South Dakota Politics

The 109th Congress and the energy bill

The New York Times has a report for tomorrow's edition headlined "Bigger Republican Majority Plans to Push Bush Agenda."  Excerpt:

Nine new senators and 41 House freshmen will be sworn in as the 109th Congress opens at noon on Tuesday, but the ceremony could be quickly overshadowed by a resumption of the sharp partisanship that was a hallmark of the Congress that ended last month. ...

Senate Republicans gained four seats in the November elections, enlarging their majority to 55 to 45 and putting them closer to the 60 votes needed to break filibusters. The seven new Republican members include a core of fiscal and social conservatives moving across the Rotunda from the House who are strongly against abortion and for tax cuts. ...

Bolstered by the new majorities, lawmakers involved in energy policy would also like to shake free a long-stalled energy measure that provides incentives for new domestic oil and gas production as well as money for research into new sources of fuel. Republicans say they may now have the votes to win approval for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which has long been opposed by national environmental groups and most Democratic lawmakers.

Senator Daschle's failure last congress to get just two Democratic votes to pass the energy bill with its ethanol provisions is one of the issues that spurred John Thune to mount his successful challenge against Daschle.  If the energy bill passes in the next few weeks, it will be due in large part to Senator-elect Thune defeating Daschle.

UPDATE

Be sure to read an important update to today's post regarding the Argus Leader's article on Thune's committee assignments.  You can access the updated post by clicking HERE.

Committees

Washington Times:

Sen.-elect John Thune of South Dakota won a coveted spot on the Armed Services Committee.

First sentence in Argus Leader story:

Republican John Thune did not get onto the U.S. Senate's Agriculture Committee as he had hoped, but is pleased with the assignments he did receive for his work next year in Congress.

The Argus also ignores the history of the Armed Services committee (but does get some thoughts from environmentalists about the committee assignments):

By securing a seat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator-elect Thune will renew a South Dakota tradition of having one of its senators sit on the Committee.  Senator John Chandler (Chan) Gurney, who was instrumental in creating Ellsworth Air Force Base, was the first chairman of the Armed Services Committee when it was formed in 1947.  (The Committee, which as now named was created in 1947, traces its history to the Military Affairs Committee and the Naval Affairs Committee, both of which were established in 1816.) Senator Francis Case was also a member of the Committee.  Since Senator Case’s death in 1962, South Dakota has not had a senator on the Committee until Thune’s appointment.

JASON ADDS:  I think today's Argus Leader article on Thune's committee assignments indicates the kind of coverage Thune can expect for the next six years.  It's going to be similar to the AL's coverage of Senator Pressler during his tenure in the Senate, which even the New York Times described at the time as "vituperative."  The Capitol Hill publication Roll Call described the AL's coverage of Pressler at the time as "hysterical bashing." 

Bearing in mind the AL's past vituperative and hysterical coverage of Republican senators, today's article is an unsurprising case study in accentuating the negative and eliminating the positive.  The article doesn't indicate that Thune was one of only two freshman GOP senators to get assigned to an elite committee.  (Mel Martinez was assigned to Foreign Relations.)  Yes, Armed Services is a committee of "national stature" but it's crucial to the interests of South Dakota as well.  There's a better chance Ellsworth AFB will gain a new mission because of Thune's seat on Armed Services.  South Dakota soldiers fighting the war on terror will benefit from Thune's advocacy on the committee for better equipment, pay, and benefits.  Yet in reading today's article, one gets the distinct impression that Thune's committee assignments are a disaster because Thune purportedly "lost out" on Agriculture.

What's more, as Jon notes, is that the Argus Leader completely ignores the history of South Dakota's role on Armed Services.  There's no mention that Senator Chan Gurney of South Dakota was the FIRST chairman of the Armed Services committee.  You'd think that would be a nice factoid for readers to know.  Apparently, it's more important to the Argus Leader for readers to think that Thune's committee assignments are a disaster than to actually be informed. 

The truth is, Thune being one of only two freshman GOP senators to get on an elite committee is a spectacular accomplishment, and the Argus Leader has once again done a disservice to its readers by spinning Thune's committee assignments as a disaster.  Mark my words: the AL's coverage of Thune is going to be uncannily similar to its coverage of Pressler, and this is only the beginning.

To see the full list of the Senate GOP committee assignments, click HERE.

KELO TV interviews Daschle tonight

KELO TV tonight broadcast the first television interview of Senator Daschle since his defeat: "Daschle: One on One." 

Daschle said, "I think it was the best of times and the worst of times. They abhorred all the negative campaigning especially against Linda but we could also do something we enjoy and all be together."

Here we go again.  Daschle relishes playing up his victim status, though, as one commentator indicated, he knows how to throw an elbow.  The Daschle campaign began the debate over lobbying by falsely implying that John Thune had lobbied for pharmaceutical companies.  The Thune camp responded by noting that "only one candidate has personally profited from big drug companies. That candidate is Tom Daschle.”  (Linda Daschle, purportedly an aviation expert, had been hired in 1999 by Schering-Plough to seek a patent extension on the drug Claritin.*)

And, of course, only Senator Daschle ran television ads explicitly questioning John Thune's character.   

You can view the three-minute story leading off the broadcast by clicking HERE.

