South Dakota Politics

New York Post: "One more fund-raiser in these here parts and we'll get [Daschle] New York residency"

From today's edition of the New York Post:

SEN. Tom Daschle appears to have daschled his foot against a stone. The deep doodoo is because a Senate Minority Leader's job is to elect more Democrats to the Senate. However, this South Dakotan's interest this coming election is to get himself re-elected. One more fund-raiser in these here parts and we'll get him New York residency. Even were Kerry to win, no guarantee Daschle would now be safe although — were Kerry to win — Kerry might have enough problems on his hands without going after Tom Daschle. But I'm hearing that warming up in the bullpen are Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Harley Reid of Nevada.

Tom Daschle: A Strong Voice for the Entertainment Industry

Reuters has a report today headlined "High Stakes in November for Music Biz." Excerpt:

The top recipient from the entertainment industry is Democratic minority leader Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota ($417,470).

Daschle has received $613,314.00 in itemized campaign contributions from South Dakota citizens according to Political Money Line. This means he as taken about the same amount from the entertainment industry as he has from ALL OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

Photos of Daschle in the Hamptons

Below are two photographs that appeared in the August 8, 2004 edition of the New York Times, in a story headlined "The Democrats' A.T.M." The story was about a fundraiser in the Hamptons held to benefit Tom Daschle.

The first photo shows the mansion of Gail Furman, where the Hamptons fundraiser was held, as well as some of the guests at the fundraiser crowded around the patio. The caption reads:

FAR FROM SOUTH DAKOTA On a Sag Harbor lawn, Senator Tom Daschle took in more than $100,000. Senator John Corzine of New Jersey and Wesley Clark of Arkansas were also on hand.

Far, indeed, from South Dakota.

Here's a photo of Tom Daschle seated in the crowd at the Hamptons fundraiser, listening to a speech by Wesley Clark. This photo is captioned:

The Island is a piggy bank for national Democrats. Wesley Clark of Arkansas with Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, left, in Sag Harbor.

Once again, one can readily observe the two Tom Daschles: when he's on the East Coast, he's a liberal, but when in South Dakota he purports to be President Bush's biggest supporter. The Thune campaign is now emphasizing that Daschle duality by introducing a game called "Dueling Daschles" which you can play by clicking HERE.

Tomorrow's edition of Newsday has a piece on the wealth of the Hamptons going into Democratic coffers headlined "East End's wealth a magnet for Kerry."

Tom Daschle: A Strong Voice for Trial Lawyers

DVT notes, via an Overlawyered post headlined "A Lot of Trial Lawyers Supporting Tom Daschle," an August 15 article in the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger headlined "Daschle luncheon was quiet gathering." Excerpt:

Embattled Senate Minority Leader Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota was in Mississippi on Aug. 4 for a luncheon fund-raiser hosted by Democratic Party luminaries that included the state's best known trial lawyers....

Trial lawyers represent Daschle's largest group of individual contributors at $1.5 million and his second largest overall sector of givers at $1.7 million during the current cycle.

The Daschle affair was under the political radar — as with many state Democratic fund-raising events. Not even the local daily newspaper in Oxford received advance notice of the event and there was zero news coverage of the event.

One can only imagine why Daschle's Mississippi supporters would feel the need to keep his visit to the state a secret.

Senator Daschle has a habit of going to extraordinary lengths to keep the trial lawyer fund-raisers he attends as secret as possible. This past December, Daschle attended a fundraiser hosted by a trial lawyer in Jacksonville, Florida which was kept so secret that even the city's top elected Democrat, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, didn't know about it until AFTER Daschle had left with his cash. Here's the report from the December 15, 2003 Florida Times-Union of Jacksonville, headlined "Daschle ducks (in) city" (scroll about halfway down):

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle slipped into Jacksonville on Thursday for a private fund-raiser, then visited a Jacksonville Bar holiday party before popping in at the North Florida Building and Central Trades Council holiday oyster roast.

