South Dakota Politics

Sabato: Dems "scared to death that Daschle will lose"

The Cavalier Daily, a University of Virginia newspaper (UVA is where political expert Larry Sabato is ensconced), has an interesting quote regarding the Daschle v. Thune race in a story headlined "Sabato's crystal ball predicts tight race":

The South Dakota race, where Minority Leader Tom Daschle is tied with Republican challenger John Thune going into the final week, especially worries Democrats Sabato said he has spoken with.

"Every one of them told me they're scared to death that Daschle will lose," he said.

It's becoming clearer everyday why Daschle has reneged on his third party ban, which he was making a HUGE deal about only last month. It says something about the character of a man who is willing to renege on a major campaign issue in a desperate attempt to retain his grip on power.

(Good catch, Jeff.)

Bill Kristol predicts a Thune win

The Weekly Standard's staff is out with their election predictions. Executive editor Bill Kristol, David Tell, and Duncan Currie predict that Thune will defeat Daschle.

Talon News profiles Senate race

Jeff Gannon, resident DC expert on South Dakota politics, has a report today headlined "Democrats Panic as Daschle Falls Behind in Polls."

Rapid City Journal endorses Thune

The Rapid City Journal unabashedly endorses John Thune today: "John Thune for Senate." Excerpt:

Those footsteps Sen. Tom Daschle is hearing are from his own record catching up with him....

Credit Thune for bringing Daschle's Washington record to the attention of South Dakota voters. It is Daschle's role as minority leader to block Republicans at every avenue - legislation, spending plans and appointments. How can anyone vote for both President Bush and Sen. Daschle when their priorities are in stark opposition?

Daschle claims he can do more for South Dakota as minority leader and points to all the federal spending he brings home. But home-state projects are funded for all senators, including first-timers. We wouldn't be $7.4 trillion in debt if only party leaders could bring home the pork.

Finally, we don't believe that Sen. Daschle can use his minority leader position to fix the nonpartisan base closure commission. Ellsworth Air Force Base will remain open or will close based on national defense needs and regardless of who is senator.

Daschle puts his own party ahead of what's best for South Dakota and the nation. That's not what we expect from a senator.

"The Other Side of Tom Daschle" by Talmage Ekanger

DVT notes a report in the Wall Street Journal's "Political Diary" about the book written by South Dakota lawyer Talmage Ekanger entitled "The Other Side of Tom Daschle." You can access the contents of the entire book for free in PDF format by clicking HERE.

Also, Talmage will be at the Sioux Falls Barnes and Noble on Saturday to sign copies of his book.

That Zogby poll

The Zogby poll reported in today's edition of the Rapid City Journal shows both Thune and Diedrich ahead. In fact, the poll showed such a huge lead for both Thune and Diedrich that Zogby went back and readjusted the numbers:

Zogby's initial report, for example, showed Thune leading Daschle by 49.6 percent to 43.9 percent, a result Pfeiffer called "absurd," adding, "No sane person in America believes this is a six-point race."

Diedrich led Herseth 48.8 percent to 44.5 percent in those first results, and Zogby said that gave even him pause.

I don't trust Zogby polls, so the most important information that can be gleaned here is the obvious: Both races are going to come down to who has the best GOTV effort.

Daschle lies about Thune's lobbying

Minnesota Public Radio has a profile of the South Dakota Senate race today headlined "Outside money sets tone of the U.S. Senate race in South Dakota." The story contains the following quote from Senator Daschle:

"The fact is, John's made about a half a million dollars a year lobbying for pharmaceutical companies and others."

That is an outrageous lie, and Tom Daschle knows it's a lie. Thune has NEVER lobbied for the pharmaceutical industry.

Meanwhile, the New York Times has a report on the Senate race that muddles the chronology of how the lobbying brouhaha erupted. Last Wednesday, Daschle released an ad implying Thune lobbied for big drug companies. On Saturday, Thune responded with a print ad in the Argus Leader by pointing out that Senator Daschle is the only candidate in this race who has personally profited from big drug companies (Daschle's wife has lobbied for Schering Plough). In response, Daschle started running a TV ad questioning Thune's character. What is so strange about this race is that it's Daschle who has run the first TV ad on abortion, and it's Daschle who has run the first TV ad on lobbying. A year ago, no one would have believed that would be the case.