* "Tom Daschle's Hillary Problem," Washington Monthly, January/February 2002.

South Dakota delegation in North Sioux City

The Yankton Press & Dakotan has an article today headlined "Lawmakers Declare Unity During Forum" which also contains the photo above.  Despite the show of unity, everybody pictured looks rather ill-at-ease, particularly Johnson.  One gets the impression he's still a bit salty about Thune defeating Daschle.

NYT: Senate has become more pro-life

First, be sure to vote for the Daschle v. Thune blog HERE.

The New York Times has an article in today's edition headlined "Changing Senate Looks Better to Abortion Foes" which contains a photo of Senator-elect John Thune conversing with Senator-elect Tom Coburn outside Majority Leader Frist's office on Capitol Hill:

Here's an excerpt from today's story:

But the strengthening of Republican control and the addition of senators for whom the abortion issue ranks very high, like Mr. Coburn, Representative David Vitter of Louisiana and former Representative John Thune of South Dakota, could have a deeper effect on the Senate than a simple vote count suggests.

In fact, several leaders of the abortion-rights movement indicated in interviews that they felt very much on the defensive these days, both in terms of fending off new legislation and in dealing with the prospect of a Supreme Court nomination fight, given new urgency by the illness of Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.

This article in today's edition of the NYT is a marked contrast from an article that appeared in the NYT shortly after Senator Daschle's election to the Senate in 1986 headlined "A turning point on the abortion issue?"  Here's an excerpt from the 1986 NYT article:

After long years on the defensive, advocates of abortion rights are cheering the results of last week's elections. They say that the victory of pro-choice candidates for the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the defeat of several anti-abortion measures on state ballots, strengthens their movement not only to resist further erosion, but to regain the initiative on such issues as public financing of abortions for poor women. ...

Kate Michelman, executive director of the National Abortion Rights Action League, says the pro-choice side picked up at least three seats in the Senate and five in the House, while no pro-choice incumbent was defeated for any Federal office.

The three Senate seats, all won by Democrats, are in Georgia, with the substitution of Wyche Fowler Jr. for an anti-abortion Republican freshman, Mack Mattingly; South Dakota, where Representative Tom Daschle defeated James Abdnor; and North Carolina, where the Senate seat was held by one of the chamber's most committed abortion foes, John P. East, until his suicide last summer.

It's interesting to observe the pendulum swing on the issue of abortion over the decades.  In 1986, the Times was gleeful at the prospect of a "turning point" for abortion rights with the election of Tom Daschle to the Senate.  Today, the Times glumly notes that abortion foes now have more friends in the Senate, due in part to Daschle's defeat at the hands of Senator-elect Thune.

Thune to appear on "Jeff Gannon's Washington"

Jeff Gannon, resident DC expert on South Dakota politics, will have Senator-elect Thune on his radio show as a guest Thursday, December 2, at 3:45PM Eastern time.  Thune will talk about his historic win over Tom Daschle and what he hopes to accomplish for South Dakota and America.  You can listen to an internet stream of the show by clicking HERE.

The Hill

The Hill, a Washington, D.C. publication, has an article today headlined "Daschle aides get parting gift."

Brokaw

Here's what NBC's Tom Brokaw, a South Dakota native, had to say on Imus the day after the election:

IMUS: Daschle lost, is that final?

BROKAW: Yes.

IMUS: He did? You`re saying yes, you say no.

MATTHEWS: I`m saying yes. It hasn`t been called yet, but I guess we stopped calling.

BROKAW: Yes. But he did lose and Thune is going to win there. He ran a very strong campaign at the end. I think Tom Daschle has been an excellent senator from South Dakota. He`s devoted a lot there. He`s a great retail politician.

But John Thune was a strong candidate. Former basketball star, ran strongly against Tim Johnson.

MATTHEWS: Yes.

BROKAW: He came back this time. And Tom Daschle and his wife filed for the homestead exemption in the District of Columbia, which meant that they had to say we`re residents of D.C., and in South Dakota, that doesn`t go over well.

Coasties cringe at pheasant hunting

Bryce Lambley, a guest columnist for the Fremont (Neb.) Tribune makes the following observation in a column headlined "Politicians seek votes from outdoorsmen":

That might also put the majority of media on both coasts in the awkward spot of having to give hunting legitimate coverage. A post-election interview with Senator-elect John Thune, who unseated Tom Daschle in South Dakota, seemed to catch MSNBC's Chris Mathews off-guard when Thune said his next order of business was to go pheasant hunting. Mathews wanted to know what he did with the birds and Thune replied, "We clean them and eat them. You should try it some time."

Local lefties compare Thune to Hitler, KKK

First, it was Senator Tim Johnson who compared Republicans to the Taliban.  Then it was Argus Leader executive editor Randell Beck, known to frequent the local yuppie coffeehouse with Tim Johnson, who said "If Hitler were alive today, he'd have his own blog."  In response, one wag noted that "According to Godwin's Law, an Internet discussion-group dictum that long predates blogging, when one side in an argument invokes Hitler, it proves he's lost."  Well, today we're seeing abundant proof that the liberals in South Dakota have lost the argument.  Dailycaucus.com, touted as the left's answer to the Dakota Blog Alliance, has posted a cartoon comparing Senator-elect John Thune to Hitler and Ku Klux Klan.  The cartoon is below: 

From Taliban comparisons to Hitler comparisons, I think the Democrats and their fellow travelers in the local media in this state are headed for a steep decline, and apparently have no wish to be taken seriously any time soon.  Of course, David Kranz, the dean of South Dakota political reporters, who eagerly reports on those who say stupid things about Stephanie Herseth, will no doubt studiously ignore this development.

