After an Often-Tumultuous Tenure, Daschle Exits Quietly

[kskiska]

Defeated Democratic Leader Uncertain About Next Move

Sen. Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) has little taste for political postmortems -- particularly his own -- as he prepares to depart from the Senate this week after a quarter-century in politics.

He has spent his days presiding over the boxing of his voluminous papers; going to the movies and dinner with his wife, Linda; helping staff members find jobs; and spending a long weekend in New York celebrating friend Tom Brokaw's retirement as NBC's anchor. Old friends such as former senators Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.) and George Mitchell (D-Maine) have stopped by or called the Democratic leader's office to commiserate and offer career advice.

Daschle, 57, led the Senate Democrats through a tumultuous decade of a government shutdown, the impeachment of a president, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and an anthrax assault on his Senate staff. Now he says he is focused on the future and a possible new career with a Washington law firm, investment house or public policy think tank. He has pretty much ruled out lobbying.

Still, there is the matter of the Republicans' three-year campaign to portray Daschle as unpatriotic and an obstructionist; Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's breach of protocol by campaigning against Daschle in South Dakota on May 22; Daschle's devastating loss to Republican John Thune Nov. 2 in one of the most costly and negative campaigns in the state's history; and the Republicans' virtual boycott of Daschle's farewell address on the Senate floor last month.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57921-2004Dec11.html

[Pirate Smile]

1. The Republicans have really shown how repugnant they are in

the way they have treated Daschle.

If anyone thinks the Senate Rethugs are much better than the House ones, they will be quickly surprised.

[Deja Q]

10. As they say,

"No good deed goes unpunished".

Daschle, more often than not, was an enabler. DLC fodder. A capitulator when we needed a fighter.

He did some good things, yes, but the Dem party of the last few years, especially after their comment regarding Michael Moore, I'm seriously reconsidering my vote come 2006. In a one party system, why waste my time jumping through their hoops?

And nobody in the Dem party had better be blaming me because THEY are the ones telling us who they don't want speaking for or supporting them. And if they're against Moore, well then they're against me and millions of others as well. Face it folks, the Dem party drew a line on that day.


Edit: Spelling

Edit 2: Clarifying stance - not suggesting DUers but Dem party itself as to blaming for when they lose the vote in what WILL be a landslide by that point, sadly, and make * feel even happier. Thanks DLC. You've done your job. You can go back to masturbating Satan.

[Erika]

2. Dashcle became only another Bush lite

And with the dirty tactics of the GOP, he lost.

[flordehinojos]

4. tom brokaw and robert dole among dashcle friends that he wanted to say

goodbye. the cubans have an old saying, it goes something like this, "tell me who your friends are, and i'll tell you who you are".

[Maccagirl]

3. Proof positive that nice guys do finish last

Sorry, Mr. Daschle-you did not give voice to the voiceless. I wish you well, however.

[socrates42]

9. He was only following orders.

It was inevitable given the DNC/DLC strategy of appeasment.

[xchrom]

5. buh-bye now

you have only yourself to blame, mr daschle.

[whirlygigspin]

6. this guy's taking longer than Arafat to get off the stage

yes yes, boo hoo hoo hoo hoo fuckin'hoo hoo, leave already.

Can you imagine if you acted like this everytime you had a job change? or divorce or a new pet? fuckin pathetic.

Hey, Tom, your not dead, just pryed off the public teat.

Go out and get a real job or go get some sun, play golf do something besides this fuckin feeling sorry for yourself loser posing you and the DLC love so much.

[dkofos]

7. Good ridance, spineless bastard.

Oh, and let me guess, you lost 51% to 49%.

Maybe next time around S D can elect a real Dem.

[socrates42]

8. it wasn't the man,..it was the strategy

TD wasn't the problem,....the DNC/DLC strategy was,...he was the fall guy.

[Dr Fate]

11. He will do good in a job where he does not have to tell the truth...

...about Republicans.

"I think President Bush is an honest man." Tom Daschle, 2002

[talk hard]

12. See ya.

Although I find the fraud that ousted Daschle repugnant, I think he was a spineless simp in the Senate. I'm not thrilled his seat is going to one of the red-state crooks, but unless one of the spineless simps in congress gets their shit together, this will keep happening until our government is run by Wal*Mart/Church of Christ. Yikes.