South Dakota Politics

The Argus Leader: A Strong Voice for Tom Daschle

DVT notes that it's only a few more hours until the Argus Leader endorses Tom Daschle. It will be the culmination of the AL's efforts to studiously ignore over 60 stories in other major publications around the country that reflect negatively on Senator Daschle.

Along with the AL's endorsement of Daschle tomorrow, there will also be a nice companion puff piece profile of Daschle that will no doubt gloss over the incredible inconsistencies and double-talk that is emblematic of Senator Daschle's political career.

For a comprehensive profile of the race, see the cover story in the National Journal melodramatically headlined "Fighting for his Life." (Via DVT.)

Daschle's "F" rating from the NRA

It's interesting to note that while Senator Daschle says he "strongly supports the Second Amendment," the Republican Senate candidate in Louisiana is using trying to tie his Democratic opponent to Daschle's atrocious record on gun rights. The New Orleans Times-Picayune explains, in an article headlined "Senate hopefuls aim to bag hunters." Excerpt:

Even though John has received an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association to Vitter's A, Vitter said John's endorsement of Democrat John Kerry, a gun-control advocate, for president, suggests the issue isn't a high priority for him. Vitter said John, as a Democrat, would also have to support South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle, who favors gun restrictions, as party leader in the Senate.

"Chris John wins the contest for being the good ol' boy," Vitter said. "What he doesn't win is the contest for being the best defender of Second Amendment rights. Someone supporting Kerry and Tom Daschle will never win that contest."

Has Tom Daschle ever really officially endorsed John Kerry in this race?

Congressional Research Service on "inhabitancy"

Wow. The following passage from the Congressional Research Service is simply stunning, in light of today's disclosure that Senator Daschle signed a document stating Washington, DC is his "principal place of residence":

The existing constitutional qualifications do require one to be an “inhabitant” of the State from which chosen “when elected.”
[...]
Congressional precedents, as well as the provision’s enactment history, indicate that “inhabitancy” is not to be interpreted in an overly strict or legalistic sense, but rather was meant to assure a real connection to the State from which elected. The development of the concept of “inhabitancy” in House qualifications cases indicates that the term appears to be somewhat akin to the legal concept of “domicile,” encompassing not only actions taken which evidence the establishment of a principal “home” in a State, but also recognizing a person’s intent. Physical presence in the State at the time of election is, of course, a significant factor for consideration, but is not necessarily the determining factor.

It would seem that, by signing a document stating Washington DC is his "principal place of residence" Daschle has taken actions which evidence the establishment of a principal home in Washington, DC. Also, Daschle signing such a document indicates his intent to make Washington, DC his principal place of residence.

(CRS document via Power Line.)

Power Line picks up the scent

Power Line:

This is not an area of the law in which I am an expert, and I haven't tried to do any extensive research, but there are suggestions, at least, that having his primary residence outside of South Dakota may be incompatible with the Constitutional requirement that he be an "inhabitant" of that state.

This whole development over Senator Daschle signing a document stating that Washington, DC is his "principal place of residence" keeps getting curiouser and curiouser.

Daschle Homestead Deduction coverup?

After the curious revelation that Senator Daschle has signed a document stating that Washington, DC is his "principal place of residence" it seems that Daschle's friends in the DC government are scrambling to cover for him. Yesterday, a check of the DC tax website showed that Daschle was "not receiving the Homestead deduction." This raised eyebrows, because only a few weeks ago, I checked the same website and it showed that Daschle was "currently receiving the Homestead Deduction." A check of that website today, however, shows that Daschle is again "currently receiving the Homestead Deduction."

It seems that Daschle's friends in DC are frantically trying to cover for him. If nothing else, there's something fishy about this. When scrutiny is being applied, there's some kind of movement in the DC tax office. It smells like a coverup to me. Below is a copy of the DC tax office's website made last March, when it stated that Daschle was "currently receiving the Homestead Deduction."

Then, yesterday, a visit to the same website stated that Daschle was "not receiving the Homestead Deduction." Below is a copy made of the DC tax office's website just yesterday:

Curiously, today the DC Tax Office's website shows that Daschle is "currently receiving the Homestead Deduction." Below is a screen capture of the website today:

As I said at the beginning, something's going on here, and it smacks of a coverup.

Senate debate: Daschle on the defensive

I watched the Daschle v. Thune debate which will be broadcast tonight on public television at 8:00, as well as on C-Span at 10:00 Central Time. The journalists on the panel asked several very interesting questions, and once again Daschle was on his heels throughout most of the debate. One of the more interesting questions that was asked was what amendments the candidates would like to see added to the Constitution. Of course, a question like that immediately puts Daschle on the defensive. Thune immediately talked about the issues of gay marriage and flag burning, pointing out that Senator Tim Johnson supports a flag protection amendment while Daschle does not, and that Rep. Stephanie Herseth supports a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, while Daschle does not.