UPDATE: More at DVT, Ryne McClaren, and Q.

Democratic interpretation of Daschle's defeat

Heritage Foundation scholar Michael Frank was quoted in a piece about newly minted Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid today regarding how the Democrats will interpret Daschle's defeat.  Relevant graf:

"The test there," he said, "is what lessons did the Democratic Caucus as a whole take from Daschle's defeat. If they can rationalize to themselves that his loss has nothing to do with blocking and obstructing judges then they will behave the same way."

But if Daschle's defeat is viewed as a "political referendum on the obstructionist strategy, then [Reid] may be a little more cautious about picking his fights," Franc said. He said it is too early to tell how Daschle's loss is being interpreted by Democrats.

Karl Struble, Daschle's media consultant, claims that Daschle's defeat is something of an aberration.  Here's what Struble was quoted as saying in Roll Call recently (Via DVT):

“You can overanalyze South Dakota, because in this case you had somebody who was a national leader,” said Democratic media consultant Karl Struble, who handled the television strategy for Daschle. For someone like Daschle, it is “easier to ascribe the national party agenda” to them.

It seems Struble is saying that it's harder for red-state Dems to lie about their positions when those red-state Dems are national leaders, who for some strange reason are easily ascribed with the national party agenda.  (Gee, maybe the national party agenda was easily ascribed to Daschle as a consequence of him wholeheartedly embracing that agenda.)  Ultimately, it seems the Dems are interpreting Daschle's loss as an aberration.  Hopefully, they'll keep kidding themselves like this.

Nofziger analysis

DVT points to a recent New York Times op-ed written by Lyn Nofziger, in which Nofziger discusses the ramifications of Daschle's defeat.  Nofizeger's piece is headlined "Bush's Trouble Ahead."  Excerpt:

In reality, the president can thank Republican gains in the Senate and House for giving credibility to his claims of a mandate. The defeat of the Senate minority leader, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, was, next to Mr. Bush's own win, the Republicans' most significant victory. For all his soft-spoken ways and claims of wanting to work with Mr. Bush, Senator Daschle was a consistent, effective and highly partisan obstructionist who blocked not only legislation but also presidential appointments, primarily those of conservative federal judges.

With Mr. Daschle gone and with the addition of four Republican senators giving the party a 10-vote margin in the Senate, Mr. Bush will probably no longer have to contend with Democratic filibusters preventing the Senate from voting on his judicial appointees.

This is especially significant because during the next four years many expect three or perhaps four Supreme Court vacancies. It is a stretch, however, to think that the Senate will view the election results as a mandate for Mr. Bush to appoint whomever he wants to the courts. For one thing, the new Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee will be the liberal and unpredictable Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. And while some may think that Senator Daschle's loss will serve as a warning to Democrats hoping to defy the president, it seems clear that he lost not because of his record of opposition but because he lost touch with his constituents.

Apologies, apologies

Reader Blaine Wilson of Sioux Falls sends along his apologies for voting for Thune:

TO ALL DASCHLE SUPPORTERS

I would like to apologize for the following:

1.) I was not aware that Tom Daschle's Senate seat was his birthright.  I was under the impression that the Constitution required him to stand for election every 6 years against anyone willing and able to run.

2.)  I did not realize that I was supposed to just blindly go in and fill in the circle by Tom's name.  I held the obviously unreasonable assumption that it was my responsibility to reasearch and evaluate each candidate's positions and voting records and choose a candidate whose beliefs were most consistent with my own.

3.)  I had not heard that "clout" and the ability to bring truckloads of money back to the state were the only true measures of a Senator's ability. I just thought maybe the ability to keep some of my own money in my own pocket would be kind of nice.

4.)  I didn't know that I was supposed to leave my faith at home when I went to vote.  It's just that nagging detail about my beliefs (see apology #2)being based on them. 

5.)  I had no idea that my intelligence or levels was derived from my voting patterns.  Silly me.  You mean it isn't from my education, training, or other experiences?

6.)  No one had ever told me that South Dakota's image or sense of
self-worth as a state was directly proportionate to Tom Daschle's stature. Boy, am I glad I know that now.  I used to think it came from me and the other hard-working folks of South Dakota.  Does this mean I have to move?

I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.  I swear I'll try to do better next time.

Prof: Dems "can't be obstructionist"

The AP has a report headlined "Democrats' Choice: Dig in or Work With GOP."  Excerpt:

"Once they get out of the fetal position, which is what they're in right now, the Democrats in Congress are really going to have start catching the pitches that are thrown by the president," said Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University.

"They can't be obstructionist," Baker said, but should capitalize on the fact that President Bush's second-term proposals to overhaul the tax code and add private accounts to Social Security "are fairly radical things" that could be troublesome for Republican lawmakers seeking re-election in 2006.

Thune staff

The Rapid City Journal has a report today headlined "Thune names staff members."