UPDATE: DVT has more on this issue.

More on Daschle's Ellsworth exaggerations

A good friend from West River sends along the following summary of Daschle overstating his clout regarding Ellsworth Air Force Base:

Daschle claims his nominee to the BRAC Commission saved Ellsworth.
“As Senate minority leader, I had the power in the 1990s to keep Ellsworth off the base closure list by appointing Al Cornella to the panel that oversees base closures. In 2005, the Pentagon will again decide what bases will close, which is why it is imperative that we have the power to send a voice to that panel that will be a rock-solid supporter of Ellsworth.” (Tom Daschle, Rapid City Journal, 4/24/04)

BUT, Daschle’s BRAC nominee said he would recuse himself from Ellsworth dealings.
“Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle’s pick for the commission was the leader of a drive to save Ellsworth Air Force base in South Dakota, Daschle’s home state. Al Cornella, who owns a commercial refrigeration business, promised the Senate panel he would stay out of any deliberations dealing with that base.” (Associated Press, 2/16/95)

Daschle now claims he isn’t aware that his BRAC nominee must recuse himself.
“If Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., gets to name a member of the commission that decides the next round of military base closures, that person would not have to take himself out of discussions about Ellsworth Air Force Base, Daschle said Tuesday. ‘I don't know of any recusal requirements whatsoever,’ Daschle said at a news conference.” (Rapid City Journal 10/27/04)

BUT, Daschle’s staff admitted his BRAC nominee was likely to stay out of deliberations.
“An aide to Daschle said Cornella would probably stay out of deliberations dealing with Ellsworth.” (Associated Press, 1/6/95)

Daschle claims his Oval Office meeting saved Ellsworth.
“Helene you have heard me talk a lot about how important it is for South Dakota to be at the front of the line. I don’t think there is a more important example of that than Ellsworth. I was able to demonstrate how important it is to be at the front of the line as the leader of, one of the two Senate leaders when I was actually in the Oval Office and asked President Clinton to take Ellsworth off the base closing list. He did. He did because I’m leader. He wouldn’t have done that if I had been a freshman Senator.” (Tom Daschle, KSFY Debate, 10/18/04)

BUT, the facts show that Ellsworth wasn’t taken off the BRAC list until months later.
“[The Oval Office] meeting occurred in ‘mid- to late December 1994,’ shortly after Daschle had been elected minority leader by his fellow Senate Democrats.” (Rapid City Journal 10/27/04)

“The New York Times reported on Feb. 24, 1995, that Ellsworth was on a draft list less than a week away from public release by Defense Secretary William Perry. The New York Times Pentagon reporter who wrote that story told the Rapid City Journal in 1995 that an Air Force official called him between editions, and Ellsworth was removed from the list in later Times editions published that same day.” (Rapid City Journal 10/27/04)

Once again, it becomes glaringly obvious that you can't listen to what Daschle says, you have to look at the record. And when Daschle talks about his clout, he's prone to exaggeration, to the point that he even takes credit for the sunrise.

NRA rally to support Thune this Saturday

Sibby informs readers that the NRA will be holding a rally in Sioux Falls this Saturday on behalf of Thune. The NRA rally will be held at the Sioux Falls Convention Center at 7:00PM.

The NRA gives Daschle on "F" on supporting the constitutional right to bear arms. That hasn't stopped Daschle from telling South Dakotans he's a "strong proponent" of Second Amendment rights. Don't listen to what Daschle says, just look at the record:

New Rasmussen poll: Thune 49%, Daschle 46%

The latest Rasmussen tracking poll, conducted yesterday, shows Thune leading Daschle 49% to 46%.

UPDATE: Perhaps this poll explains why Daschle has just broken his pledge that no third party ads would air on his behalf. The DSCC has just purchased $600,000 in ads for Daschle. More later.