In one startling moment, it appeared that Daschle said gay marriage was "repulsive." I'll have to check the transcript for that, but a lot of eyebrows were raised by what it was perceived that Daschle said.

At one point, Daschle said "John and I have the same values in most respects." Thune replied that Daschle "talks about values, but doesn't vote that way."

During the same exchange, Thune pointed out that Daschle gets an "F" from the NRA. Daschle responded that he "strongly supports the Second Amendment." It really was a vignette of Daschle saying one thing while his record reflects its 180 degree opposite.

During one exchange, Daschle complained that Thune's campaign was focused on tearing him down. Thune responded that campaigns are about records and accountability for that record.

Amusingly, Daschle tried to use a sports analogy in this debate. Believe it or not, he compared himself to Michael Jordan. Daschle was trying to say that Thune was a less high profile player on the issue of country of origin labeling, while Thune was more like a player named Stacy King. In a game where Michael Jordan and Stacy King played together, and Michael Jordan scored 68 points while Stacy King scored 2 points, Daschle said Thune was like Stacy King when he said "we scored 70 points." I'm paraphrasing here, but I don't think this analogy worked. It was a bit unwieldy.

All in all, Daschle was on his heels throughout the debate. Several people I talked to thought this was the best debate Thune has had. Below are some pictures of the debate, taken from the screen showing the closed circuit broadcast of the debate:

After the debate, Thune stayed to mingle with supporters, while Daschle didn't. I think that's a telling sign of who won the debate. Below is a picture of Thune in the main hallway of the South Dakota Public Broadcasting building.

Lots going on today

Aside from the curious revelation that Senator Daschle has signed a document stating Washington, DC is his "principal place of residence," there's a host of stories and columns about the race today. The Wall Street Journal has a piece headlined "All About Tom; South Dakota's Senate race is a referendum on filibuster politics" that's a must-read. Also, NPR has piece today headlined "Daschle Faces Tough Challenge in South Dakota."

Also, there's a flap about individuals appearing in television ads endorsing candidates with the imprimatur of the organizations to which they belong. The Rapid City Journal has the story under the headline "Forest board takes issue with ads."

Senate debate today

Daschle and Thune will be debating today at noon here in Vermillion at the studios of South Dakota Public Broadcasting. You can listen to the debate live via the internet at SDPB's website, or just tune in on the radio. The debate will be broadcast on public television tonight at 8:00.

FOIA request puts Daschle's residency in question

Now this could be big:

Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) may have forfeited his South Dakota residency last year when he and his wife purchased a $2 million home in an exclusive Washington, DC neighborhood. The Senate minority leader declared the mansion to be his "principal place of residence" when he applied for a property tax credit intended to help DC homeowners cope with sky-rocketing property values in the city....

Responding to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from Talon News, the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue provided a copy of the April 28, 2003 application for the tax break. The affidavit section of the application bears only the signature of "Thomas A. Daschle." Additionally, by checking a box marked "Yes," the senator agreed that he would be subject to DC income tax. Linda Daschle's signature does not appear on the document.

In signing the affidavit, Daschle declared under penalty of either a $1,000 fine or imprisonment of up to 180 days or both, that the property is eligible for the deductions. The qualification for the tax credit is specifically for a property to be an "owner-occupied principal place of residence."

It would appear that Daschle voluntarily surrendered his residency in South Dakota with his April 2003 declaration. Under state statute, Daschle would no longer be eligible to hold elective office in South Dakota or represent it in Washington.

Under South Dakota law, Daschle's seat became vacant upon executing the affidavit designating Washington, DC as his domicile. SDCL 3-4-1(5) stipulates that vacancy occurs when an officeholder ceases "to be a resident of the state, district, county, township, or precinct in which the duties of his office are to be exercised or for which he may have been elected."

Article 1, Section 3, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution states, "No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained to the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen."

For more background, see the Roll Call article headlined "Daschle Hit On Tax Break; Wife Claims ‘Homestead’ Exemption."

Why Kranz can't be allowed to moderate debate

"Managing Editor is Dave Kranz, 30, formally of Austin Minn, and Watertown S.D. Went to SDSU (Mu U. with Tom D[aschle] and Tom Klinkel) Very much a strong Demo." - Excerpt from memo dated 10/15/1976, written by a staffer for a Democratic U.S. Senator from South Dakota.

David Kranz is scheduled to be one of two moderaters for the Senate debate to be held this coming Sunday evening.

Tom Daschle: A strong voice for NARAL

While re-reading MSNBC's article published yesterday under the headline "Will Daschle survive tough Senate race?" I thought it would be worthwhile to point out once again how Senator Daschle is simply not telling the truth about his position on abortion during this campaign. Here's the relevant excerpt from the MSNBC story:

In recent days Thune and the Republicans have accused Daschle of trimming his views on abortion.

