Daschle Says He Will Vote for Energy Bill

[Kolesar]

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/7303279.htm

Daschle Says He Will Vote for Energy Bill
JOHN HEILPRIN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle is ready to
support the broad energy bill and will oppose attempts to
scuttle it by a filibuster, one of the senator's aides said
Wednesday.

The decision casts doubt on whether opponents can succeed in
blocking the bill through a filibuster over a dispute involving
the gasoline additive MTBE, which has been found to contaminate
drinking water supplies.

A spokesman for Daschle, Dan Pfeiffer, said the South Dakota
senator will vote for ending debate on the bill, overcoming a
filibuster, as long as senators are given time to adequately
debate the legislation.
...edit...

[Bob3]

1. What is the point of being in the oposition party

if you act like this?

The bill is by most accounts a massive give away to the oil and electic companies that will acomplish nothing but enrich the connected. But all he wants is to play nice so they won't yell at him.

Tom sometimes you need to be disagreeable. Hell they hate you anyway - give them a reason.

Really if you seat in the Senate is sooo impoartant to you why not just switch damn parties?

[reprobate]

14. Bob3, you miss the point.

There IS no opposition party in congress. You have to realize that all congressional incumbents, no matter what the party, depend on the same corporations to finance their campaigns.

Republican or democrat, they are all owned by the came corporate CEOs. And what the CEOs want, congress gives. The idea of "Of the people, By the people, For the people" no longer applies. We now have gov't of the corporation, by the corporation, and for the corporation. Once again we see the tyranny of the wealthy take over a society.

There are, tho, some things that could be done to return democracy to the people.

1. We must all be aware that the doctrine of "corporate personhood" is no more than a lie placed on paper by a clerk of the supreme court. It was never decided by the court. It must be challanged both legally and politicly.

2. Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. It's repeal is what enabled the radical right to take over the media. The people will never regain control of gov't until they are allowed to know the truth.

3. Make the attempt to offer money to any gov't official, whether for campaign purposed or otherwise, a felony. Also make the gov't official who takes money a party to the same feloney.

4. Make all elected officials terms for life. Then each year we hold a reforendum to decide if we let them live another year.

[dusty64]

22. Like all

of your proposal and agree except for #4. The last thing we need is to make them even less accountable than they already are.

[reprobate]

40. dusty, I was being sarcastic with #4

My point with #4 was to really put the fear of death into them. I'll guarantee it to cure all political corruption.

[Sliverofhope]

45. How sad the state of affairs

that a good bit of democratic fascism (oxymoronic) feels like such a good idea right now.

[NickB79]

47. LOL

I'd vote for #4 becoming a new law :-)

[NewJerseyDem]

39. That is idiotic

Did you miss the whole judicial filibuster thing? Or is that not opposition. They are opposing the prescription drugs plan and may filibuster that. Being the opposition party doesn't mean that you oppose EVERYTHING!!!!!

He has to win reelection. Ethanol is very important on the issue. To say that if a senator opposes you on one thing they should leave the party is outrageous. He is usually a solid democrat who is basically right in the center of the democratic caucus in the senate.

[Hailtothechimp]

49. Daschle is no longer fit to lead this party in the senate.

Give me Durbin or Schumer or Feingold instead.

[CMT]

2. this is why democrats in the country crave leadership

because we aren't getting it with our leadership (the loyal opposition) in Washington. I wonder when Daschle will announce he is supporting the Prescription Drug Rip-off bill?

[sendero]

3. Why?

Why am I not surprised. We need a regime change in Congress as badly as we need one in the white house.

[blindpig]

4. Daschele = quisling n/t

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. Is anyone really surprised? He's more of a lapdog than Tony Blair.

[mbperrin]

6. I'm never really surprised when politicos pRove that

they're whores, I just wish they weren't such CHEAP ones!!!!!

