Daschle will vote for the energy bill & oppose efforts to filibuster it

[pruner]

Daschle Says He Will Vote for Energy Bill

By JOHN HEILPRIN, Associated press Writer

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.

"There is a lot of legitimate concern about the bill on both sides of the aisle ... (but) he will support it because of ethanol and other provisions in the bill on energy efficiency," Pfeiffer said.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=3&u=/ap/20031120/ap_on_go_co/energy_bill

[Kitsune]

1. Times like this I really wish we had an opposition party.

[theoceansnerves]

2. well

we can always hope a filibuster isn't necessary, and it simply gets voted down.

[madfloridian]

3. Is the eminent domain clause still in it?

I asked my congressmen and they don't know. Hmm..mm.

[interceptor]

4. MTBE

MTBE sucks for everyone except the farmers. Its nothing but a corn lobby boondoggle - I have yet to find another engineer who can come up with a real benefit for it. Daschle *has* to vote for it to keep his job...argh...

Can't somebody else be minority leader for a change?

[Tatiana]

5. F*^k Daschle

For standing there in his pink tutu, waving the white flag.

The filibuster still has a shot. We've got at least 3 maybe even 5 Republicans against the energy bill. I think they should go ahead with the filibuster.

[ibegurpard]

6. Daschle shouldn't be leader

He is too beholden to his conservative, farming-interests South Dakota constituencies. We need a leader from a relatively safe state who can take politically "risky" stands.

[pruner]

8. oops…

n/t

[Gore1FL]

7. New rule for Dems...

Party leaders need to come from safe areas. Daschle can not lead the Dems in the Senate and worryu about getting re-elected in a conservative state.

I donl;t have issue with Daschle, I have an issue with someone who has to make the conflicting choices Daschle has to make in his role as Leader and SD Senator.

[Democat]

9. Daschle is a failure as a leader

The fact that he is still the Democratic leader means that our party is still in denial.

Admitting we have a problem is the first step. Getting someone else to lead the Senate Dems is the second.

[Dudley_DUright]

10. I now admit that Daschle is a liability

I find much that I admire about him, but this is the last straw for me. I cannot support anyone that supports this monstrosity of an energy bill. Cheney and Co are playing the farm state dem senators like a fiddle.

[Racenut20]

11. I would propose

Senator Durbin of Illinois as Vice President, and if not, to be elected MAJORITY Leader of the Senate.

Dashle has to vote for this bill to have any possibility of being elected.

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. How the hell can we fight these f**kers

when our own Senate leader won't?? Damn! I cannot believe he is going to do that.

[cthrumatrix]

13. they serve coprorate interests...both parties...wake up .

it's not about serving citizens....that ended long ago...more to come

[dusty64]

14. With "friends"

like these ......... Another example of a politician putting his interests and those of his donors first. No wonder there isn't an effective opposition party.

[Terwilliger]

15. the people in opposition to this bill don't mean anything to Daschle?

Maybe there's SOMEBODY in the Democratic party that disagrees, eh Tom?

[ShaneGR]

16. Ethanol................... Ethanol................. Ethanol

If Daschle opposed the bill, and blocked all of the money for Ethanol (They quadrupled funding for Ethanol production) he would get skewered in his home state, where he's trying to get re-elected.