Tom Daschle rant

[gottaB]

The Republicans got the regime change they wanted in the Senate, with gleeful encouragement from some useful idiots among the Democratic base. Now what? Do these useful idiots have a plan to win the peace?

What will happen in the Senate? Grab your ankles, America. The fillibuster is a relic of the past. Fat chance the Dems will be able to muster the votes to resist cloture. The idiots argue that a more belligerent Senate minority leader will empower the Democrats, as if the dwindling of that minority heralded victory, imminent victory, ever more imminent.

"We need somebody from a pure blue state, somebody like Ted Kennedy who isn't afraid to be a Democrat," the idiots suggest, totally overlooking the fact that outside of New England Senator Kennedy is a polarizing figure. My opponent sided with Massachusetts liberal Ted Kennedy 99%..... No matter who is chosen to lead the dwindling minority, this will be the kind of rhetoric thrown at Democratic senators in vulnerable seats. The smart ones--I take that to be most all of them-- will analyze the political cost/benefit ratio of obstructionism each and every time they're called upon by the Dwindling Minority Leader to reject cloture. That means kissing all hope of an independent, impartial judiciary goodbye. Say hello to our new rulers, the Talibornagains.

God damn idiots.

[fishface]

1. "Talibornagains"

love it

[unfrigginreal]

2. Brilliant. Blame the 'idiots' that said Daschle should stand for something

if he wanted to get re-elected. Ignore the fact that Daschle running his 'friend of Bush' campaign lost. Yeah, there are some Goddamn idiots around here.

[gottaB]

3. Daschle's "friend of Bush" spiel was a direct response to attacks

on his solid record of resisting the Bush agenda.

And who had his back?

The friends of Bush?

[sangh0]

5. IMO, the idiots are the ones

who think S Dakota would vote for someone more liberal than Daschle.

[unfrigginreal]

6. Uh huh, Daschle's running to the right worked out great. Can't wait

until we do the same next time. The liberal tag is just your way of saying we can't run someone that contrast's the puke's positions. Same DLC bullshit that we've been running on for years.

[gottaB]

7. What's your beef?

Was Daschle's position on the FMA no different than Thune's?

How about abortion rights?

How about cleaning up the environment?

How about judicial nominees?

How about collective bargaining rights for public employees?

Take any broad issue you care about, an issue on which you believe the Democratic position ought to clearly contrast the Republican position, and look up the cloture votes relating to that issue in the last two years. This should help:

http://thomas.loc.gov/home/rollcallvotes.html

On which side did Daschle stand? What will Thune's position be? What will happen to the Democrats power to reject cloture?

[sangh0]

8. Some people prefer the repukes to win

and claim to be the friends of dems

[unfrigginreal]

9. The whole election was run your way with your preferred candidates sangh0

and I'm supposed to believe that you're a friend to Dems? Sure I do.

[sangh0]

10. Ahahaha!!!

Yes, it was ME who controlled the election. Every last detail.

[toddaa]

4. Anthrax attack

After that bag of anthrax, Daschle's career was essentially done. Don't think they won't do it again.

[Cha]

11. Why was Daschle's career "done"

because of the anthrax? It was a close call but a strong person could have gone on!

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

20. Easy.

Let's say you're Daschle. It's been two weeks after the attacks. Your staff is shaken, but resolute. You're confident that the FBI will get a bead on whomever attempted to assassinate you (and it WAS an attempted assassination) when you get a letter.
And it simply says "stop obstructing Bush or we send a box to your family's house. Or your kids' school."
Considering that the FBI seemingly can't track down this killer who accessed US Military-grade anthrax spores, if I was Daschle, I'd be scared, too.

Every time he starts to speak up, he gets another letter to remind him.

With Bushco, I wouldn't put it past them. They're not above threats. Just ask Karl "we will fuck him like he's never been fucked before" Rove.

[Rose Siding]

12. The real repub will beat the fake repub every time

And I'm not the genius who realized that.

[DaveinMD]

14. Daschle was not a fake Republican

He lost because he was too liberal for his state.

[DaveinMD]

13. the reason the leader should be from a blue state

is because Dem Senators from red states need to appear less partisan to survive. I think the leader should be someone like Biden or Durbin. NOt all blue state Senators are as controversial as Ted Kennedy.

[gottaB]

15. Just to clarify

I meant no disrespect to Ted Kennedy, who has been a defacto leader of Democrats in the Senate, and a voice of conscience for the nation. My argument is that anybody who assumes a leadership position will tend to become controversial, especially in times of thick fighting and acrimony. Vulnerable seats will always be targeted by the other party, and the vulnerable will tend to rely upon strategies of accommodation, eschewing direct confrontations.

Weakness of position is not weakness of character.

I agree that having somebody in Daschle's position as Leader is not ideal, but several years ago Daschle's position seemed more secure. The other party systematically undermined Daschle's position. It frustrates me that some Democratic partisans don't seem to get that.

[DaveinMD]

17. I understand what you are saying

what I'm saying is its better for the leader to come from a blue state so his or her seat never becomes vulnerable like Daschle.

[UdoKier]

16. Their propaganda made Daschle out to be a far-left obstructionist

When he was a conciliatory enabler for *. Sorry, but Daschole was a disgrace to the great minority and majority leaders of the past.

I would take Kennedy over him any day.

He's a perfect example of how kissing GOP ass, emulating their values and conceding to them on the most crucial issues is a surefire ticket to DEFEAT.

Tough DEMOCRATS around the country, like Feingold and McKinney WON.

[gottaB]

18. how dare the other party confuse far-left obstructionism

with center-left obstructionism

Those dirty rat bastards. Fuck them for marginalizing the left.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. Awesone rant gottaB. Totally!

You rock!

I will neve forget how they came through for us on the Estrada filibuster. It was one of their best moments of the past 4 years. Now when that doesn't happen, we can say we told you so.

[gottaB]

21. Miguel Estrada, there's a name we'll be hearing more of

Potential Supreme Court Nominees