Attorney Wayne Hogan hosted a fund-raiser at the University Club for Daschle, a South Dakotan running next year. Daschle later spoke for eight to 10 minutes at the union event at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall, talking about Democrats regaining seats and the majority in the Senate, said Eddie Dedmon, council president.

But what surprised some Democrats is the visit was hush-hush, and U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown -- the city's top elected Democrat -- and aides didn't know about it until Friday. Party leaders and Hogan, who led the fund raiser, did nothing to publicly promote the visit as the party seeks to rev up for the 2004 elections.

"I am quite certain, had she known he was in town, she would have attended," said Brown's chief of staff, Ronnie Simmons. "Daschle is a national figure who would galvanize Democrats in North Florida."

Hogan said the fund-raiser was planned in advance, but the other events were spur of the moment. The Bar party was downstairs from the fund-raiser, and the union party was on the way to the airport. Local Chairman Clyde Collins and donor Steve Pajcic said they learned about it that day.

"It wasn't my show. He came for a private visit," Collins said. "We hope to have him back."

Dedmon said he got wind of the visit about 4 p.m., several hours before Daschle spoke to a crowd of 300.

"It was really an unexpected visit," he said.

Well, remember Daschle's campaign motto: "Only the paranoid survive."

I posted this story on my old blog at the time.

Daschle dodges six of seven debates in August

We are in the heart of the August congressional recess, and there have still been no debates between Senator Daschle and John Thune. As John Thune states in the Argus Leader today, he and Daschle should have met several times by now. Tomorrow morning, Daschle and Thune are scheduled to meet for a forum at Dakotafest to discuss only agricultural issues.

Thune has accepted all seven invitations to forums and debates during the month of August. Daschle has only accepted the one narrowly scoped forum to be held tomorrow. When Thune attends the other forums Daschle refuses to attend, Daschle instead sends a staffer with videocamera to record his every move.

Senator Daschle has been doing nothing but attending fundraisers in the Hamptons and Mississippi and attending rigidly choreographed campaign events in South Dakota during the congressional recess. The congressional recess will end September 7th with lots of footage of John Thune attending forums with an unoccupied stool beside him.

Will the Argus Leader skip NYT story on Daschle in the Hamptons?

DVT notes a story in the New York Times today on Senator Daschle raising cash in the Hamptons headlined "The Democrats' A.T.M." Excerpt:

ASSEMBLED for cocktails at an elegant white house on Ferry Road was something of a Hamptons A-list, featuring dozens of the well-known regulars at Long Island's most exclusive summertime gatherings. Sprinkled in with these affluent second home-owners were a number of other faces that, while familiar, were assuredly not local: the guest of honor was Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, and also on hand were his New Jersey colleague, Jon Corzine, and the former presidential candidate Wesley Clark of Arkansas.

But just because these prominent Democrats were mere visitors to Long Island didn't stop them from feeling right at home. After about an hour of cocktails and a short but memorable performance of dueling poetry by the husband-and-wife actors Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson, Mr. Daschle got up on the back patio to speak to the attendees.

"I have wonderful friends, all of you," said Mr. Daschle, who is the Senate minority leader and faces a tough race for re-election this year. "The good news is that we have all of the money we need to win this election. The bad news is there's about $1 million still in supporters' pockets that needs to come out. You all have moved us along by reaching into your pockets tonight."

Gail Furman, a child psychologist and Democratic activist who played host to the Daschle event, said the senator collected more than $100,000 that evening.

It seems Senator Daschle is a strong voice for the liberal elite of the Hamptons. Will the Argus Leader report this story?

Daschle skips Pierre debate to raise trial lawyer cash

DVT reports that Senator Daschle was in Oxford, Mississippi yesterday raising trial lawyer cash for his campaign. That's a rather unsettling reason to skip a forum with the South Dakota Association for Career and Technical Education in Pierre.

Trial lawyers, by the way, are Senator Daschle's biggest contributors. It's disappointing that Daschle prefers talking to his biggest contributors rather than to ordinary constituents in Pierre.