In a fund-raising letter two years ago for National Abortion Rights Action League, Daschle said he had "stood up for a woman's right to choose.”

Last week, Thune's campaign handed out a videotape of Daschle telling an audience of California Democrats in 2002: "We will not surrender sacred ground, and that includes a woman's constitutional right to choose."

But in a conference call with reporters last week, Daschle said, “I’m anti-abortion. I don’t believe that abortion ought to be allowed. I think that others have expressed the need for exceptions, like rape and incest and saving the life of the mother, and I share the view about those exceptions, but I think we ought to do all we can to discourage abortion.”

(Emphasis added.) As John Thune would say, don't listen to what Daschle says, just look at Daschle's record. Daschle has repeatedly voted to endorse Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that requires states to allow abortion for any reason. The most recent such vote occurred on March 12, 2003, when Daschle voted for the Harkin Amendment, as recorded on the congressional roll call database at thomas.loc.gov, and in the on-line Congressional Record for March 12, 2003, page S3600 (2003 roll call no. 48). A screen capture of the text of the Harkin Amendment from the Congressional Record, March 12, 2003, page S3581, follows:

Again, don't listen to what Daschle says, just look at his record.

Dems anticipating a vacancy?

The AP is reporting: "Jockeying for Top Senate Job Under Way." Excerpt:

Among Democrats, the topic of new leadership is rarely discussed openly, since it presumes that the incumbent minority leader, South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle, will lose his race for re-election Nov. 2.

Still, a Daschle defeat at the polls would quickly make Reid, 64, and coasting to a fourth Senate term this fall in Nevada, the front-runner to succeed him. Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut looms as his only potential rival at present, according to several party sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Argus Leader: A Strong Voice for Tom Daschle

DVT notes that the Argus Leader will be making its endorsement in the Senate race this coming Sunday, not on the 24th, which was the basis for my Argus Leader Daschle endorsement countdown on the right side of this blog. I guess it's only 4 days until the Argus Leader endorses Daschle. I'll adjust the countdown ticker accordingly.

House debate

The House debate between Herseth and Diedrich will be held here in Vermillion at noon. You can listen to the internet stream of the debate at the South Dakota Public Broadcasting website.

New poll: Thune 49%, Daschle 49%

I just received word that Rasmussen has conducted another poll of the Senate race in South Dakota. It shows Daschle and Thune still in a dead heat, 49% to 49%.

Roundup

The Washington Times has an article headlined "Daschle role in judge fights at issue in S. Dakota race."

MSNBC has an article headlined "Will Daschle survive tough Senate race? Seeking fourth term, he touts tax cuts, ethanol, abortion opposition." One of the reasons Daschle can keep this race close is because he has tremendous capacity to turn truth on its head about his voting record on abortion. To get a glimpse of Daschle's pro-choice soul, simply look at the mass fundraising e-mail he sent out on behalf of NARAL in 2002.

Elsewhere in the news, see an article in today's edition of The Hill headlined "Native American votes critical in S.D. contest."

The AP has a report headlined "Thune, Daschle Clash On Social Security Remedy" that notes Senator Daschle channelled Al Gore in last night's debate by bringing out the "lockbox."

FLASHBACK

In 1990, David Kranz was the managing editor of the Argus Leader. Today, of course, he is known as the dean of South Dakota political reporters. The 1990 Senate race was similar to this year's Senate race in terms of competitiveness. The Argus Leader and Dave Kranz sensed an opportunity to defeat an incumbent Republican (Larry Pressler) and let loose a fusillade of negative stories about Pressler. It was so ridiculous that, after the election, even the New York Times characterized the AL as "vituperative." Here's the relevant graf from the November 7, 1990 edition of the NYT:

In the Senate race the incumbent, Larry Pressler, narrowly defeated two opponents: a well-financed Democrat and a vituperative newspaper....

Mr. Muenster, who served as chief of staff under Richard F. Kneip when he was Governor, seemed to take his campaign script from The Sioux Falls Argus Leader, the state's largest newspaper. At times the Senator reacted more stridently to the newspaper's criticisms than to his opponent's.

In the midst of the 1990 Senate campaign, Roll Call published an article headlined "Pressler is Running for Re-Election Against Newspaper" dated July 30, 1990. Excerpt:

The Sioux Falls, S.D., Argus Leader's almost hysterical bashing of Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD) took on a more weighty tone a week ago with the newspaper's publication of page-one stories by Gannett reporter Norm Brewer suggesting potentially serious impropriety in some of the Senator's real estate activities here in Washington....

While the extremely lengthy, multiple-article series purported to be a major profile of the Senator, covering everything from his legislative activities to his character, it never mentioned an event that would seem to be central to any analysis of the Senator. In 1979, Pressler angrily refused an illegal campaign contribution from some Arab sheiks who later turned out to be FBI agents. None of the other Members of Congress involved in what came to be known as the Abscam sting reacted so unequivocally to proffered favors....

