Thune closing in on Daschle... Is an upset brewing?????

[TakebackAmerica]

Thune edges closer to challenging Daschle
Senate minority leader gears up for re-election
By Steve Turnham
CNN Washington Bureau
Friday, January 2, 2004 Posted: 4:25 PM EST (2125 GMT)



Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle has already amassed $4 million for his re-election campaign, according to an aide.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a sign that he getting close to challenging Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, in November, former Congressman John Thune has been meeting with a veteran GOP strategist about running his campaign, according to a senior GOP source.

The meetings with the strategist, Dick Wadhams, have taken place over the last six weeks. The GOP source would not say whether Thune has decided to run, but that "he is leaning our way."

In December, Thune passed up an opportunity to run for South Dakota's sole seat in the U.S. House. That seat is being vacated by Rep. Bill Janklow, who was convicted of manslaughter in the death of a motorcyclist last year, prompting speculation that Thune would jump into the Senate race.
snip..


This is very bad news for Daschle.
I think that Daschle is more vulnerable than Johnson was.

This is a part of the GOP "giant killer" strategy.
Nobody thought it could happen... But it happened

1994: Speaker Tom Foley is upset
1994: Bill Frist beats Sen. Jim Sasser in a landslide ( Sasser was about to become Senate Majority Leader)

This might happen if we don't watch out

2004:They shock everyone by beating Sen.Patty Murray.
2004: Thune knocks off Tom Daschle.
2006: Hillary is defeated by Rudy Giuliani .

[w4rma]

1. Dashle's a fine & honorable Senator. The GOP likes to go after Dem leaders

I think North Dakoka folks will, as they have in the past, support Sen. Daschle over this other guy.

But, you are correct. Get complacent and we lose.

[ButterflyBlood]

4. South, not North Dakota

n/t

[JasonDeter]

2. Bill Schneider is too gleeful when he talks down the Democratic Party

I don't watch him or that media whore Judy Woodruff any more. But when I do I always end up sending her an email thats starts with, "Judy, you ignorant slut."

[saltpoint]

3. John Thune has already --

-- lost to Johnson. If he loses to Daschle also, he will have been whomped by two Democrats in Senate races. The deal from Rove must be: "Run against Daschle and if you lose, you get a Cabinet post in a second Bush administration."

If Thune wins, there's one more corporate puppet in the U.S. Senate. Yuck.

I just think it would be GREAT if Daschle hung on and defeated Thune's challenge.

All you Democrats in South Dakota -- do whatever you can to keep that seat Democratic.

[Hippo_Tron]

5. I'm not too worried about his re-election...

This will be his fourth term if he wins re-election plus he's minority leader. Of course I hope for the sake of the party that will change once he is re-elected.

[ButterflyBlood]

6. how is Daschle more vulnerable?

He won more percentage of the vote in his last run than Bush did in 2000. Johnson barely squeaked by. If Thune couldn't beat Johnson, he can't beat Daschle.

also South Dakota only has around 750,000 people. If he already has $4 million, that's more than $5 for every man, woman and child in SD, and more than $12 per voter. His war chest will be absolutely massive.

[AndyTiedye]

7. What Kind of Voting Machines Do They Use?

There are no safe Democratic seats in Diebold states anymore.

[snippy]

8. I agree that Daschle is stronger than Johnson. But Thune will have an

unlimited amount of money if the race is competitive. So I do not see Daschle having any advantage on that front.

[David Zephyr]

9. If He Doesn't Resign His "Senate Leadership Role" I Hope He Does Lose

I want this corporate compromising sack of shit out of his "leadership" role within the Democratic Party.

Daschle hurt the Party more than any single elected Democrat between 2001 and 2003.

I know I don't win popularity contests around here, but here's exactly how I feel about Tom Daschle:

The Hard Facts: Bill Frist’s 2003-2004 Senate Was Not Worse Than Daschle’s: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=971885

[AndyTiedye]

10. We Are Losing Seats This Year Anyway, One More and No More Filibusters

at which point the Democrats will have lost their last sliver of power in Washington.
We will have nothing. Nada. The fundies and robber barons will reign supreme.
Scalia will become Chief Justice, and the court will be packed with Talibornagains
forever.

[David Zephyr]

11. The Fundies, Robber Barons Already Reign Supreme.

Daschle voted with the fundies to limit a woman' reproductive rights even at the expense of her life and health.

Daschle handed the Airline Bailout legislation and War and Patriot Act to GWB on a silver tray....when he ran the Senate.

Some Democrat!

[Cocoa]

13. the fundies don't reign supreme

thanks in big part to Daschle, three of them are NOT hearing cases in the federal courts right now.

Funny you should say "supreme" since those appointees, one of which Dick Durbin called a Nazi in a leaked memo, were seen as being groomed for the SCOTUS.

[mlawson]

12. Would the Dems filibuster Scalia, anyway???

I can't imagine it. Some would want to, but the 'leadership'?? They would shut and play the game, as usual.

[David Zephyr]

16. Amen.

:thumbsup:

[KoKo]

14. Senate Minority Speaker should be from a Big State! Not some puny

ND or SD or even other smaller states. Daschle doesn't have any more feel for what the Dems think all over the country than his wife's next United Airline payoff for lobbying.

He shouldn't be there. He's failed us BIG TIME. He needs to step down to someone who has a bigger constiuency. The fact that he has "BIG TIME POWER" is shown by his ability to survive the defeats we Dems have taken in the groin since he got his "speakership."

He needs to go.

[snippy]

15. I don't care for Daschle but I have no problem with the democratic

Senators electing whoever they want as leader. I think the failures attributed to Daschle are more the fault of the entire party and the DNC rather than just Daschle.

[David Zephyr]

17. Daschle Was Worse as Majority Leader Than Bill Frist.

It is simply beyond belief that this man will not step down from his leadership role and allow a more dynamic individual to take his place as Senate Minority Leader.