The Magnificent Seven

A Knight-Ridder story headlined "Congressional freshmen confront traditions of their institution" accompanies the photo above.  Senator George Allen was handing out "game balls" to the new senators, embossed with each senator-elect's margin of victory.

Thune's rock star status

Ryne McClaren:

"[C]ompare the coverage of Thune with those of the new Golden Child of the Democratic party and fellow Senate freshman Barak Obama. Besides us South Dakota wonks, who would have dreamed that the little state would produce a young Republican rock star with early Rookie of the Year credentials, and before his predecessor has even left office!

Transcript of Thune's appearance on "Hannity & Colmes"

Below is the transcript of Senator-elect Thune's appearance on "Hannity & Colmes" last night:

We're now joined by the man who sent Tom Daschle back home to South Dakota, Republican Senator-elect John Thune.

Senator, how are you?

SENATOR-ELECT JOHN THUNE (R), SOUTH DAKOTA: Doing well, Sean. Thank you.

HANNITY: You're not sworn in, but it's all right. I can say that, right?

THUNE: Well, Senator-elect, anyway.

HANNITY: Well, congratulations to you.

THUNE: Thank you.

HANNITY: What do you think happened here for Tom Daschle? Did he come -- did he lose touch with the voters of South Dakota? Did he, being an obstructionist, was it a combination? What happened?

THUNE: Well, I think a central theme in the campaign, Sean, was the - - the lack of activity in the United States Senate, the fact that they weren't allowing votes on judges, the fact that they weren't moving energy policy or healthcare reforms.

And I think that caught up; the whole message of obstructionism and gridlock was something that people in South Dakota and people around the country really tuned in to.

And -- and I also think, too, for better or worse, by virtue of his position, having to be the leader of the National Democrat Party and carry the liberal agenda in the United States Senate, was an agenda that was very far out of step with where a majority of South Dakotans were.

And I think that eventually caught up. And we were able to effectively, I think, draw the contrasts and point out the differences and -- and demonstrate to people in South Dakota that the obstructionism wasn't serving their interests and that the voting record was very far left of where they are on the issues.

HANNITY: But Tom did have a pretty good track record of bringing home what we describe as bacon to the state. So you had an uphill battle. Because there was bringing a lot of -- there were a lot of benefits to being in the leadership position that he was in.

And I even read, I think -- what was it -- there were about 15 percent of voters that voted for George W. Bush or a little bit more also voted for Tom Daschle. Considering their differing views, that's pretty substantial.

THUNE: It is. But you know, we have a history in South Dakota. If you look at the Dakotas over time, we consistently have sent Democrats to Washington, D.C.

And I think that when he's been in office for 26 years, you know, held the title, and had $20 million to spend, you know, those were some formidable obstacles that we had to clear.

And there were a lot of Republicans in South Dakota who are persuaded by his argument. And I think, you know, there were some votes that went in his direction as a result of that.

But ultimately, we were able to hold enough of the Republican vote to win some of the conservative Democrats on some of the cultural issues and win enough of the independent vote to get to where we needed to be.

But it was a close election. It was hard fought. It was expensive. And at the end of the day, I think it was decided on the ground. The turnout is what I had said all along, was what was going to turn the election. And I think that really was true.

HANNITY: I watched it from a distance, and I thought you really conducted yourself well. I thought it was a hard fought election. I liked the debate in particular that you guys had on "Meet the Press" that day. I watched it closely. And I thought you handled yourself very well there.

What are the top issues that you think in the country right now, the ones that you want to work with in the country with the president? And what do you think about this divide. We saw a little bit in the last segment or two.

There's -- there is a deep divide in this country. There is great division. There are two competing visions. I've never heard the president attacked the way he was attacked in this election cycle.

Is there anything we can do to stop this, or is it just a case where you've just got to -- you win, your agenda goes forward?

THUNE: Well, I think it's the agenda of the majority of Americans. And it was a decisive win for the president. It was a decisive win in building a majority in the United States Senate, gaining seats in the House.

And I think what that says is that people in this country, or at least the majority of them, want us to govern from right of center. They want to build a coalition that develops solutions that are on the right side of the equation.

And that they were very concerned about the liberal drift, that the country was drifting further and further to the left.

The things that I want to work on are the things that I think people spoke loudly about in this last election. And that is, you know, getting judges confirmed, making sure that they have an up and down vote.

Moving energy policy, moving tax relief that will continue to grow the economy and create jobs. You know, lower health care costs. Social Security reform, the president has talked about tax reform.

I think he has an opportunity to lead in a bold way. And I think that the Congress is prepared to work with him. And I think there's an opportunity to work in a bipartisan way here.

The country is divided. There are some people with different views out there, but that's what these elections are about. They're about differences.

COLMES: Senator-elect, it's Alan Colmes. Good to have you. Welcome to the show, and congratulations on your victory.

How would you describe yourself for those who were not familiar with you? Would you say that you're socially liberal, fiscally conservative? Where do you say you would fall on that political spectrum?

THUNE: I'm a right of center conservative. I think, you know, I served three terms in the House, and if you look at my voting record, I'm fiscally conservative and socially conservative, but you know, willing to be able to work in a legislative body. You've got to be able to find that consensus. And I realize that.