[Socialist Christian]

7. We need leaders with a strong coccyx. Howard Dean 04' <nt>

[liberalmuse]

8. Daschle needs to go.

I'm calling his office today to speak my mind. Yet again, he bends over for Bush, and we're the ones getting it up the ass. Thanks alot, you yellow-bellied milquetoast.

[Snellius]

9. Another Ethanolic

All the Dakota senators, even Dorgan and Conrad, have been completely bought off by the welfare farmers.

[CityDem]

37. Daschle = Sellout

He sold out to the ethanol interests at the expense our our nation's interests. I have a hard time watching Daschle any longer without wanting to puke.

[Socialist Christian]

10. We get the elephants in donkeys clothing, We have snowe and mccain 2 to

?????

they have very little dissent

[sventvkg]

11. I'm not suprised..Get rid of MOST of the Dems along with Repugs

Daschle is shit.........

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Daschle! You're the reason why Nadar exists!

Daschle is an idiot. He has long lost his Mr. Smith appeal. I've no respect for the man.

[Kolesar]

13. It's regional. Are there any Goop Senators in New England we can lobby?

McCain has spoken against this (AZ). The Maine Senators (R) have spoken against this, because they are downwind. Who else can we pressure.

We are under pressure, because the vote is Friday (tomorrow!), I think.

[NewJerseyDem]

38. All 5 New England republicans will vote no

This is purely a regional bill, not a partisan one. All the Great Plains democrats will support the bill while new england republicans will oppose. Louisiana's democrats are also going to support it.

Even though I wish Daschle could oppose the bill, he has to win reelection. He would be blasted for opposition to ethanol if he opposed the bill. I don't want Senator Thune.

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

15. This is what happens when your leadership

is not in a strongly democratic seat. Why isn't Ted Kennedy the
minority leader? He isn't beholden to red-state politics.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

41. That is the point that need to be made.

Pick the leader from a strong blue state. Then positions can be staked out for practicallity and not keeping one's political seat.

[jmcgowanjm]

16. Daschle plans to undercut Kennedy on the filibuster of Medicare

The great thing about this is that the mask has been
ripped off(once again) for all to see.

The wealthy 1% get exactly what they want.

There will soon be no middle class in US.
See negative savings, hopeless debt, rising
bankruptcies.

Watch for something big and bad to happen
Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Of course, you'll have to hunt for the news
because ProGovMedia will be talking about
Traveling and all of our soldiers overseas
not able to participate in the Holidays.

[bif]

17. Why doesn't he just switch parties?

Spineless bastard.

[lovedems]

18. I live in Illinois and the farmers are pushing Durbin to vote for the bill

and it doesn't look like he is going to. The Illinois farmers are pushing for it because Ill. is the largest producer of ethanol. It makes me sick that these farmers would want to benefit from a bill that is a tax giveaway to the well connected and an environmental disaster! Daschle is very disappointing.

[maggiemay]

20. Ok. Hold Up.

First of all, it's a comprehensive energy bill. You can't get everything you want. I agree that this bill is shitty, but then, so is life. But the ethanol provision is a good thing, and you have to take the good with the bad. The renewable fuel standard that the ethanol provision falls under will increase the value of corn across the board, meaning better incomes for farmers all across the midwest. Two of every three rows of corn will be used to create cleaner burning fuel that lessens our dependance on foreign oil. In Daschle's home state, this provision will create 10,000 new jobs (much needed) over the next ten years. How could he possibly go to his constituents and say, "Sorry, I am not going to vote to inject new jobs and money into your dying rural community." Ethanol has been a cause of his since he was elected to congress in 1978 because of the value it holds for the people who elected him.
Do any of you think that he is thrilled about this? He was faced with a choice, and chose his constituents. You have to know that the Repubs are loving this. Making all of you hate Tom and creating division in the party. Think things through and see both sides before you villify Daschle. Remember who the real enemy is!

[Khephra]

29. I know you can't get everything you want

But sometimes the things you're getting along with what you want is so bad that it's not worth it.

