Democrat Daschle Says Farewell to Congress (GOP Ducks Farewell Speech)

[Khephra]

snip...........

Scores of staffers cheered as Daschle looked at them in the gallery and raised his hands in appreciation of their efforts.


Just two of the Senate's 51 Republicans were in their chamber seats from the start of the speech, given as Congress neared finishing its work for the year. They were Lamar Alexander (news - web sites) of Tennessee and Peter Fitzgerald of Illinois.


In addition, Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, walked into the chamber halfway through the remarks, and Sen. Don Nickles (news, bio, voting record), an Oklahoma Republican, entered near the end.


Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who broke the chamber's tradition by going to Daschle's home state to campaign against him, stepped in after he finished speaking.


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&ncid=584&e=1&u=/nm/20041120/pl_nm/congress_daschle_dc

Gee, aren't you glad you tried to treat the other side with respect, Tom? They couldn't even be bothered to show up to say goodbye, even if it was to gloat.

Ain't bipartisanship grand, Tom?

[still_one]

1. very well said

[genius]

21. Daschle got what he deserved

[LibDemAlways]

2. Repukes have no class.

Isn't it standard procedure in just about every workplace that when a long-time co-worker leaves, everyone comes over to shake hands and say goodbye?

These cretins are awful.

[Bullshot]

3. After seeing the lack of Republican attendance in the audience,

I would have changed my speech and given the majority party, especially Frist, a big FUCK YOU DICKHEADS!!!! and walked out of the Senate chamber.

I'm with you, khephra. You can't be diplomatic with these thugs. When you're down, they'll just kick you in the balls and put their foot on your throat.

[Cha]

5. They're so SCARED they

want to stomp us out so we don't EVER come back! I got news for them..

[Cha]

4. Those ugly repukes have no class and

no talent. Thanks Jesus for making me a Democrat!

[w4rma]

6. Dishonorable. (nt)

[pippin]

7. Good Riddance

as far as I am concerned. Daschle was a sell out.

[high density]

8. OK, but Thune is worse.

[Khephra]

9. OK, Now Get this...Daschle is in an almost GOP free chamber saying "bye"

And he's actually saying this to the half-empty room???

---

Exiting Daschle Appeals for Common Ground

WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle bade a poignant farewell Friday to a career in Congress, a soft-spoken appeal for "the politics of common ground" after a historic re-election defeat engineered by Republicans casting him as a relentless obstructionist.


"The politics of common ground will not be found on the far right or on the far left. That is not where most Americans live," said the South Dakotan, the first Senate leader of either party to lose a race for re-election in more than a half-century.


"We will only find it in the firm middle ground based on common sense and shared values," he said, in a speech that scarcely referred to the pitched legislative battles over taxes, Medicare, health care, court appointments and more that he and Republicans have waged.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=703&e=4&u=/ap/20041120/ap_on_go_co/daschle_exit

I love ya as a person, Tom, so let me be the first one to tell you that you need to have your head checked. You're obviously delusional even now.

Sigh...and he was my first political "hero" too.

[Leilani]

10. Very, very, sad.

I think he's a really good man, & he did a good job for his state.

[wicket]

11. Those scumbags.

:grr:

[jefferson_dem]

12. I have tried to keep a composed demeanor about our "opponents"

in this political game. But fuck if i am really starting to hate those bastards, and in a very personal way.

[KC21304]

13. But the Republicans all showed up for Zell !

I saw a crawl on CNN. No Dems, just Repugs.

[juliagoolia]

14. Zell is a traitor

He needs to fall on his own fork at dinner

[brook]

15. The 'grown-ups'...

who were going to bring - (what was it? civility? moral responsibilty? ethics?) back to the White House - are nothing more than lying, unpolished louts...morally and ethically bankrupt.

In short, they sicken me.

[Riddler]

16. I hated to see any Democrat lose a Senate seat,

but Daschle was part of the problem. He should have realized early on that bipartisanship was NOT anything the repukes were interested in and acted accordingly. Instead, he and the rest of the "pink tutu" democrats are the very reason Bush was seen as being a decisive leader. If they had had the balls to fight instead of rolling over and playing dead, perhaps he would have been giving a speech as the majority leader instead of saying goodbye.

[moondust]

17. Tom would have done just fine

in a house of gentlemen and gentlewomen where honest debate and independent judgment prevail - in what the United States Senate should be.

Unfortunately, reasonableness and the best intentions for the common good are not terribly effective in a house tyrannized by power-craving fascist thugs supported by complicit media dogs.

Good luck, Tom.

[DBoon]

18. It took Mussolini a few years to completely dissolve Parliament

We are seeing the same happen here.

[flpeach]

19. This is so disheartening . . .

Especially after Clinton did his best to INCLUDE republicans in his speech . . . . repugs just don't have any class!! I'm so proud today that I am a Democrat and I will stay a Democrat forever!

I will miss Daschle very much, even though I think he was too good for all of them . . .

[jackster]

20. only one thing to say to this ...

they're too low to even spit on!

I have to say that I have voted for Republicans on the local level in the pat, BUT I WILL NEVER, REPEAT, NEVER VOTE FOR OR SUPPORT ANOTHER ONE OF THEM AS LONG AS THEY LET THESE NEOCONS AND RELIGIOUS NUTS lead their party!

In fact, I am now proudly

A YELLOW DOG DEMOCRAT!