And -- but I do think that when people voted in this election, they wanted to see solutions that were found right of center. I think that's what -- what we're going to do in order to solve problems in this country and meet some of these challenges. We've got to find coalitions.

And I think that is on the political spectrum, where we're going to have the most success.

COLMES: You know, we joke about bipartisanship. And if I say bipartisan, I guess to me that means you think Democratic. If you say bipartisan, you think I'm going to think Republican.

Where in the middle do you actually meet? And how can you really, if you're a social -- if you really believe there's a mandate to go right, and the large number of people voted for John Kerry and a large number of people voted for Tom Daschle, how do you serve those people, as well?

THUNE: Well, I think what you have to do is, you've got to realize that the elections are, you know, that's what this is about. It is about differences. There were some -- some, you know, some real differences in this election. There certainly were in our case -- in our race in South Dakota. And I think there were nationally, too.

But I think, Alan, at the end of the day, what has to happen is that elections are over. We've got to move on. We've got to govern. And you know, we've got majorities in the House and the Senate, although in the Senate, not a large enough majority to stop a filibuster, which means we have to be able to reach out to Democrats.

HANNITY: Senator...

THUNE: And I'm hopeful that we will be able on a lot of these issues that people feel deeply about.

HANNITY: We've got to run.

THUNE: ...to find a right of center solution.

HANNITY: Congratulations on your great victory, Senator. We're just out of time. We're going to take a break.

Thune "highest-profile member" of freshman class

Senator-elect John Thune officially ranks 93rd in the Senate.  With that in mind, see the article Sibby points to in The Hill, a Capitol Hill publication, headlined "Frist gains new powers."  Excerpt:

The Republican Conference changed its rules yesterday to give Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) new powers to ensure party discipline.

A coalition of loyalist and new senators managed unexpectedly to push through the more sweeping version of the proposed changes, defeating a watered-down proposal.

The stronger one, which passed on a 27-26 secret-ballot vote, allows Frist to fill half of all vacancies on “A” committees as he chooses.

This important development is good news for South Dakota and for Thune, who now has more ability to cash in on the political capital he earned defeating the other side's leader.  Then there's this passage:

Frist could use his powers to create a star out of the new freshman class. The highest-profile member of the class is probably Sen.-elect John Thune (R-S.D.), who knocked off Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.). Thune has already been a staple on television talk shows since the election.

Jockeying to be on the Finance Committee

"Senators vying for seat on power panel":  The Capitol Hill publication The Hill has this report.

Thune-Salazar joint appearance on PBS

Senator elect Thune appeared on PBS tonight in a segment with Gwen Ifill.  You can access a transcript HERE.

Thune on "Hannity & Colmes" tonight

Sean Hannity just said on his show that Senator-elect Thune will be appearing on "Hannity and Colmes" tonight.

More Gannon

Jeff Gannon, resident DC expert on South Dakota politics, has another article today headlined "GOP Hails 'Magnificent Seven' Freshman Senators." Excerpt:

The NRSC chairman singled out South Dakota Senator-elect John Thune for special praise, noting that he ousted the first leader of either party running for reelection in over 50 years. He had previously said that beating Daschle would be like picking up three seats. Allen said, "South Dakota voters saw the qualities of John Thune and wanted a man who says what he means and would vote that way in Washington."

A Star is Born

Roll Call, the Capitol Hill publication, has an article today headlined "John Thune: A Star is Born" ($) One of the more interesting passages of the article addresses Thune's status as a national political figure. Relevant excerpt:

Regardless of how his new colleagues react, Thune has already been accepted with open arms by the media as a new national spokesman for Republicans.

On Nov. 10 alone, Thune appeared on CNBC and CNN twice ("Paula Zahn Now" and "Lou Dobbs Tonight") to discuss topics ranging from judicial nominations to the budget.

He also was a guest of George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" Nov. 7, appearing with Obama, who is arguably the only Senator-elect to eclipse Thune in press attention.

Thune, however, makes a point of downplaying talk of his status as a budding media darling, insisting that much of the attention is a result of "who I was running against." "The profile of this race generated some additional attention, and we are trying to use that in a way that enables us to serve the interests we believe in and the agenda we want to move," Thune said.

Some Democratic insiders argue that with Thune not likely to face a serious re-election race again in his career, he will quickly disappear to the back bench once the election afterglow wears off.

Still, Thune has clearly demonstrated a savvy understanding of the media and how best to present a conservative message. "Demeanor is important," saidThune. "You can be a right-of-center conservative with a conservative message, but how you communicate that is important."

Other Republicans agree that Thune's communication skills are uniquely suited to pushing the Republican agenda in the media. "John is very articulate," said Rep.Tom Osborne (R-Neb.), a Thune confidant. "He will be a great asset in the Senate."

Allen added that Thune's debate performances against Daschle showcased his talent for rhetorical repartee. "He held his own against Tom Daschle who knows all these procedures and is very knowledgeable about the workings of the Senate," the Virginia Senator said.

Sen. Johnson to ruminate on Daschle's career

Be sure to tune in to C-Span 2 tomorrow (Wednesday) to watch Senator Johnson and others deliver farewells on the Senate floor to Senator Daschle.

Headline of the Day

"Bipartisanship school begins — brawl scheduled after class": The Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill has this report.