Schieffer believes the guiding hand behind the AL's treatment of Pressler is Kranz, the managing editor, and this claim was backed up by two South Dakota reporters very familiar with the paper's operation.

Given this kind of background of Kranz, coupled with the fact of the Bombshell Memos (listed on the right side of this blog) which indicate Kranz has collaborated with Democratic campaigns in the past in his capacity as a "journalist," the ability for Kranz to be a fair an impartial moderator of the KELO-TV debate between Thune and Daschle can legitimately be questioned. The debate should be Thune vs. Daschle, not Thune vs. Daschle and Kranz.

Sixty-six stories about Daschle the Argus Leader has ignored or buried

Yesterday, I handed Laura Ingraham a list I have prepared of sixty-six stories about Senator Daschle the Argus Leader has either ignored or buried. You can peruse the list yourself by clicking HERE. It's not a pretty sight.

Pre-debate rally

After meeting with Laura Ingraham to discuss the bias at the Argus Leader, she left to speak at a pre-debate rally for John Thune. At the rally, Laura blasted the Argus Leader and challenged David Kranz, the dean of South Dakota political reporters, to appear on her national radio talk show. "Dave Kranz, are you here?" she asked. DVT has the details. Below are some pictures from the rally:

More on tonight's debate

DVT has a good analysis of the debate headlined "Thune Wins Debate TKO." Excerpt:

In response to a question about Daschle and his party, Thune noted that Daschle voted with President Clinton 93% of the time and now votes with Kerry 95% of the time. Ouch. Daschle also said federal court nominees "are being voted on." Hmm, ask Miguel Estrada et al about that. They didn't even get a vote. Daschle, in a rather bizarre move, also brought up the nomination of Abe Fortas in 1968 in his defense.

Yes, that was a bit strange.

Tonight's debate

Tonight marked the third debate held between John Thune and Senator Daschle. The debate tonight was reminiscent of the Dakotafest debate in August, where Daschle was thrown a severe beating. Thune has tremendous command of the facts, and the facts are against Daschle in this race, which is why he's trying to condition people not to listen to the facts by labeling them a "negative attack" or blinding them with his vaunted "clout."

Thune began with a very important quote from Senator Grassley of Iowa published last week saying that Daschle's leadership position in the Senate has become a "curse instead of a blessing" and that "Daschle puts politics and party ambitions in first place. And by doing that, he is sacrificing the interests of farmers and rural America."

Whenever Thune scored points tonight on such issues as the energy bill, judicial nominations, gay marriage, and flag burning, Daschle would respond by simply saying that Thune "is not telling the truth, and he knows it" and not expanding beyond that. Each time Daschle said Thune was not telling the truth, Thune simply responded by saying "don't listen to what he says, look at what he does." To my mind this response completely deflated Daschle every time. I think Thune's response encourages people to look at what Daschle does, and of course if people turn to the internet they'll no doubt land on the blogs. If they do, they'll know Daschle is the one with the truth deficit, and more importantly, discover that Daschle knows he's not telling the truth on issue after issue, from abortion to ethanol.

AP reporter Dennis Gale gets credit for asking the most interesting question of the night. Gale asked Daschle directly whether there was a promise to return Wind Cave National Park in the Black Hills was given in exchange for independent candidate Tim Giago to get out of the race last spring. Daschle denied there was such an exchange.

The best exchange of the night was when Thune pointed out that when he left Congress in 2002, country of origin labeling (COOL) was the law of the land, and that under Daschle's watch, COOL was delayed. A visibly irritated Daschle began complaining about the Republicans being in control of all branches of government and that it was unfair to blame him for the delay of COOL. "Well, you're the leader, you've got all this clout, you can stop judicial nominations. Why can't you stop the delay of country of origin labeling?" Thune replied. It was spectacular.

Daschle is clinging to drought relief and the misleading perception of his "clout" (he's using his clout to advance the interests of the Democratic Party, not South Dakota) and hoping his maneuvers, reversals, and double-crosses will continue to be ignored by the Argus Leader. In sum, Daschle was thrown another beating tonight.

Quote of the Day

"Tom Daschle has had a good run... But it's over. The Argus Leader can hold the dam for only so long." - Laura Ingraham on Greg Belfrage's show today.

More on the Laura Ingraham blog appearance

DVT has more on the interview today with Laura Ingraham. For more pictures of the interview, just keep scrolling down.

Laura Ingraham blogs with SDP and DVT

DVT and I sat down and talked with national radio talk show host Laura Ingraham this afternoon. The main topic of discussion was the bias of the Argus Leader in the context of the Daschle v. Thune race.

DVT talks about Kranz being old pals with Daschle, we give her the Bombshell Memos and Patrick Lalley's Tempest editorials about "evil" Republicans and "working from the inside."