Daschle raising cash in the Hamptons

The New York Post has the following blurb in its "Hamptons Diary":

Last Sunday, Sens. Tom Daschle and Jon Corzine and former Dem prez hopeful Wesley Clark attended a gathering at Gail Furman's Sag Harbor home looking to raise cash for Daschle's tight South Dakota re-election contest.

UPDATE: Sibby makes the excellent point that Senator Daschle wanted to get as far away as possible from the East Coast when John Kerry accepted the nomination at the Demcratic Convention last week Thursday, but somehow found time to get to the Hamptons a little later in the week.

Astounding figures

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

John Edwards: "Tom is in the race of his life"

The White House Bulletin reports that Senator John Edwards recently sent out a fundraising e-mail on behalf of Senator Tom Daschle:

Sen. John Edwards' One America Committee today launched a fund raising campaign asking potential donors to "give as much as you can" to help Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle win a tough reelection campaign this year.

In an e-mail, Edwards wrote, "Tom is in the race of his life, and he needs your help to compete against millions from the Republican Party and third party groups that are attacking his record. Please give what you can - $50, $100 - as much as you can to help keep Tom Daschle fighting for us in the Senate. Because if Tom Daschle wins, we stand a good chance of gaining a Democratic Senate that John Kerry can work with as president."

Daschle has a habit of hob-nobbing with Hollywood elite

First he paid homage to Michael Moore by attending the Washington premiere of "Fahrenheit 9/11" last week. At noon today, according to the LA Times, Senator Tom Daschle will be attending a fundraiser lunch on his behalf in Brentwood, California, where various Hollywood luminaries will be "rallying to his side." Tom Daschle sure seems to be hob-nobbing with the Hollywood elite quite frequently of late.

According to the LAT report, Victoria Hopper, the wife of actor Dennis Hopper, will be one of the hosts. The Hoppers have a home on Venice Beach, and have held fundraisers there in the past. I wonder if the Hopper home is the venue for this Daschle fundraiser? That's awfully swank for a man who never tires of telling us he doesn't stray far from his roots.

The picture below is of Dennis and Victoria.

In the spring of 2003, Daschle was in California as a guest of the Director's Guild of America (DGA). While having an "intimate breakfast" with a throng of Hollywood elite that included Warren Beatty, Daschle discussed the problem of "runaway film production," an issue of pressing importance to South Dakota's working families.

Below is Daschle pictured with Warren Beatty.

But wait! There's more! There's also a picture of Daschle with actor Martin Sheen during a College Democrats rally in June 2002.

The question is, in the spirit of the Argus Leader assistant managing editor's promise that the AL will be "the singular source in the state for factual, unbiased news about the candidates," will there be a report in the pages of the AL on this glamorous Hollywood fundraiser? If no such report is forthcoming, the AL won't be such a "singular source" will it?

DOH: It's Martin Sheen Daschle is with, not Charlie. Sorry about that. I've made the correction. A reader also points out that Dennis Hopper claims to be a Republican and a Bush supporter. However, this link shows that Dennis Hopper is a "bundler" for John Kerry.

Daschle Demogoguery

Jeff Gannon, resident DC expert on South Dakota politics, has an informative piece published today headlined "Daschle Uses Claims of Voter Intimidation to Raise Funds."

"The James Carville Challenge"

An out-of-state reader sends along the following e-mail the reader received from the DNC on behalf of Tom Daschle this past Friday:

The Democratic National Committee is sending the following special message on behalf of Tom Daschle.

James Carville's $160,000 Challenge!

Dear [name omitted],

My momma always said to me, "Tell me who you go with, and I'll tell you who you are." Well, I want to tell you about one man I'm proud to "go with" -- and that's Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota. I want to tell you about a way you can "go with" him, too.

Here's why I'm proud to support Tom. He's a hardworking senator who gets things done for South Dakota. He's also a principled leader for our party; a decent man who works to find common ground, but has a spine of steel when push comes to shove.

And because Tom Daschle stands up against their special interest agenda and fights for what's best for America, the right wing radicals have declared Senator Tom Daschle to be "target number one."

Click here to take the James Carville Challenge!