Lobbying becomes an issue in Senate campaign

The Argus Leader has a story today headlined "Group: Wife of candidate not fair game." The story quotes a Daschle surrogate presuming to tell us that the time to debate conflicts of interest and the ethics involved in lobbying is not during a political campaign:

Barker acknowledged that issues on lobbying are not fully resolved.

"It is a discussion," she said. "You can discuss conflicts of interest and the ethics involved but not the last two weeks of a hotly contested Senate campaign."

It's interesting to note that many observers simply assume that South Dakotans will have an opportunity to decide whether they have a problem with the fact that Linda Daschle's work as a lobbyist means corporations can legally put money into Tom Daschle's bank account. Clearly, if Daschle were to have his way, South Dakotans wouldn't know about it in the first place.

According to the Argus Leader story today, Daschle supporters say Republicans have long made a public issue of Linda Daschle's lobbying. In fact, the reverse is true. The Washington Monthly, hardly an arm of the Republican Party, published a devastating article on Linda Daschle's lobbying in January of 2002 headlined "Tom Daschle's Hillary Problem" noting that "[t]he landmines in Linda Daschle's professional portfolio will make Hillary Clinton's pork futures and law-firm billings look like mousetraps." Doug Ireland, a writer for The Nation, obviously about as far from being a Republican operative as it's possible to be, wrote a piece in January of 2003 for LA Weekly headlined "I'm Linda, Fly Me." Clearly, scrutiny of the Daschles' gravy train has not been voiced solely by Republicans.

WSJ's Kimberly Strassel and Paul Gigot discuss SD Senate race

The Wall Street Journal's Kimberly Strassel and Paul Gigot discussed the Daschle v. Thune race this weekend on PBS. The segment is entitled "Country Tom and City Tom." Excerpt:

STRASSEL: ...[Daschle's] problem is that his own obstructionism in Washington has hurt his ability to bring home a lot of programs to South Dakota.

GIGOT: Why?

STRASSEL: Well, a good example is ethanol. You know, South Dakota's a state, they've got lots of corn farming.

GIGOT: Corn, corn, corn.

STRASSEL: Corn, corn, corn. Ethanol producers. And Tom Daschle, when he was briefly majority leader two years ago, said I'm going to bring you home the ethanol mandate of all time, just as if we were rolling in ethanol money. But he didn't get it passed before the Republicans took over again. So then he found himself between a rock and South Dakota, and he was supposed to obstruct the Republicans putting through their own energy bill, while at the same time get his ethanol mandate passed. He couldn't do both. In the end, his own democratic party filibustered the energy bill, and he hasn't been able to bring home an ethanol mandate. That's not been good for him in the House.

GIGOT: So the fact that there's been very little, kind of relatively little done in the Congress actually hurts his ability to bring home the bacon in South Dakota.

STRASSEL: Sure.

(Emphasis added.) You can watch the video of the segment by clicking HERE and scrolling down. Kimberly Strassel also wrote a piece for the Wall Steet Journal's editorial page a few weeks ago headlined "All About Tom."

NYT reports on the Daschle residency kerfuffle

The New York Times has just published a report by Sheryl Gay Stolberg headlined "For Daschle, a Fire Over His Home Keeps Burning":

Republican opponents of Senator Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader, who is in a tough re-election race in his home state of South Dakota, have spent months jabbing at him for the $2 million house he owns on Foxhall Road, in one of Washington's toniest neighborhoods. Last week, though, they really began turning up the heat.

Mr. Daschle's opponent, former Representative John Thune, rapped Mr. Daschle for taking a $288 "homestead deduction" tax break in the District of Columbia by signing paperwork stating that his Washington home was his principal residence. Mr. Daschle, who owns the house in Aberdeen, S.D., in which his mother lives, rejected the charge, saying the tax paperwork had since been changed to reflect the signature of his wife, Linda, a lobbyist [more accurately, changed after a pesky reporter started asking questions about it-ed].

Then Mr. Thune began airing a television ad, entitled "In His Own Words," that features a brief clip of Mr. Daschle declaring, "I'm a D.C. resident." It turns out that Mr. Daschle was quoted talking to reporters during one of his regular Capitol press conferences, on June 6, 2001. That was just after Senator Jim Jeffords had left the Republican Party to become an independent and caucus with the Democrats, a move that put Democrats in control of the Senate and made Mr. Daschle majority leader until the 2002 midterm elections.