Daschle farewell

"Daschle Bids Democrats Goodbye": The AP has this report.

Charlie Cook: Senate will be "most interesting show in town"

Charlie Cook's "Off to the Races" column today is about "the unexpectedly large 55-45 majority in the United States Senate."  Excerpt:

One of the most fascinating shows to watch for the next two years is a drama focusing on what Republicans will be able to do with their unexpectedly large 55-45 majority in the United States Senate. While most observers anticipated that Republicans would hold onto their majority, or maybe increase it by a seat or two, a four-seat gain -- halfway to a theoretical filibuster-proof majority -- was an outcome no one likely contemplated. Conservatives are already making great plans for an aggressive agenda, but whether those agenda items can win approval in the Senate remains an open question....

Republicans have legitimate beefs with Democrats over their use and threat of the filibuster against as many as 16 of President Bush's judicial nominations. Then again, Democrats have equally legitimate arguments that Republicans started this with their refusal to hold Judiciary Committee hearings for 62 of President Clinton's nominees during his eight years in office. Both parties are guilty of selective outrage on this issue, with Republican threats to invoke the "nuclear option" foreclosing on the ability of the minority to filibuster judicial nominations potentially setting the stage for an early fight that might set the tone for the next two years....

Incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is widely expected to have a better working relationship with the GOP majority than did outgoing Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Then again, the Daschle loss and the testiness of attacks, going in both directions, in South Dakota and, for that matter, in the Kentucky Senate race with Republican Sen. Jim Bunning, are likely to reverberate around the chamber for some time to come.

All in all, it is not at all clear how productive the Senate will be over the next two years. But it promises to be the most interesting show in town.

Barone the first to call race for Thune

Steve Forbes has this to say about Michael Barone calling the race for Thune:

In the close Senate race in South Dakota, Barone had Fox declare Republican John Thune the winner over Democrat and Senate minority leader Tom Daschle, even though vote tallies were close and other pundits were observing that precincts with large Indian populations still had not reported in. Barone noted exactly which two counties had the uncounted Indian votes that would help Daschle but then pointed out that there was a heavily Republican suburban county in which only about one-third of the vote had been reported. Barone concluded that that county and the two predominantly Indian ones would effectively cancel each other out and that Thune's lead would hold. He was again right about a close and critical contest.

Freshmen senators

The AP is reporting: "Freshman Lawmakers Arrive in Washington."  Excerpt:

Starting Sunday, the freshmen have been briefed on such subjects as security, legal liabilities, ethical rules, setting up an office and dealing with strains on family life.

They lunched Monday at the White House, took a class picture on the Capitol steps, were meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders and will participate in elections this week for party leaders in the coming 109th Congress.

Thune said he learned they would not have permanent office space until April or May. "This is our first exposure to the deliberative pace of the Senate," the former House member said.

Thune appearance on Fox News

Senator-elect John Thune appeared on "After Hours with Cal Thomas" Saturday night.  When I find a transcript, I'll post it.  Meanwhile, you can catch a glimpse of the liberal perspective of Thune's appearance at "News Hounds."

Thune's appearance on "Capital Gang"

You can access a transcript of Senator-elect Thune's appearance on CNN's "Capital Gang" last night by clicking HERE.

Thune on "Capital Gang" tonight

Senator-elect John Thune will be on CNN's "Capital Gang" tonight at 6.  Last week, Margeret Carlson complained about Daschle being sunk by the "homestead deduction" story.  It will be interesting to see if she'll confront Thune about it tonight.

Krauthammer

Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer has an excellent column today headlined "'Moral Values' Myth" in which he makes an important point about post-election conventional wisdom.  Excerpt from Krauthammer:

In 1994, when the Gingrich revolution swept Republicans into power, ending 40 years of Democratic hegemony in the House, the mainstream press needed to account for this inversion of the Perfect Order of Things. A myth was born. Explained the USA Today headline: "ANGRY WHITE MEN: Their votes turn the tide for GOP."

Overnight, the revolution of the Angry White Male became conventional wisdom. In the 10 years before the 1994 election there were 56 mentions of angry white men in the media, according to LexisNexis. In the next seven months there were more than 1,400.

At the time, I looked into this story line -- and found not a scintilla of evidence to support the claim. Nonetheless, it was a necessary invention, a way for the liberal elite to delegitimize a conservative victory. And, even better, a way to assuage their moral vanity: You never lose because your ideas are sclerotic or your positions retrograde, but because your opponent appealed to the baser instincts of mankind.

I think the local MSM are trying to adopt a story line about John Thune defeating Senator Daschle by saying Daschle "became the subject of unprecedented attacks" and that the race was "the ugliest race of the state's modern political era."  This kind of hyperbole becomes the conventional wisdom if it's not aggressively countered by the facts.  The fact is that Daschle's record and hubris finally caught up with him, or as DVT likes to say, the chickens came home to roost.

Thune interviewed by Lou Dobbs

Here's a partial transcript of Senator-elect Thune being interviewed by Lou Dobbs last night:

DOBBS: Senator Specter here last night, was adamant that he would not in any way impose a litmus test and as a matter of fact made a very persuasive case that he had been misquoted, if you would, by the press. I know you can`t imagine that occurring, but it apparently is precisely what did happen.