Laura: "Undeniable liberal bias of the Argus Leader shows why the new media is critical."

UPDATE 4:13: "Thune is going up against a powerful media machine and political machine."

UPDATE 4:15: "Defeat of Daschle would send a powerful message not only to Democrats but to the liberal media."

UPDATE 4:20: "It's not like the Argus Leader is lacking for money, clearly the Argus Leader is agenda driven."

"How are you a champion of the people when you are advocating the types of judges that would take decisions away from the people of South Dakota?"

"Daschle is opening up the courts to activist judges that will decide issues that effect us everyday."

On Daschle's "95% of judges" argument - "Daschle has not stood up to champion people like Miguel Estrada. Being a conservative is a scarlet letter for Tom Daschle."

UPDATE 5:00: Here's some photos of our blogging session with Laura Ingraham:

Laura Ingraham blogging with SDP and DVT today

It's a huge honor and privilege to have the opportunity to blog with conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham today. She'll be commenting on the Senate race and the Argus Leader's role in the race. After blogging with us, she'll be appearing on Greg Belfrage's show. Keep clicking back here for updates.

Sen. Harkin's Freudian slip

DVT notes Senator Harkin's Freudian slip on the Senate floor yesterday when complimenting Senator Harry Reid of Nevada:

I GUESS WE HAVE TO SPEAK IN THE THIRD WORD AROUND HERE -- THIRD PARTY AROUND HERE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT YOU'RE JUST A GREAT HUMAN BEING AND I'M JUST GLAD YOU'RE OUR MINORITY LEADER. WELL HOPEFULLY OUR MAJORITY LEADER HERE COMING UP -- OR ASSISTANT MAJORITY LEADER IN THE NEXT -- IN THE NEXT SENATE.

As DVT states, Harkin unwittingly verbalized what many in Washington have been whispering about.

Sen. Johnson opposed to broadcast of "Stolen Honor"

Lately, the Dems have gotten excercised by the news that Sinclair Broadcast Group, the corporate owner of several television stations located in swing states, has ordered the stations to broadcast "Stolen Honor." "Stolen Honor" is a documentary of various POWs explaining that John Kerry's actions during the Vietnam War lengthened their imprisonment and increased their torture. One of the POWs shown in the documentary is Leo Thorsness, a Medal of Honor recipient who ran for Congress against Tom Daschle in 1978 and lost by 139 votes.

The AP reports in an article headlined "Dems Object to Airing of Anti-Kerry Film" that "18 Democratic senators sent a letter to the Federal Communication Commission asking that it investigate whether Sinclair's plan was an improper use of public airwaves."

I was curious to see if Senator Daschle was one of the eighteen senators who signed this letter, particularly in light of the fact that the letter is an attempt to squelch Leo Thorsness's speech. Daschle's name is not on the letter, but it's interesting to note who did sign the letter. Here's the list, according to Senator Feinstein's press release:

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Bill Nelson (D-NE)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Carl Levin (D-MI)
Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Bob Graham (D-FL)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Ernest Hollings (D-SC)
Patty Murray (D-WA)

It's interesting to observe that some of Daschle's closest allies signed this letter, but the Democratic leader didn't sign it. This could be an indication that Daschle senses his vulnerability in a close race, and doesn't want to do ANYTHING that could lose him votes. It seems that Senator Feinstein has taken the lead on this development, and it can't sit well with the Democratic rank and file to see the person who should be taking the lead on this completely abdicating his leadership role. If Daschle manages to eke out a victory and Bush wins, these Democratic rank and file types will want Daschle out of his leadership role.

Quote of the Day

"When I began reporting 25 years ago, I knew the ground rules of the profession that dictated distancing from sources to assure objectivity." David Kranz, Argus Leader, April 25, 1993.

The Argus Leader: A Strong Voice for Tom Daschle

As Quentin noted earlier today, the Argus Leader has ignored the Rapid City Journal story about the reconciliation between Russell Means and John Thune. That story was also picked up by the AP. When Means and Thune had a falling out earlier this year, the Argus Leader pounced on the AP report of the story, because it cast Thune in a negative light. Instead of reporting this positive development about Thune today, what does the Argus Leader report in huge headlines above the fold on page A1? A negative story about Thune headlined "Thune splits roles as lobbyist, candidate." Interestingly, the Argus Leader had a front page, above the fold story on Thune's lobbying on January 27, 2004 headlined "Candidate Thune plans to continue lobbyist job; Work helps state, he says."

This all makes sense if you know that Patrick Lalley, the Argus Leader editor who is the filter for what political stories get published and what ones don't get published, thinks Republicans are "evil" and has vowed to "work from the inside."

