracing a filmmaker who is likely to pop off at any moment with statements as inflammatory as they are impolitic."

Other Democrats, however, aren't so chary of Moore or his effort. In late June, Moore had a VIP screening of Fahrenheit 9/11 at Washington, D.C.'s Uptown Theater. In attendance were a host of prominent Democrats--including Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, Florida Senator Bob Graham, California Senator Barbara Boxer, and numerous members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Even some of Fahrenheit 9/11's favorite targets, such as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle--who Moore mercilessly lampoons in the movie for being insufficiently opposed to Bush and the war in Iraq--dutifully showed up. (After the screening, Moore told Time, Daschle "gave me a hug and said he felt bad and that we were all gonna fight from now on. I thanked him for being a good sport.")

Although the applause at the Washington, D.C., event was more muted than at the New York and Los Angeles VIP screenings, where liberal celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Rob Reiner gave it raucous receptions, the presence of so many Democrats--especially those Senate Democrats, who delayed a vote on a defense bill so they could attend--spoke louder than any standing ovation.

(Emphases added.) That's it at the end of the day, isn't it? Daschle's mere presence at the premiere speaks volumes about how out of touch he is with the red state values of South Dakota.

Redstate.org

Jay Reding is announcing that he will be contributing electoral analysis on the Daschle v. Thune race to Red State, a new Republican community blog. Jay's keen mind and excellent writing will make his analyses a must-read.

Boston Herald columnist doesn't believe Daschle's denial

Margery Eagan, a columnist for the Boston Herald, in a piece headlined "What's up with all this John-John touchy-feely?" has this to say about The Illusory Hug:

I should note that Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, perhaps concerned by the Caressa-Kerry hoopla, now denies bear-hugging "Fahrenheit 9/11'' director Michael Moore at the film's June premiere. No one believes him.

Sibby's stellar sleuthing. LGF (and Kranz!) pick up on The Illusory Hug

David Kranz, the dean of South Dakota political reporters, has a report today headlined "Timing of votes cast doubt on Moore claim of Daschle hug."

Meanwhile, Sibby has done some great investigatory work regarding the timing of the Senate votes on the night of Michael Moore's DC premiere. It seems that most of the senators reportedly at the premiere were voting around the time they were reportedly giving the movie a standing ovation. Strange.

Finally, Little Green Footballs takes note of The Illusory Hug and comments: "Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle would like us all to know that he absolutely did not, under any circumstances, hug Michael Moore."

Well, he'd like all South Dakotans to know, anyway.

UPDATE: If you haven't seen it already, don't miss the story in yesterday's Washington Times headlined "Daschle cool on plaudits for '9/11.'" Excerpt:

Dick Wadhams, campaign manager for Daschle challenger John Thune, said Mr. Daschle trotted out the case-of-mistaken-identity excuse only after being criticized for his coziness with Mr. Moore from voters in South Dakota, where Mr. Bush received 60 percent of the vote in 2000.

"As usual, Tom Daschle wants it both ways," he said. "He wants to go to the premiere and lend credence to the movie, but he doesn't want to be judged for it by voters. It's typical Daschle doublespeak."