POTUS Daschle Watch

Argus Leader:

Former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle said the country's headed in the wrong direction and he will decide by the end of the year whether to run for president in an effort to change its course.

"I think we're on the wrong track in so many ways, and I believe the country is ready for change," he said. "I'm worried about the situation in Iraq. I'm troubled by our precipitous fall from stature and credibility internationally."

He contends health care, energy policy and government support for education all are inadequate under President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress.

Daschle said the political atmosphere is entirely different now from four years ago, when he also told supporters he wanted to run before changing his mind.

He said he will make his decision in November or December, sometime after this fall's congressional elections.

Offering his name now, 29 months before the next presidential election, is not a maneuver to raise money or be considered a possible running mate for some other candidate, he said.