Help Daschle!

So it goes in politics.

It might be instructive to consider what Daschle has done (or left undone) that has left him vulnerable.

Welcome Scrat! I love your pic and your handle!

I agree with you to. Why would you want Daschle back? What has he done that was so great? Or what did he not do that would lead him open to be ousted?

Personally, I can't think of anything he actually accomplished, that was worth his while.

Actually, that's not what Scrat said (for you to be agreeing with him/her).
He asked what Daschle did to make him vulnerable, not what has he done worthwhile.

For myself, I say good riddance, if Daschle leaves. He's folded on too much, and shown backbone on too little, for me to give a **** what happens to him.

The teacher in me says let's answer the question...maybe we will learn something. snood...another avatar?

Yeah, I'm having an avatar identity crisis. I think I like the "Buffalo soldier" guy, at least for a while.

This is the part of the statement I agreed with. That we should be asking questions about what has or hasn't made him vulnerable.

Sorry if you misunderstood.

The student in me feels like giving you a shiny apple.

Okay - so Daschle isn't loud, shouting, grating. Or obvious.

Still, he's managed to hold the democrats together in some crucial areas, like the judicial filibusters, the tax cut. And apparently he has enough good relations and know-how to get together with some leading republicans (not Frist) to work some things out.

Sure he's sounded wishy-washy on various topics, like the Iraq war. And I think anything there would have been stepping into a sand trap lined with land mines.

But the alternative is another republican senator - they're grooming Thune to run against him, and have mounted a really vicious campaign. So he's vulnerable. Look at what he's quietly accomplished. I don't want to scrap that for another one of those toady repubs.

I'm not much of a Daschle fan either, but find Mamaj's comments interesting and compelling. Certainly he outweighs any Republican. And he's shown his mettle standing up to the battering he's been getting from the unscrupulous. So okay, I'm with the letter-writing campaign. Mamaj, if you come across some useful press addresses, could you post them please?

Perhaps you can offer some specifics, then?

The GOP is going after Daschle not so much for what he's done (or not done) as for what he represents. He's the top-ranking Democrat, hence a great target for them. It's just as they helped a nitwit like George Nethercutt topple Tom Foley, who was Speaker of the House and a Democrat from Eastern Washington, a few years ago.

Try Google, Scrat.

Beat me to it, tartarin. It sounds to me, scrat, that you're not really looking for info, but for arguments to knock down. You want great, explain your definition of great to me. I'm big on research, and google has hundreds of items on Daschle. Many specifics, too.

And that's the point, D'art. To the repubs, the game is to oust Daschle. I think they really expected Thune to win (certainly the RNC poured much money and effort into the state, and a lot of their usual demonizing skills), and thought that South Dakota being a republican state and all...... but he didn't. So now they're going full tilt again, only this time it's Daschle who's up for re-election.

The republicans want to keep control of both houses, and their senate margin is narrow enough so they want all the seats they can get. Which makes keeping Daschle in there important.

So far as the statment about great accomplishments: I don't know what that means. By definition, the Senate is mostly to advise and consent, not to have single heroes. I think Daschle has been good at his job. And I look at the fact of holding the democrats together on the two filibusters (as I've said), while presenting arguments strong enough to get a few key republican votes on the budget, some good enough acts to look at. What on earth did that cheerleader Lott do that was so great? And Frist so far isn't any winner.

If only I knew what I could do. Sending stuff to Daschle's office shows backing, but doesn't really do anything. So I thought the push-pull effort might help. It's the voters in South Dakota who matter, and maybe some letters to the editors of papers from people all over who think he's done some good things (talking about budget and job loss, and health care and all that) might help. Good old google list names and addresses of the South Dakota papers. This might not seem like much, but so many times it's the small details that work.

Personally I dont care the ticket, repub or demo. That is NOT what I vote For. I vote on a persons merit. And If a supporter of a politician can't give me an example of WHY they endorse him.. Then why would I vote for him? Just becuase so n so says so? Sorry....

I personally have seen daschel hide ever since the Repubs took the senate. I would think that a man strong in his convictions, and a party leader would make his opinion heard, and not mumble in the back ground.

I dont agree wholely with the repubs, nor do I with the Demos. I dont agree with their policies or with the way they are going about some issues. But there are many good ones out there.

I also lean towards the theory... Dont re-elect anyone. New blood keeps the pool from being stagnet. They have had their term. Time to step down.

And yes.. I hated Clinton and thought he was the worst mistake this country ever made. Even Bush, as pig headed as he is... is 10 times better than Clinton. That is my opinion. And I'm not going to debate my opinion.

If I were a Democrat, I'd want Daschel out.

He (and McAuliffe) led the Dems to the worst mid-term slaughter in the history of this country.

And, it was directly a result of Daschel's idea to do nothing but oppose, and his No Idea, No Solution leadership.

MJ has stated she likes what the guy has done. I asked what she specifically likes. Now, I am told to search the Internet... Why?

First off, a Google search will not tell me anything regarding what mj thinks. Sure it would tell me what things Daschle has done, but that's not what I asked. I'm interested in knowing what specific things Daschle has done that earns him mj's trust and praise; what specific acts she is referring to when she makes her general statements.

Of course, mj is under no obligation to respond, but I see no logic or value in this "look it up yourself" response.

mj - I'm not sure why you think it a hardship to share your thinking on this with us. You've made glowing statements about Daschle. Others--both liberal and conservative--seem to see him differently. I'm curious to know what specific things he has done that make you feel/think the way you do.

Now, you should be able to answer that question easily, and off the top of your head. Either there is a factual basis for your assessment of Daschle or there is not. Answer, and you help me to understand that basis. Don't, and you leave open the possibility that you simply had no basis for your statements.

Gee, scrat, you haven't changed at all. This thread is full of what I think and how I feel, and has some concrete examples of both. Your behavior is exactly the same as it was before.

You don't like it, I'm sure there are other threads where you can go and bother some people. There is nothing I have to explain to you. If what I've already said isn't satisfactory, go look it up yourself.

You are spoiling for a fight, but that attitude is so childish and transparent I can't be bothered with it.