They've labeled him the obstructionist, sent powerful people to campaign against him, and ordered their extreme groups to run negative, misleading ads in his home state. Heck, they dumped a million dollars of negative ads on the guy (and in South Dakota, a million dollars buys you a heck of a lot of negative ads) back in 2002. He wasn't even up for election in 2002! That's how badly they want to take Tom Daschle out.

After all, they know that George W. Bush and Karl Rove hand-picked Tom's opponent -- former Congressman John Thune -- because he's a rubber stamp for their right wing agenda. Dick Cheney and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist have already been to South Dakota to campaign for Thune. And they are raising millions to help his campaign.

In fact, Bill Frist has been bragging that he raised $160,000 for John Thune. So I challenge you today to help match what Bill Frist and his friends have done for John Thune by showing that a lot of Democrats standing together can do the same thing for Tom Daschle.

Click here to take the James Carville Challenge!

I've always said that Americans won't trust a party to stand for them that doesn't stand for its leader. Tom Daschle is our leader in the Senate, and here's how we're going to stand for him.

That means we need to raise $160,000 by June 30 -- a crucial fundraising deadline for Tom. Every dollar you give helps us towards this goal, so please dig deep and give what you can.

Look, it's as simple as this: We can sit back and watch the right wing take down our Senate Leader -- let them run millions of dollars of negative, misleading and vicious attacks ads against Tom and leave him defenseless. Or you can take my challenge and help our friend Tom Daschle today.

James Carville

P.S. Republican Leader Bill Frist has been bragging about the $160,000 he raised for John Thune. Let's raise the same for Tom. Help us reach our $160,000 goal today! Click here to take the James Carville Challenge!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

DNC, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003

Daschle raises more corporate money than Thune

A Roll Call story today headlined "PAC Dollars Favor Daschle" reports Tom Daschle has raised three times more money from corporations than has John Thune. Excerpt:

In a sign that incumbency sometimes trumps majority, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) raised more than three times as much money for his re-election bid from U.S. corporations as former Rep. John Thune (R), his pro-business opponent....

Among Daschle’s business backers are a number of big GOP supporters, including ExxonMobil, GlaxoSmithKline and ChevronTexaco. Even News Corp., the owner of the same Fox News shows that profit from bashing Daschle and other Democrats, sent Daschle a $2,000 check in early February.

Among other companies that gave generously to Daschle during the first three months of the year were such telecommunications companies as AT&T, BellSouth and Verizon Communications; such financial services firms as Bank of America, Lehman Brothers and American Express; and such air carriers as
American Airlines, Northwest Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

Daschle also received campaign checks from several business groups run by prominent Republicans. The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, for example, gave Daschle $1,000 even though the president of the wireless phone industry’s trade association is former Rep. Steve Largent (R-Okla.).

Daschle also received $4,000 from Major League Baseball, even though many of the league’s owners are top givers to President Bush, a one-time baseball owner....

So much for Daschle "taking on the special interests." Deeper into the story we find the following interesting fact:

[Thune campaign manager Dick] Wadhams added that Thune has done a better job of raising money from South Dakota residents than Daschle.

In the last five years, Wadhams said, Daschle has raised about $400,000 from individuals in South Dakota. During Thune’s first three months in the race, he took in $600,000 from state residents.

It's interesting to contrast the Dan Pfeiffer quote in today's Roll Call piece with a quote of his when the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced its support for John Thune in February. Here's the quote from Pfeiffer in today's Roll Call piece:

“Despite the bravado from the Republican Party, our success in the [business] community is a sign that a victory by Thune is still a very, very long shot,” Pfeiffer said. “People are very aware that at the end of the day it is very likely that Senator Daschle will be re-elected.”

Now see the following Pfeiffer quote from the February 2, 2004 edition of Roll Call headlined "Chamber Targets Daschle; Business Group Takes More Aggressive Approach in Elections":

Bill Miller, the head of the chamber's political arm, charged that Daschle has "on occasion been supportive of the business community, but for the most part, he has been more of an obstacle than an ally."