Mr. Daschle, undoubtedly in good spirits at the time, was asked what the new Democrat-run Senate would mean for residents of the District of Columbia. His questioner, according to the Daschle campaign, was Mark Plotkin, a local news commentator whose interests tend to such matters as whether Washingtonians will ever get representation in Congress, and whether the city will ever have home rule.

"What would the residents - how should they feel about that?" Mr. Plotkin asked, according to a transcript.

"Well," Mr. Daschle replied, "I would hope they'd feel good. I'm a D.C. resident."

The transcript suggests the remark was made in jest: The senator's reply is followed by a one-word notation: "(LAUGHTER)"

Thune in the lead: 49% to 45%

DVT reports the results of the latest McLaughlin poll. It shows Thune with 49% and Daschle with 45%.

NYT profiles SD Senate race

The New York Times has an article in tomorrow's edition headlined "Chasing a Coveted Democratic Prize Across the Plains." Excerpt:

This is the other big race of 2004. While Americans are focused on the campaign for the presidency, the second most important political contest is playing out in the rural towns and sparsely populated cities of South Dakota, a heavily Republican state where Mr. Daschle, the Democratic leader, is fighting for survival in a race that could well determine the balance of power in the Senate.

Daschle: "I'm a DC resident"

You can now view an internet stream of Thune's ad entitled "In His Own Words" which shows video footage of Daschle saying, among other things, "I'm a DC resident." To see the ad, click HERE.

UPDATE: To better understand the brouhaha over Daschle's residency status, which has been dubbed "Mansiongate" click HERE.

Below is a picture of Daschle's French colonial mansion in one of Washington, DC's most exclusive neighborhoods, the epicenter of Mansiongate:

Former South Dakota GOP workers charged with misdemeanor

The Argus Leader has a report today headlined "6 former workers for GOP charged." These workers were charged with a misdemeanor (a crime less serious than a felony), but that rather salient fact isn't even in the lead paragraph of the story. One has to read much further to find that the crime these people committed "carries a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $200 fine." Such a crime pales in comparison to a crime like forging signatures on registration applications. 277 South Dakotans swore under oath in 2002 that their signature had been forged on registration applications. Forgery is a felony with a maximum punishment of 5 years in prison and a $5000 fine. While there was no conviction in 2002, even the Argus Leader editorial board thought it was fishy that despite several people swearing under oath that their signatures on voter registration applications were forged, the state's handwriting "expert" determined their signatures were NOT forged. For more on what happened in 2002, be sure to read the chapter on the 2002 election in South Dakota in John Fund's new book "Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy." You can read a pdf copy of the South Dakota chapter by clicking HERE.

NRO on a roll today

The National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez has a piece on NRO today headlined "A Kerry-League Play; Tom Daschle tries to have it both ways on abortion and marriage." Excerpt:

Tom Daschle's strategy seems to be to lie and hope for the best. John Kerry, likewise, is expected to give his personal summa nonsensical theologica this weekend, explaining in a speech how one can be an apple and an orange at the same time — Catholic and have a perfect abortion-advocacy voting record in the Senate. Good luck, guys. Meanwhile, bloggers and groups such as the Ave Maria List are going to be pounding at dishonesty right on through to Election Day. The Ave Maria List has set up a detailed website with all the 411, where South Dakotans can see primary documents and videos for themselves. Unfortunately for Tom Daschle and John Kerry — and fortunately for voters — there's a whole world wide web out there and their records are all over it.

NRO on the matter of Daschle's DC "Homestead Deduction"

The National Review's Meghan Clyne has an excellent piece today headlined "Home Is Where the Tax Break Is; Tom Daschle declared D.C. his primary residence." Excerpt:

Whether there is, in fact, "something more" to the Daschle story ought to be the target of legal inquiry, says New York attorney Mark Smith. "Where there's smoke, there's fire," he explains. "If Tom Daschle represented under the penalty of perjury that he was a resident of the District of Columbia when in fact he was not, that could be a basis for civil and possibly even criminal penalties.... When you sign a document concerning your tax status that you know is false, then you have a problem. You're not supposed to lie to the government."