THUNE: My expectation is that if the system stays as it is today. And that is that the seniority system that sort of drives the chairmanships and the committee assignments in the Senate continues, that the Judiciary Committee will probably support Senator Specter.

But there are a number of us that have questions. I think what he said last week -- there were a lot of us who were bothered by that. And I expect that when we get into orientation next week that there will be a number of questions that are raised with respect to the statements that Senator Specter made, his intentions with respect to moving judicial nominations and I hope that we have a fairly full discussion of that so that everybody has a comfort level as the process moves forward.

DOBBS: You, in your campaign, did not make much of religion. You are pro- life, anti-gay marriage, but you didn`t see fit to put your own religion on prominent display. Do you think that we`re seeing a period -- a beginning of a period in which religion and public service is going to be intertwined inextricably?

THUNE: Well, I think that what you saw this time was people in the faith community saw the importance of this election. And that was as it pertains to judges, perhaps a couple of vacancies on the Supreme Court, what that means for the future of the country on some of these cultural issues.

And I think there was a real concern among the electorate, in particular people in the faith community, that the country was beginning to drift left. And you look at some of these issues on family and on marriage and on the sanctity of life, and where we`ve sort of headed and where the courts have started to take us, and I think that was a reaction against that.

And I think people across the country said this time around that they are going to come out, they are going to vote their values and they are going to put their faith into practice, so to speak, when it comes to the ballot box.

And I don`t think that means that they`re going to be intertwined. I think what it means is that people of faith are exercising their responsibilities and rights and privileges in this democracy to have their voice heard.

And I think that that was the voice that was heard on Election Day. And I think that there has been some analysis by the media, was it the war on terror or was it the economy? And I think that there was a big undercurrent out there of people who, on the issues of morality and values, wanted to make sure that the country wasn`t drifting too far to the left and that we stood up for those traditional values.

And I think that`s a good thing. I think people need to be involved in the political process. And people who have strong convictions have every right to have their voice heard in this process. And I think that`s what they did this year.

DOBBS: Well, the voice of John Thune will soon be added to the U.S. Senate in Congress. We congratulate you for your victory and look forward to talking to you again soon. Senator-elect John Thune.

Paula Zahn interviews Thune

You can access a transcript of Paula Zahn's interview of Senator-elect Thune by clicking HERE.

Thune on Kudlow & Cramer

Here's a partial transcript of Senator-elect Thune's appearance on Kudlow & Cramer last night:

CRAMER: Now, Mr. Thune, a lot of our viewers are concerned about two issues involving health care. One is they would like to see health care more affordable. But, second, a lot of our viewers own shares in drug companies. The drug companies have been great producers of jobs. The drug companies have also, I think, done wonders to develop, really, life-saving medications. I understand, from your briefings, that you favor importing drugs from Canada. That would crush the profit margins of a lot of our drug companies. Is that really the right way to go?

Mr. THUNE: Well, I think that anything that we can do to create competition here in the mark--you know, Canada uses a system of price controls that keeps drug costs down. But what happens is then the American consumer bears the brunt and all the cost of the research that the drug companies do because a lot of these other countries around the world impose these disciplines, these price controls. I think that allowing for--again, assuming it's the same manufacturer, same quality, same drug, allowing for reimportation helps create more, you know, competition here in this country. I also think that getting generics to the market more quickly is a good thing to do.

And I think, frankly, that the increasing costs of prescription drugs is something that--in the overall cost of health care, is probably one of the biggest drivers in that people here, seniors in South Dakota and seniors around the country, are increasingly frustrated with what seems to be this non-stop spike in prescription prices. And I think that--so I do support it. I do support allowing for reimportation. I support, you know, making generics more readily available and more quickly available in the marketplace today because I think, ultimately, if you've got--the more competition that you have out there, the more it's going to have a positive impact on prices. And I don't think the drug companies are going to be hurt by that. I think they're doing just fine.

KUDLOW: Well, w...

Mr. THUNE: And we've got some great innovations and some great, you know, success stories out there with these prescriptions. But I do think that competition is really important in keeping...

KUDLOW: With all respect, I'm afraid I have to disagree strongly with you on every factor, but I want to move on. We only have a short period of time. Two other issues that are of great interest to Wall Street and investors: tax reform and Social Security reform. Could you kind of give us your short takes on those?

Mr. THUNE: Well, I think with respect to tax reform, I hope that that's--I hope both those issues are really issues that the president, with the strong performance that he had last week, can, you know, take some very bold action in trying to address. And I think that--I believe that it's time for tax reform. It's long overdue. The cost of compliance in this country and the choking effect that has on the economy is hurting our ability to create jobs and hurting our--ability of our companies to reinvest. And so I think that tax reform's long overdue.

And I think Social Security is a structural problem that we're going to deal with sooner rather than later. And I think it's better to take the steps that are necessary to fix it now because the Social Security trustees have said that if we wait, it's going to be a $10 trillion unfunded liability going forward. So I think those are both issues that I'm hopeful the president is going to lead with some bold proposals. And I hope the Congress can work together across party lines to do something that is meaningful to bring about serious reform. And I think it is going to require putting the politics aside.

CRAMER: All right. Senator Thune, people are living longer. This great--we've made great advances in life-saving drugs. Why can't we raise the retirement age to 66 next year and three years later raise it to 67 and solve the Social Security problem?