It seems that for the remaining three weeks of the campaign, the Argus Leader has decided to break its rule about not quoting campaign managers, and has turned long-time Daschle pal David Kranz loose to cover the Senate race. (Until lately, Jon Walker had been covering the Senate race.) Now that the AL is signaling its intent to take the gloves off in order to get Tom Daschle reelected, it's time to be particularly vigilant. From here on in, we'll be subjecting to even more careful scrutiny the facts or characterizations the Argus Leader chooses to include in each of its political stories, along with its choice of articles and the prominence they're given (to paraphrase Daniel Okrent). The Argus Leader's editors are already national laughingstocks. Over the next three weeks, they can redeem themselves or wallow in their laughingstock status. We bloggers will be here to observe which choice they make.

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

I noted with interest the skeptical tone in the following passage from today's Wall Street Journal profile of the South Dakota Senate race:

A radio spot suggests Mr. Daschle masterminded the $146 billion package of tax cuts the president signed on the campaign trail last week. “It was Sen. Daschle who used his clout to bring Republicans and Democrats together to pass new tax cuts for the middle class,” the announcer says. “That’s real leadership.”

(Emphasis added.) I've heard this radio spot multiple times today, and it begins with an announcer saying that John Thune "isn't telling the whole story" about tax cuts. Of course, Daschle's ad doesn't tell the whole story, either. While in South Dakota Daschle claims he "used his clout to bring Republicans and Democrats together to pass new tax cuts for the middle class,” in Washington he said he was "embarrassed" about passing yet another tax cut, according to The Hill. Relevant graf:

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.

Once again, Daschle is caught saying one thing in South Dakota, and its 180 degree opposite in Washington.

Argus Leader skips Russell Means story

Quentin:

In another display of lousy journalism the Argus ignored yesterday's AP article titled "Means and Thune Back Together Again."

This story started last February when the Rapid City Journal and the Mitchell Daily Republic ran this article which mentioned that Means had endorsed Thune and would be working to get him elected. The story was apparently not newsworthy to the Argus because they chose not to report on it.

Then in July, another AP article ran which mentioned that Means and Thune had a disagreement over funding. The Argus jumped all over this article and ran it right away. Both DVT and SDP mentioned this in late July. Then yesterday when the "Means and Thune Back Together Again" article ran the Argus didn't cover it. Apparently, the topic of Means helping Thune was not newsworthy when they began to work together, was when they disagreed, and isn't now that they are working together again.

Well said.

Bud Day and the Swift Boat Vets

The fellow you see pictured here is Bud Day, an alumni of the University of South Dakota School of Law, and the most highly decorated officer since General Douglas MacArthur. Col. Day was Senator John McCain's cellmate in the Hanoi Hilton. In John McCain's book, "Faith of My Fathers," McCain credits Day with saving his life (pg. 200). Today, the Washington Times discusses Bud Day assembling with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth for one last push against John Kerry before the election:

Snow-haired Bud Day, a 79-year-old former POW, stands at attention. He is wearing a brown leather flight jacket befitting an Air Force major, complemented by the Medal of Honor around his neck. Others have donned "Swift Boat" baseball caps....

Shot down over North Vietnam in 1967, Maj. Day suffered numerous injuries, managed to escape from his prison, walked for two weeks through the jungle eating live frogs before he was recaptured.

He then spent the next six years as a prison cellmate of John McCain, who would become a Republican senator, at the prison the Americans called, with bitter irony, the "Hanoi Hilton." Maj. Day's presence in the room is palpable. Even in a group of decorated war veterans, he stands out as a living legend.

The others sheepishly introduce themselves and are honored just to shake his still-firm hand.

"Kerry betrayed us by telling the people we were committing atrocities," Maj. Day says. "A man who does that is not fit to lead. It's impossible to let this man masquerade as a war hero and someone who has leadership. To imagine this guy who betrayed us becoming president and him being the leader of our armed forces is just unthinkable."

Power Line weighs in on WSJ profile of SD Senate race

Deacon at Power Line adds commentary to today's Wall Street Journal profile of the South Dakota Senate race: "Democracy can be intimidating."

David Rogers of the Wall Street Journal views the Daschle-Thune Senate race in South Dakota as the pivotal Senate contest of the year. He notes the Democrats think they "can capture four Republican seats in Illinois, Alaska, Oklahoma and Colorado [while holding] their losses in the South to no more than two seats. That would give Democrats a 51-49 majority. [But] if Mr. Daschle loses, the whole equation collapses and Republicans will have dealt a crushing blow intended to intimidate Democrats in the next Congress."

I think it is the final phrase of Rogers' statement that explains most fundamentally the importance of the South Dakota race. I consider it unlikely that control of the Senate will turn on the outcome. The Democrats would be lucky indeed to win all four of their target states, and extraordinarily lucky to lose only two seats in the South. However, defeating Daschle would send a powerful signal to Democratic Senators in "red" states and maybe even swing states that they can no longer get away with their double game of constantly voting liberal in Washington while portraying themselves as moderates at home. Republicans don't play that game much. The Republican Senators from Maine don't consistently vote conservative, nor does Arlen Spector from Pennsylvania. Rick Santorum does, but he doesn't try to hide his record. As Rogers says, the defeat of Daschle might "intimidate" Democrats into voting in a fashion that approximates the way they present themselves to their constituents.