Miller said Daschle's Republican opponent, former Rep. John Thune (S.D.), is a "great friend of the business community and we will do everything we can to be supportive of him."

Dan Pfeiffer, a spokesman for Daschle, said Democrats hope to turn the chamber's endorsement of Thune against him.

"Tom Daschle has taken on special interests for years, so we are not shocked when they target him for defeat," Pfeiffer said.

(Emphasis added.) Yes, Daschle has taken on the special interests so vigorously that they give him three times more money than they give to John Thune.

UPDATE: Also note this quote from Pfeiffer during the 2002 Senate campaign, when the Chamber of Commerce announced its endorsement of John Thune:

"It should come as no surprise that big, Washington-based national groups that are well-known for lobbying for big business endorsed Congressman Thune today," said Dan Pfeiffer, campaign communication's director.

"John Thune is big business's best friend in Washington, and the fact that John Thune is so proud of this endorsement shows that he has picked the side of powerful special interests over average South Dakotans," he said.

So by Pfeiffer's own logic, Tom Daschle has picked the side of powerful special interests over average South Dakotans.

This quote appeared in an October 1, 2002 story in the Argus Leader, written by David Kranz, headlined "Chamber group gives its endorsement to Thune."

Daschle selling access to lobbyists for $25,000

The Hill has a report set to appear in tomorrow's edition headlined "Meet the leader, only $25K; Senate Dems sell lobbyists access for the maximum." Excerpt:

Senate Democrats are offering lobbyists new access to Senate Democratic leaders and lawmakers in exchange for personal contributions of $25,000, the maximum amount allowed to national party fundraising committees.

Also, as DVT has noted, Daschle will be going to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City tomorrow to receive the "Law Day 2004 Award" for his efforts to block tort reform. The award is given by the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. Trial lawyers are Tom Daschle's biggest contributors. Hopefully, the Argus Leader will inform the voters of South Dakota about this event. As DVT states, tort reform is an issue ripe for debate in South Dakota, and there is a stark contrast in views between the two candidates. The story would practically write itself.

Daschle donor only gives to those "who share his values"

Knight Ridder has a story headlined "Political donor generous with his trust, opinions and money" discussing Peter Buttenwieser, one of Tom Daschle's closest friends. Excerpt:

For a decade, [Buttenweiser] has been one of the top individual donors in America to political campaigns - ranked by some as No. 1. He gives away millions. Famously to Democratic candidates who share his values. Reliably to organizations that advance women's interests, such as Planned Parenthood and Emily's List. ...

(Emphasis added.) According to opensecrets.org, Buttenwieser has given Daschle's 2004 campaign $4000. The Knight Ridder piece then quotes Senator Tom Daschle regarding Buttenwieser's lack of cynicism:

"We've talked about that many times," says Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, one of Buttenwieser's closest friends. "His lack of cynicism, that's a gift ... . Peter remembers the victories and forgets the losses. You have to be somewhat of the eternal optimist - and he is."

Daschle calls Buttenwieser an idealist. "I believe that Peter appreciates he is making a big difference," he says. "And that's all he wants."

One wonders whether Buttenwieser will pressure Daschle to kill the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which will be debated in the Senate tomorrow. After all, the man thinks Emily's List, a radical pro-abortion PAC, is great, and so for that matter, does Tom Daschle (See this link where Daschle praises Emily's List).

Word on the street

Word on the street is that Tom Daschle will be holding a fundraiser in Rapid City this week. The fundraiser will be held on March 17 at 7:30 P.M. at the home of Rapid City lawyer Doyle Estes, at a charge of $500 per person.

Daschle blows warchest, comes up empty

Today's edition of Roll Call has a story headlined "Daschle’s Five-Year, $9.5M Spending Spree." Excerpt:

From Jan. 1, 1999, to Dec. 31, 2003, Daschle spent $4.6 million from his personal campaign account, the highest total of any of the 34 incumbents up for re-election in November.

He also disbursed roughly $4.9 million during that time period — $870,000 in 2003 — through Dedicated Americans for the Senate and House, his leadership committee. ...