Smith adds that, while it's unclear what the outcome of a legal inquiry into Mansiongate would be, "if there's a dispute or a controversy as to whether he's a resident of South Dakota, someone needs to look into it." Although Daschle may claim he is a South Dakotan publicly, Smith argues, the tax records are statements of fact — and fact-finders should be dispatched to determine definitively where Daschle "domiciles" (and whether he has committed any kind of fraud). "This is clearly a legitimate question that people ought to be asking, and it would be nice to have an answer before the election."

Read the whole thing.

Wall Street Journal editorial board to discuss SD Senate race

The Wall Street Journal's editorial board will be discussing the South Dakota Senate race on the local PBS affiliate this Sunday, October 24, at 4PM. It will also air on October 31 at 4PM. The Wall Street Journal's editorial board is acutely aware of the Daschle boosterism of the Argus Leader (Kranz's shilling for Dems in the guise of "journalist", Beck's bullying, Lalley's "evil Republicans" remark, and the 66 stories about Daschle skipped by the Argus Leader). It should be interesting to watch.

Aberdeen American News reports on Mansiongate

The Aberdeen American News has a report on the escalating brouhaha over Senator Daschle signing a legal document declaring Washington, DC to be his "principal place of residence" headlined "Daschle's state of residency questioned." The article notes that Linda Daschle "has been registered to vote in the state since the 1970s, although she's never lived in the state."

Daschle: "I'm a DC resident"

There's a new ad running on TV that shows footage of Senator Daschle telling an interviewer "I'm a DC resident" and giving an affirmative nod. This adds to the present brouhaha here in South Dakota over the revelation that Senator Daschle has signed a document under penalty of perjury stating DC is his "principal place of residence."

AP reports on Daschle's DC "Homestead Deduction"

[Note: Important update appended.]

The AP has a report headlined "Daschle takes advantage of chance to vote absentee." Excerpt:

Dick Wadhams, Thune's campaign manager, said Thune had not yet decided whether to vote on Election Day or by absentee.

But Wadhams said Thune took issue with Daschle voting in Aberdeen after receiving a special tax break that required him to declare Washington, D.C., as his main residence.

"It is terribly ironic that Sen. Daschle would vote by absentee in South Dakota when he has declared his 'principal place of residence' as Washington, D.C.," Thune said Wednesday in a prepared statement.

Daschle said Thune's charge was inaccurate because all taxpayers in Washington, D.C., get the same treatment on their property taxes.

"My home is 1615 South First Street, Aberdeen, South Dakota, and I'm very proud of it," Daschle said.

It's amazing how Daschle's story keeps changing on this matter. First, the Daschle camp said the reason he received the DC "Homestead Deduction" is because his wife Linda qualified for it. When it became known that Tom Daschle himself had signed the application for the Homestead Deduction, not Linda, the Daschle camp changed their story and said "the house" qualified for the tax break, rather than any person. Today, Daschle says "all Washington, DC taxpayers" get the same treatment on their property taxes. No, only Washington, DC taxpayers who make the conscious action of applying for the Homestead Deduction by stating under penalty of perjury that DC is their "principal place of residence" get the same treatment on their property taxes. Moreover, in the Roll Call report on this matter last year, headlined "Daschle Hit On Tax Break; Wife Claims ‘Homestead’ Exemption", a DC government official was quoted as saying “Ninety-eight percent of the time it would be impossible for [a Member of Congress] to qualify" for the Homestead Deduction. The story goes on to say that Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina no longer qualified for the deduction when the Homestead Deduction statute was changed to require DC to be the applicant's domicile.

What's really curious about this whole matter is the fact that Senator Daschle's cronies in the DC government actually changed his Homestead Deduction status from "currently receiving the Homestead Deduction" to "not receiving the Homestead Deduction" when a FOIA request was made for a copy of Senator Daschle's application for the Homestead Deduction. You'd think this kind of activity is exactly the kind of activity a newspaper like the Argus Leader, with an editor who constantly prattles on about being a "watchdog" of the government, would be interested in pursuing. But if you thought that, you'd be wrong.