Mr. THUNE: Well, you know, the increase--you know, raising the retirement age is already in effect. It's coming in incrementally. It's gradually going to 67 over a period of time. And, you know, frankly, we're living longer; that's a good thing. But it does create demographic challenges for Social Security that are going to have to be dealt with. And I think that a preferable approach is the one that I'm in support of, and that is allowing younger workers to, you know, use personal retirement accounts to invest, create a bigger nest egg for the future. In fact, the Social Security Actuary has said that that sort of a program would bring the Social Security Trust Fund into solvency by the year 2029. And so I would prefer that approach.

I certainly am not in favor of raising taxes or of reducing benefits. Raising the retirement age is going from 65 to 67, but I think that's something that, politically, is awfully difficult to sell, too. But I do believe that this is an issue where both sides are going to have to say, you know, `We're going to quit hammering each other in an election year.' This is a structural problem that has to be addressed, or the next generation of Americans are not going to be able to enjoy the Social Security program that the current generation enjoys.

Thune to appear on Tavis Smiley show tonight

Senator-elect John Thune will appear on the Tavis Smiley show tonight to muse on being referred to as "The Giant Killer."

An immediate consequence of Thune's victory: passage of energy bill

The Great Falls (MT) Tribune has an editorial today headlined "Amid unknowns, federal energy bill a certainty." Excerpt:

Whatever winds up in the [energy] bill, its chances of passage were enhanced by the electoral defeat of Tom Daschle, the minority leader from South Dakota who for the past three years orchestrated much of the Senate opposition.

Senator Grassley agrees with this conclusion according to AgriNews:

Grassley said that without a doubt the defeat of Senate Minority Leader Sen. Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat was a major victory for President Bush. "So many of the president's programs involving even things connected with agriculture were buried in the Daschle graveyard in the U.S. Senate either because he held things up or because there were so many Democratic filibusters,'' Grassley said. "Daschle's defeat sends a signal to other Democrats that those tactics are not appropriate.'' Grassley said he thinks Daschle's likely successor Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, will be much less partisan. The energy bill is one issue Grassley hopes to see quick action on after it was held up for so long by Daschle.

Quote of the Day

"The sweetest victory of all was the dispatching of Tom Daschle." - Charles Krauthammer, in a column headlined "Using All of a Mandate . . ."

The Giant Killer

The picture above is in this week's edition of Newsweek, and is captioned "GIANT KILLER: Thune is the first candidate in 52 years to unseat a Senate party leader." The lead paragrap reads in part:

In South Dakota, former representative John Thune even managed to bump off Democratic Minority Leader Tom Daschle, the first Senate party chief to be ousted at the polls in 52 years. That's just one more reason the bitter divide that shaped the presidential campaign could make this Congress one of the most partisan and polarized ever.

(Via Wes Roth.)

Power Line on life "A.D." (After Daschle)

Power Line argues that Daschle's defeat sends a chilling message to liberal Democratic senators who represent red states. What's more, Power Line's argument even persuaded Harvard law professor William Stuntz to change his mind.

The post-Daschle world

Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal editorial page has an interesting piece in today's edition headlined "Life After Daschle." Excerpt:

But what of the bigger ideological battles like judges that united Democrats last time around? No one should fool themselves into thinking that even after Tuesday's blow, Democrats are wise enough to renounce the liberal heavyweights who dominate the agenda, from Hillary Clinton to Ted Kennedy. That Nevada's Harry Reid, a loyal Daschlista, is likely to be elected new leader, suggests the leadership doesn't plan to play nice.

Yet neither should anyone underestimate the psychological power Mr. Daschle's defeat will wield over middle-America Democrats. South Dakota voted Bush by 22 percentage points this week, and Mr. Daschle's demise came precisely because his opponent effectively explained to voters that it was Mr. Daschle who stymied the same president's agenda. That's something to chew on if you are the state's junior senator, Tim Johnson, or Max Baucus of Montana (59% for Bush), or Arkansas's Blanche Lincoln (54%). One of the only Democratic pickups in the Senate this time came via Ken Salazar, who was smart enough to run as a social centrist in Bush-voting Colorado (against "Coors Lite").

The pressure builds on those red-state Senators up for election in 2006. Is New Mexico's Jeff Bingaman going to vote down a Miguel Estrada nomination, with a state home to the largest proportion of Hispanics in the country? Look too for Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Bill Nelson of Florida, and Kent Conrad of North Dakota to be heeding the Ghost of Daschle's Past.

Thune on the Judiciary Committee?

The American Spectator hints that John Thune may take Sen. John Edwards' seat on the Judiciary Committee:

With Sen. John Edwards now nothing more than a thumb-thumping memory, Republicans are wondering who will take his seat on the Judiciary Committee. With Republican gains in the Senate, it is believed the GOP will have an additional seat to fill on that, and other committees.

One name that will surely pop up regularly is Sen. John Thune's. Given his success in knocking of Sen. Tom Daschle, Republicans will want to give Thune as much help as possible to reinforce the message back home that Daschle's loss in fact will be South Dakota's gain.

With the likelihood that there may soon be a vacancy on the Supreme Court, John Thune would have an impact on the entire nation almost immediately if he were to become a member of the Judiciary Committee.