Dick Wadhams, campaign manager for former House Member and current Daschle challenger John Thune (R), however, questioned whether the Senator’s spending has yielded any tangible results.

“It must be embarrassing to have spent $4.6 million even before we got into election year 2004,” said Wadhams. “The poll numbers remain remarkably the same as they have for a couple of years.”

...

Overall, Daschle spent $813,000 on direct mail and phone bank efforts from 1999 through 2003.

Daschle spent another $687,000 on consulting fees to a variety of companies including Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, the campaign pollster; Struble Eichenbaum Communications, Daschle’s media consultant; and Media Strategies, the firm that places television buys for him.

Media Strategies received $350,000 in 2003 and another $78,000 between 2002 and 2001.

Karl Struble, who has handled media strategy for Daschle since 1984, received $218,000 for production costs last year.

Recall that Karl Struble is the author of a piece that appeared in Campaigns & Elections magazine discussing how he manipulated the local media to print negative stories about the opposing candidate and then using the headlines generated as "validators" for their attack ads. It looks like it's going to happen again.

Recall also that Daschle had Greenberg Quinlan do some polling and focus groups in the state a year ago to measure how bad the damage was after his infamous comments on the eve of the Iraq war, as reported in the New York Post.

Anyway, back to today's Roll Call piece:

Details aside, the fundamental question regarding Daschle’s expenditures is whether the nearly $10 million he has spent has significantly changed his standing in the race against Thune.

Daschle spent all of this money in an attempt to bluff John Thune out of running. It didn't work. Now the Daschle campaign is reeling and casting about for a new strategy in light of the latest polling. Watch for them to go viciously negative very soon.

AL covers Daschle-Clinton fundraiser

David Kranz, the dean of South Dakota political reporters, does a reasonably fair job of reporting on the Daschle-Clinton-Mellencamp fundraiser going on tonight. There is one atrocious bit of writing or editing at the end of the article though:

Dick Wadhams, Thune's campaign manager, is intrigued by one line in the fund-raising letter on Daschle's behalf from Clinton:

"When we tried to make meaningful progress on tough issues like health care and tobacco reforms, special interests clogged the airwaves with attack ads. But no matter what battle I faced, I always knew there was one friend I could count on, Tom Daschle."

There is no doubt that the event will help Daschle's finances, said Wadhams.

"But it certainly comes with a cost. President Clinton comes with baggage with voters of South Dakota," he said.

OK. WHY is Wadhams intrigued by that passage from the Clinton letter? Kranz never explains.

As I reported last week, an out-of-state reader e-mailed me a copy of the joint fundraising letters sent out by Daschle and Clinton. You can access the Daschle letter HERE. The following is the text from the letter written by Bill Clinton regarding raising cash for Tom Daschle:

Dear Friend,
There are those who say that values like hard work, loyalty and friendship don't count for much in Washington.

They don't know my friend Senator Tom Daschle.

During my time in the White House, the Republican Congress kept my desk piled high with ill-advised legislation. When we tried to make meaningful progress on tough issues like health care and tobacco reforms, special interests cloggcd the airwaves with attack ads. But no matter what battle I faced, I always knew there was one friend I could count on -- Tom Daschle.

Today,Tom could use a few friends of his own. He's running for re-election to the Senate, and the Republican Party has labeled him as Public Enemy #1.

But before I tell you more about his campaign, I want you to know Tom the way I do --as a friend.

Our partnership started as soon as I got to Washington, when Tom was instrumental behind-the-scenes in shoring up support for my economic plan.

As you may recall, that plan passed without one single Republican vote, but it finally tamed the endless budget deficit and unleashed eight straight years of record economic growth. And if it hadn't been for Tom's work, it wouldn't have passed at all.

After the 1994 elections, when Republicans won control of Congress, the pundits were ready to give up on Democrats. They figured our fight for America's working families was a lost cause.

Not Tom. He ran for Democratic Leader in the Senate, won and quickly became one of the most effective public servants ever to hold that position.