UPDATE: Note too, that Daschle says it's "inaccurate" that he has declared DC to be his principal place of residence. Except that it is accurate. As John Thune would say, don't listen to what Daschle says, just look at the record. Daschle has signed a document stating DC is his principal place of residence, and that document is readily available for scrutiny. All you have to do to get it is make a FOIA request to the DC government.

Debate roundup

The Argus Leader has a story headlined "Abortion at core of debate" that accompanies the photo above.

The AP has a story appearing in the Rapid City Journal headlined "Clout, religion debated."

Elsewhere in the Rapid City Journal is a story by Denise Ross headlined "Thune's record on Indians at issue in debates."

KSFY, the host of last night's debate, has an article headlined "Candidates Meet for Final Debate."

UPDATE: Ryne McClaren also has a good roundup of last night's debate.

Daschle: "There are times you vote for and against things"

Last night's debate was witness to Tom Daschle's "I voted for it before I voted against it" moment. When the issue of Tom Daschle's conflicting votes on partial-birth abortion came up, Daschle actually said "there are times when you vote for and against things." Amazing. Daschle seemed to actually be saying he was both for and against the partial-birth abortion ban.

Throughout the six debates between Thune and Daschle this year, one thing stands out. Daschle is overconfident. He can't quite believe that he might actually lose this thing. He's been noticeably less prepared than Thune in every debate, and Thune has scored many more points than Daschle has throughout the debates. Even the liberal Manchester (UK) Guardian has conceded that Thune has been "a nimble and aggressive debater, arguably stronger than the soft-spoken senator." Perhaps much of the reason Thune has scored more points than Daschle is because Daschle's record is incredibly target rich, while Thune's record is not so target rich. I've been told by those in the know that Daschle has continually showed up late to the debates, and when they're over, can't duck out of there fast enough.

The best moment in the Senate debate last night was Thune's response to Daschle's assertion that his test for every bill is whether it's good for South Dakota. Thune responded by pointing to a story in the November 26, 1991 edition of the Washington Post quoting Daschle as saying the following:

"I dare say the first thing that comes to my mind in a vote is: Can it [the issue] pass the 30-second test, how successful will my opponent be in applying it to a 30-second ad? It's a screen that comes up whenever there is a vote," said Sen. Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.).

It was devastating. All Daschle could do was say he couldn't believe Thune would say that. That's a microcosm of the Daschle psychology: he can't believe someone would actually scrutinize the things he's said and done in the past, much less bring them up in a campaign.

Finally, for this last debate, it seems Daschle's opposition research people finally did their homework. Daschle got a good whack in tonight by pulling out a letter Thune had written to Daschle asking him to pass country of origin labeling (COOL) after Thune had been unable to get the provision in the House.

Still, there were many instances where Thune pointed out Daschle's record on a host of issues that Daschle simply did not respond to, not even bothering to mutter his trademark "that's not true, John, and you know it's not true." When Thune brought up the fact of Daschle's mass fundraising e-mail on behalf of NARAL, during which Thune said Daschle was a "poster-boy for NARAL," Daschle just let it go.

DVT has much more under a post headlined "Somebody Stop the Fight!", and thinks Daschle took a pounding in this debate.

Tonight's debate to be broadcast on C-Span

The last Senate debate in South Dakota will be held tonight. It will be broadcast live on C-Span at 8:00PM Eastern time. You can view last night's debate, which included the reunion of Senator Daschle and David Kranz, by clicking HERE.

Last debate tomorrow night

The last debate in the Senate campaign is tomorrow night, sponsored by KSFY and KOTA. You can submit proposed questions for the debate by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or by clicking HERE.

KELO debate tonight may be streamed on Internet

I'm not completely certain, but you may be able to watch a live internet stream of tonight's Daschle v. Thune debate at keloland.com. It should be starting momentarily. It will be heartwarming to see the Kranz-Daschle reunion live.

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."

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."

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.

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.

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.