Q notes the Argus Leader stands with Establishment--again

Quentin Riggins notes that the Argus Leader has endorsed Dusty Johnson's opponent in the PUC race. Note that in only 15 more days, the Argus Leader will be endorsing Senator Daschle.

No debate tonight; tomorrow still on

The AP is reporting: "Third Senate debate cancelled, Tuesday's still on."

New York Sun profiles SD Senate race

The New York Sun has a profile of the South Dakota Senate race in today's edition headlined "Of All Senate Races, GOP Hungers Most for a Victory in Daschle’s South Dakota." Excerpt:

However tough his last Senate run was, for Mr. Thune this race is even more challenging. Mr. Johnson was a weaker opponent than Mr. Daschle. In Washington the minority leader may be the archopponent of Mr. Bush and a highly effective obstructionist who has led, among other things, the successful Democratic blocking of Bush judicial nominations. In South Dakota - which Mr. Bush carried easily in 2000 and will again this year - Mr. Daschle portrays himself as an ally of the president. The Democrat has run what Republicans dub shameless TV spots showing him hugging the president shortly after Mr. Bush’s speech on the September 11 terror attacks.

“Tom is literally running out of the arms of Michael Moore and into the arms of the president in South Dakota,” Mr. Thune said.

The Bush ads remind South Dakota pollsters of a tactic the pro-choice Mr. Daschle used in his first Senate race, in 1986, when he pledged to “do everything in my power to persuade others that abortion is wrong,” and secured an open letter from nuns who taught him in school that said, “We know and we tell those with whom we speak of your abhorrence for abortion - and of your commitment to life.”

The last paragraph is slightly inaccurate. It was in 1978 (Daschle's first race for the House) when he secured an open letter from the Presenatation Sisters. In 1986, Daschle secured an open letter from Rev. Terry Miller of Freeman, SD to vouch for his pro-life bona fides. So far, only the Rapid City Journal and the New York Sun have reported on Daschle's pro-life letters from earlier campaigns. These letters, contrasted with Daschle's NARAL e-mail, would be another important item to include in the Argus Leader's profile of Senator Daschle next Sunday.

Wall Street Journal: South Dakota the "keystone" state

The Wall Street Journal has a straight news article on the Senate race in South Dakota headlined "The ‘Keystone’ State: South Dakota?" Excerpt:

The 56-year-old senator is outwardly confident, with a narrow lead in most polls and a bigger war chest. Still, the onetime prairie populist is running scared and has adopted a strategy based more on camouflage than the combat of Washington....

The challenger, a 43-year old former congressman, is a gentler sort. But along a parade route in Spearfish, he shows a greater aggressiveness than in 2002. He lost then by just 524 votes and is gambling that he can substantially increase turnout west of the Missouri River to help counter Mr. Daschle’s strength in the east.

“There’s more definition with Daschle; people are more excited and motivated,” he says of the contest. “In particular, the years he’s been in the leadership position, he’s gotten increasingly out of step with a lot of people in South Dakota.”

Unlike George McGovern, another South Dakota Democrat who lost his seat after going national, Mr. Daschle has been careful to come home and protect his base. But his purchase of a multimillion-dollar home in Washington with his lobbyist wife, Linda, raised eyebrows. And while he repeatedly speaks of abortion as a “tragedy,” he signed an appeal for contributions to Naral, an abortion-rights organization, in an effort to help then-Sen. Jean Carnahan in her 2002 re-election campaign in Missouri.

Hopefully, the Argus Leader's profile of Tom Daschle this coming Sunday will include a comparison of Daschle to McGovern. I think such a comparison would be illuminating. McGovern was unapologetically liberal, while Daschle tries to live a double life as a conservative pro-life Democrat at home, and as a liberal pro-choice Democrat in Washington.

DVT has more.

Daschle questioned Bush's Guard service

In looking through my archives, I came across this quote from Senator Daschle made on the Tavis Smiley show on PBS on February 9, 2004:

"We also don't know the circumstances involving his time in the National Guard, and I think that has to be clarified as well."

Lakota Journal: Daschle responded "abstractly" to question of Black Hills return

I've been extremely remiss in overlooking an excellent report from the Lakota Journal's Nestor Ramos headlined "Summit at Crazy Horse." Excerpt:

A historic, long-rumored meeting between South Dakota’s congressional delegation and representatives from six of the state’s nine tribes took place on Saturday at Crazy Horse Mountain in Custer....