Tom doesn't exactly fit most people's stereotype of the high-powered political leader.

Tom is as kind and quiet a person as you'll ever know. He leads by listening. He possesses an extraordinary talent for bringing people together and finding common ground.

And Tom is just as down-to-earth as can be. In fact, every August -- around the time most members of Congress are headed off to vacation -- Tom gets in his car, without staff, and drives around South Dakota to hear from his constituents.

But don't be deceived by his gentle demeanor. Tom Daschle is absolutely tough-as-nails. And the one place you do not want to be is between Tom and the working families he's fighting for.

As Democratic Leader, Tom has single-handedly blocked some of the most extreme proposals of the Bush Administration.

He single-handedly led Democratic efforts to keep right-wing ideologues off the federal bench. He forced Republicans to scale back the White House's reckless tax cuts. He maneuvered campaign-finance reform through the Senate.

Tom is leading the Democratic fight to preserve the economic progress we made during my Administration. But with new tax cuts and enormous spending packages coming out of the White House every day, he very much has his work cut out for him.

And the toughest battles may be yet to come.

The White House and the Republican majority in Congress are only one or two Supreme Court justices away from being allowed to end a woman's right to choose. With the nation's attention diverted by the crises we face overseas, they are quietly rolling back environmental protections at home.

Meanwhile, on issue after issue -- from education to health care to our senior citizens' needs -- the Bush Administration has refused to back up its rhetoric with real policies.
And they know their most formidable opponent is Tom Daschle.

President Bush has made it very clear that he considers Tom to be the foremost obstacle to his agenda. And as you have probably noticed, this is not a White House that deals kindly with those who refuse to get with its program.

The White House has already sent chattering heads all over Washington to call Tom an "obstructionist" --just for having the audacity to raise his voice in objection to this
Administration.

The Republican Party has declared that defeating Tom for re-election next year is one of their very top priorities. Right-wing groups masquerading under names like the "Club for Growth" plan to run attack ads against him.

And from HMOs to polluters, there are some very powerful interests gunning for Tom.

Just how far will they go? Last year, one group ran ads in South Dakota comparing Tom to Saddam Hussein.

His offense? He dared to oppose the Administration's plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Tom will have a very serious battle on his hands in this campaign. Here's why.

First of all, television ads in South Dakota are very inexpensive -- which means the Republicans' special interest millions can buy a lot of attack ads. It's likely that South Dakota's airwaves could be saturated with attacks against Tom for a full year.

Second, the state has been trending Republican in recent years. In fact, in the last Senate race, Democratic Senator Tim Johnson was barely re-elected-- winning by just 524 votes against Congressman John Thune. Now Thune is challenging Tom and this will likely be
the biggest Senate race in the country.

Here's the good news: Tom is a proven vote-getter. He has a broad base of support. And if friends like you and me get in his comer, he will win.

That's why I'm asking you to make a generous contribution -- $25, $50, $100, $500 or even $1,000 if you can -- to Tom's re-election campaign. Please respond today. You can make a real difference for a truly decent man who's made an extraordinary difference for America's families.

Sincerely,
Bill Clinton

P.S. The Republican Party would relish nothing more than defeating Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle for re-election -- and they are more than willing to pull out the big guns. .. and the big bucks. .. to put this notch in their belts. In order to fight back, Tom must be able to count on the support of committed Democrats like you.

Daschle and Mellencamp

As most SDP readers are aware, Bill Clinton and singer John Mellencamp are headlining a fundraiser for Tom Daschle next Monday, which is expected to raise $2 million for his re-election campaign here in South Dakota.

I wonder how Tom Daschle feels about John Mellencamp's Bush-bashing "protest" song "To Washington," particularly in light of the fact that Daschle boasts about voting with Bush 75 percent of the time? To read more of Mellencamp's Bush-bashing, see his piece published last fall headlined "An Open Letter to America: It's Time to Take Back Our Country." Conversely, I wonder how willing John Mellencamp would be to headline a fundraiser for Tom Daschle if he knew that Tom Daschle boasts about supporting President Bush 75 percent of the time? John Mellencamp is certainly entitled to bash President Bush. But people in South Dakota who voted for President Bush by a margin of 60% in 2000 deserve to know that Tom Daschle is trying to have it both ways, cavorting with Bush-bashers when he's in Washington, D.C. while simultaneously boasting about supporting President Bush when he's at home.