Sen. Grassley: "Daschle puts politics and party ambitions in first place"

In 2002, Senator Tim Johnson was in a tough race against John Thune and used a quote from Senator Chuck Grassley in one of his television ads. The ad was effective because it seemed to show Tim Johnson was a centrist coalition builder. One thing Johnson's ad certainly did was show that Chuck Grassley calls things the way he sees them. With that in mind, take a look at what Grassley has to say about Senator Daschle in today's edition of the Des Moines Register, in a story headlined "Iowans dig into wallets for hot race in S. Dakota":

Grassley, however, said Daschle's leadership position in the Senate has become a "curse instead of a blessing."

"Daschle puts politics and party ambitions in first place. And by doing that, he is sacrificing the interests of farmers and rural America," Grassley said.

(Emphasis added.) One example of Daschle putting party ambitions first and sacrificing the interests of farmers can be found in a harsh, uncompromising letter Senator Daschle sent to the Wall Street Journal last year. The contents of Daschle's letter follow:

In your Sept. 25 editorial, 'Daschle's Ethanol Dilemma,' on the energy bill now pending in Congress you state that 'Alaskan drilling already has majority support in the Senate.' Yet the proposal to drill for oil in the Alaska wildlife refuge received only 48 votes when the Senate last voted on the question in March of this year, and drilling proponents mustered even fewer votes on other recent occasions. You also suggest that I would abandon my opposition to drilling in the wildlife refuge in order to advance the energy bill's ethanol provision, which is supported by more than two-thirds of the Senate and President Bush. I never will make that trade, and I am confident that the ethanol provision will become law this Congress, either in the energy bill or on its own merit.

(Emphasis added.) Of course, the energy bill, with its provisions for ethanol, and without a provision for ANWR drilling, failed because Senator Daschle couldn't get two more votes to defeat a Democratic led filibuster. Daschle himself said on the Senate floor that he only "reluctantly" supported the bill and that he "understood" the choice of those who were mounting the filibuster and respected them for it.

Daschle's reluctance to support the bill, coupled with his refusal to actively work for the bill's passage, outraged Senator Grassley:

“If a Democrat leader can deliver 46 out of 49 votes to keep the president’s good judges from being approved,” Grassley said, “he surely ought to be able to deliver 15 out of 49 votes for the energy bill when it’s so important to South Dakota.”

Aside from Grassley, Lisa Richardson, one of the most influential lobbyists in South Dakota, said the following about the failure of the energy bill, according to Congressional Quarterly Weekly:

Those affiliated with the state's burgeoning ethanol industry may also take their anger out on Daschle if an energy bill is not enacted this year, said Lisa Richardson, executive director of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association.

In sum, this is what Grassley is talking about when he says Daschle "puts politics and party ambitions in first place. And by doing that, he is sacrificing the interests of farmers and rural America."

UPDATE: You can find out more details HERE.

DVT: "Tom Daschle's Identity Politics"

I was remiss in not pointing readers to DVT's excellent piece in NRO yesterday headlined "Tom Daschle's Identity Politics." Read the whole thing.

More on the Rasmussen poll

Rasmussen Reports offers a link to the latest poll numbers on the Senate race in South Dakota. DVT also has a breakdown of the poll.

Latest poll: Thune leads Daschle 50%-46%

DVT relays the latest poll numbers from Rasmussen Reports:

South Dakota, Survey of 500 Likely Voters, Conducted September 27, 2004:

Thune 50% Daschle 46%
Daschle: Favorable 52%, Unfavorable 46%
Thune: Favorable 58%, Unfavorable 37%

New Zogby poll: Daschle leads 48%-46%

The Rapid City Journal reports the results of a poll they co-sponsored with the Mitchell Daily Republic and the Watertown Public Opinion in a story headlined "Senate race near dead heat." The poll was conducted this week by Zogby and shows Daschle leading 48%-46%.

Interestingly, the RCJ's blog points out that the poll mistakenly included Libertarian Bob Newland on the ballot. Newland dropped out of the race long ago, but he still managed to garner just under 1%.

You can glance at all of the polls conducted in South Dakota in 2004 by clicking on the "All South Dakota 2004 Polls" link to the right, courtesy of the indispensable RealClear Politics.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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