Asked whether there had been any discussion of the contentious Black Hills Land Claim issue, Daschle responded abstractly. “Federal lands have always been a matter of great controversy and contention over the last 150 years, and I think we have to continue to strive to find ways to resolve these issues,” he said....

“The treaty obligations came up in our discussions throughout this morning,” said Daschle. “We talked about the 1851 Treaty, the 1868 [Fort] Laramie Treaty. We talked about the importance of the recognition of those treaties as we enter into government to government responsibility and that relationship between governments. There is no question that we have to continue to strive to recognize the importance of that treaty obligation and the sovereignty that comes with it.”

Questions about the apparent secrecy surrounding the meeting were also addressed. Neither the public nor the media were permitted access to the meeting, held in the lower-level space beneath the Crazy Horse visitor’s center.

Beck presumes to tell us something about civilized debate

DVT:

In his column today, [Argus Leader executive editor Randell] Beck presents himself as the champion of "civilized debate," a defender of the Old Order against the evils of the internet. Meanwhile, it's Beck who put information on the internet that is simply made up and also refuses to correct it. As for "civilized debate," it's Beck who calls internet bloggers a "violent" "cabal" of "yahoos" and compares them to Hitler. After I gave a talk to the Rotary Club in Sioux Falls a few months ago, it was Beck who cancelled his speech the following week because he thinks the Argus Leader is above criticism. So much for "civilized debate" in front of the Rotarians. After promising Sibby last week he'd run an editorial by Sibby about the Linda Daschle situation, Beck then reneged. Look, there are some great people at the Argus and some of them have told me they know there are many problems at the newspaper. I feel for them, since much of the problem seems to be at the top.

NARAL either disingenuous or mathematically challenged

In today's edition of the Rapid City Journal, Senator Daschle's spokesman discussed Daschle's 2003 NARAL rating:

The Republican brochure says Daschle received a "100 percent rating" from the National Abortion Rights Action League. Daschle actually received a 50 percent rating in 2003, Pfeiffer said, and his 100 percent rating in 2002 was based on a single vote to allow U.S. women in the military to pay for abortions out of their own pockets.

That 2003 NARAL rating looked suspicious to me, so I decided to take a closer look at it. Upon closer scrutiny, it appears that NARAL is either dishonest or can't do simple math. NARAL disingenuously gave Daschle (and Johnson) "50%" ratings, but in fact they both voted the way NARAL wanted them to over 85% of the time. Here's a screen capture of NARAL's legislative scorecard for Daschle (click to enlarge):

Clearly, out of the 14 votes NARAL viewed as important in 2003, Daschle voted against NARAL's preferred position only two times. Yet somehow 12 out of 14 is "50%" to NARAL. Why do they disingenuously give Daschle a "50%" rating? So Daschle's spokesman can give it to reporters in South Dakota as evidence of Daschle's "moderation" on the issue. Daschle is banking on the notion that these reporters won't look more closely at the claim. So far, that notion has been correct.

To view a PDF copy of the NARAL scorecard cited above, click HERE.

Daschle: "We will not surrender sacred ground, and that includes a woman's constitutional right to choose"

The Rapid City Journal has a report headlined "Thune camp releases Daschle tape." Excerpt:

Thune's Senate campaign late Friday distributed a videotape of Daschle telling California Democrats in February 2002: "We will not surrender sacred ground, and that includes a woman's constitutional right to choose."

[...]

Daschle responded Saturday in writing: "In my view, the polarization of this issue and the ‘pro-choice' and ‘pro-life' labels are counterproductive to the goals most of us share. Most South Dakotans and most Americans are deeply troubled by abortion, and they'd like us to find a way to prevent them."

Further into the RCJ story is this interesting passage:

The tone of Daschle's written response to Thune was measured, but last week, Daschle was terse and impatient with a Rapid City Journal reporter who pressed him on the "pro-choice" label.

Three days later, during a conference call with South Dakota reporters, Daschle responded sternly to a question on whether the label was fair. "It would be fair to call me anti-abortion," Daschle said. "I just don't believe we ought to send young women or doctors to prison."

Thune said Saturday, "Don't believe what he says; believe what he does."

It seems the most powerful man in the universe has been walking the corridors of power in Washington so long that he now believes he's immune to scrutiny. DVT succinctly captures the Daschle psychology:

The Daschle-going-ballistic-on-reporter matter was the topic of a number of emails I received this week. The bigger question is why? In part because, I think, Daschle is used to softballs and having reporters reprint his press releases. Daschle: "Don't you know the rule? I'm above criticism! If you need examples to follow, see the Argus Leader." Another reason is because Daschle's whole campaign depends upon his ability to hide his double life, i.e. telling rich California liberals about how he thinks the "right to choose" is "sacred ground" but telling people in South Dakota he's against abortion and refusing to say he's "pro-choice," even though he has sent fundraising letters for NARAL touting his "pro-choice leadership" in the US Senate.