Daschle's latest fundraising letter

I've just received word from an out-of-state reader who has received a fundraising letter from Tom Daschle. The letter was paired with a letter from Bill Clinton soliciting donations for Tom Daschle. The letter from Tom Daschle reads as follows.

Dear Friend,
As I was preparing to send you the enclosed letter, my campaign received word that former Congressman John Thune -- the hand-picked candidate of the Bush White House -- has chosen to run against me.
This news officially confirms that my race will be one of the most competitive, closely contested campaigns in the nation in 2004.

You may recall that Thune fought Senator Tim Johnson to a near-tie in 2002-losing by fewer than 600 votes in the entire state. Now, he'll enjoy the considerable advantage of President Bush -- who remains popular in South Dakota -- appearing at the top of the ballot.

Thune will receive the lavish support of the national Republican Party. In fact, a first cousin of White House political guru Karl Rove has already been dispatched to South Dakota to help run the Thune campaign.

Thune's announcement doesn't change my strategy. I'm proud of what we've accomplished for our state, and I'm going to run a positive, upbeat campaign on that basis. But we must also be realistic. The White House views me as the chief impediment to President Bush's reckless agenda, and they will stop at nothing to defeat me this November.

That's why it's more urgent than ever that I have your generous support. Please fill out the enclosed card and make a generous contribution to my campaign right away. We can prevail this November -- but I'm going to need all the support I can get.

Tom Daschle

P.S. Defeating me this November is one of the White House's top priorities, and now they've got their hand-picked candidate in place to do it. Please help me ensure I have the resources to defeat this very serious challenge.

The enclosed card reads:

Dear President Clinton, I AGREE! As the Republican's number one target and foremost "obstacle" in the U.S.
Senate, Tom Daschle faces a serious re-election battle this year. I join you in supporting this decent and honorable man who has accomplished so much for America and its working families.
Enclosed is my contribution to help re-elect Tom Daschle to the U.S. Senate:

It's interesting how Tom Daschle claims President Bush's agenda is "reckless" and then boasts about voting with President Bush 75 percent of the time.

Daschle, Clinton...and John Mellencamp?

The Wall Street Journal reports the following today:

Bill Clinton and singer John Mellencamp will headline a Feb. 9 fund-raising bash expected to raise $2 million for Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, who faces a tough battle against Bush favorite John Thune for his South Dakota seat. The party's Senate campaign committee aims to pad its paltry $2.5 million in cash on hand by using "viral" e-mail solicitations, i.e. messages that they hope recipients will pass on. One donor list that started with 12,000 names has expanded to 95,000, thanks to recipients forwarding it on.

Will the Argus Leader report on this? If they don't, it will be an outrage.

UPDATE: www.opensecrets.org's chart of top industries supporting Tom Daschle contains the following note on how to read the chart:

From this chart, you can get a flavor of which are the top industries giving to this member of Congress. Do the industries match your local economy, or are they more Washington-based? If the latter, your representative may have divided loyalties on issues where the interests of their cash constituents conflict with those of the voters who elected them.

In looking at the top 20 industries supporting Tom Daschle, only two or three arguably match the local economy here in South Dakota. It is clear that Daschle has divided loyalties on issues where the interests of his cash constituents conflict with those of the voters who elected him.

Daschle meets Clinton

This picture from today's New York Times (click on it to enlarge for a better glimpse of Tom Daschle's gauche apparel) appears under the headline "Senate Democrats Summon Clinton as Political Adviser." The most interesting information from the piece is that Clinton is having a fundraiser for Daschle next month:

Mr. Daschle, who is in a re-election fight of his own, has a major fund-raising dinner with Mr. Clinton next month[.]

Will the Argus Leader report?