This bill will bring back nuclear power. That's horrific considering everything we've learned about how plants are run and the fact that we don't have any real realistic means of taking care of the waste.

[BlackFrancis]

21. it's amazing..

everyone who knows anything about it realizes that there is no future in ethanol but the graft is so great people are willing to ignore the elephant in the room and keep pushing it. Alternative sources of energy with promise are ignored while the food and oil lobby fills their pockets under this almost transparent fig leaf.

[Beaker]

19. A question about the MTBE issue-

As I understand it, a provision in the bill protects "manufacturers" of the fuel additive from liability in lawsuits over the effects of the chemical on the environment, and the water supply in particular. The given reason for the provision is that MTBE makers should not be held liable, since the additive was 'mandated' by the federal government...
But wouldn't that mean that the federal government is basically assuming the responsibility and could therefore become the target of any such lawsuits?

[0007]

23. What a schmuck!

Judy Woodruff fof CNN & Tom Daschle both have been threatened. (By you know who). And both Tom & Judy have done 180's.

[ElementaryPenguin]

24. That anthrax really worked wonders on Tu Tu Tommy boy, didn't it?

:puke:

[tabasco]

25. Daschle knows this is a bad bill.

But he's voting for it anyway. Time to replace him as minority leader. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

[jiacinto]

27. Would this bill help SD?

Answer that questoin. Maybe that's why he's voting for it.

[jiacinto]

26. What will this bill do for SD?

Answer that questoin. I am witholding judgment until I know the answer to that question.

[tabasco]

31. If it's good for SD but bad for the nation ...

do you think he should vote for it?

[jiacinto]

48. Well

The people of SD elected to him to represent their interests. He can't vote against the people who put him in office.

[Kolesar]

32. The ethanol industry in the grain state will get big tax subsidies

Ethanol production will double nationwide if this goes through.

Btw, ethanol is a loser as an energy source. It takes 1 energy unit of gasoline to produce a mere 1.2 units of energy from ethanol. Ethanol cannot accomplish being a renewable energy source.

[Dr Fate]

28. I'm sure he said all this in that punk-ass wimp voice of his...

...what an "inspiring leader" he is to all of us...

GO TOM- KICK SOME ASS!!!! Er...umm...sorry I meant we should all be nice and share...

[Khephra]

30. One word

Cockroach!

[LoneStarLiberal]

34. I Was Thinking More Along The Lines...

I was thinking more along the lines of "whore..."

[PROGRESSIVE1]

33. The energy bill has TONS of PORK for South Dakota....

that's why he's selling us out! I want either Chris Dodd or Dick Durbin to be the leader of we Democrats, not this wussy :puke:!!!!!!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

35. The Great Capitulator strikes again!

seriously, who do we have to lobby to get this guy out of leadership? this should have been done immediately after the 2002 elections. the consequences are far too serious to continue to drift off the edge of the earth with the daschle-mcaulliffe ship

and does tom really think this is going to endear him to the gop? does he think they'll go easier on him in the 2004 election? it doesn't matter how he votes. they'll just run a misleading ad showing him with saddam hussein or something. his record is irrelevan to them. as long as he has a 'd' by his name, they'll go after him with everything.

[belab13]

36. he's caught between a rock and an ethanol barrel.

Let's just keep poisoning ourselves and accelerating the destruction of the environment. I am so disillusioned.

[truthisfreedom]

43. ethanol comes across as low-pollution, but takes a huge amount of energy

to make and is a real waste of time. farmers like it... or should i say huge farming corporations?

[Snellius]

42. Listening to Sununu on the floor denouncing energy bill

He's actually making sense pointing out how energy bill is distorting the marketplace by subsidizing old sources and penalizing new. This bill is making odd bedfellows. It's not D/R. It's regional.

[Sliverofhope]

44. Isn't this the bill that

even the heritage foundation opposes? Geez, if a democrat is going to be worthless, a true conservative is better.

[Triana]

46. there goes 2004 - we've been sold out by our own party

it's gonna be Bu$hit again...