How did Daschle get to be top SenDem, and WHY is he still there?

[buycitgo]

He's shown himself to be feckless, gutless, helpless, largely witless in the face of just about every challenge set before him.

Is he just characteristic of the Achordate quality of all the Democratic senators, or is the someone there who can step up and fight for democracy at a time when it's certainly not been in such danger since WWII?

When are they going to start fighting back, and stop taking it up the whale eye?

I'm sick of this spinelessness.

What do the pugs have on them?

[mlawson]

1. It's "insider politics".

Deals go on every day within Congress, that we know nothing about. They trade votes and favors, this is nothing new; in school, we were taught that this process is called 'logrolling'. Why does Daschle get reappointed over and over?? It's some inside understanding.

Daschle, IMO, will be 'leader' until either he gets beaten in SD, or he voluntarily steps down (don't hold your breath).

[Scott Lee]

14. That's precisely why "Insiderism" has to go.

It's eroded the party effectiveness and prestige. Hasn't it done enough damage, or should Dean just shut up now and let it take it's miserable losing course....again?

[dansolo]

23. That only works with an honest broker

That type of deal making is fine when both sides work from a reasonble amount of good-faith. But there is absolutely no good faith from the Republicans. They shut the Democrats out of the process, and when they try to slow down the process, they get attacked mercilessly. Daschle needs to recognize that the Republicans are out for blood, and he needs to stand up for his caucus. It's bad enough that he doesn't care about the people, but he apparently doesn't even care about his fellow Democrats in Congress. As the Republicans are so fond of saying, after September 11th everything changed. The problem is that Tom Daschle hasn't.

[KT2000]

2. Good question

I would like to know how he got there too.
Better yet - how do we get rid of him - he is a disgrace.

[buycitgo]

3. some excellent posts on his MTP appearances, as well as..........

the inablitiy of the Dems to band together against the horrid Medicare bill prompted this.

is there any time limit on Senate leadership positions, or do they serve at the pleasure of the delegation? Is it time to replace him with a "firebrand?" not that there really are any, w/possible exception of the aged Byrd.

I'm tired of seeing, with the occasional exception, the dems getting walked over on the floor, and trounced in the infospeak arena.

[Paragon]

4. The DLC

To use a lousy metaphor, it's the Christian Coalition of the Democratic Party - by which, I mean the group with the largest amount of money and influence.

Daschle's a member, obviously...as are Kerry, Gephardt, Edwards, and Lieberman. Of course, it doesn't help to have The Big Dog as their shining member.

[Kanary]

5. You go, Paragon!

I'm glad somebody actually *said* it!

Kanary

[plm135]

25. newbie here

But respectfully, the reality is that the Democrats are the minority party, and there is only so much that can be done, and there is even less that can be done that won't subject us to being labelled as obstructionists.

I am not saying that idealism and taking a stand doesnt have its place but i wonder sometimes if practicality isnt a virtue that the Republicans have us beat on sometimes.

[Kanary]

26. WElcome to DU, plm135!

I lack the expertise to send you one of those waving emoticons, so here is a virtual friendly wave coming your way. ^_^

Kanary

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Welcome plm...

But for the record, this is not a newsgroup for Democrats who hold their punches because they're afraid of being called "obstructionist."

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. We have seen the worst kind of deal-making from the Democrats in

the last 24 hours. I'm beginning to think it's all orchestrated. When they know they're going to lose anyway, they come out and talk tough to please their constituents, but they're just a bunch of corporate whores. Very disappointed 24 hours.

Makes you realize how incredibly stupid the Democrats are that are pushing the draft. Do they really think they're going to have any control whatsoever on those deferrments? If they can't keep it together for the seniors on medicare, they're not going to be able to do if for young men and women either. They would do their country a service if they'd just stayed home.

If we're going to lose anyway, let's lose by voting for the most Democratic Democrat. Damn, it. I'm supporting Dean. A vote for Dean should send a message to Feinstein and Daschle and all the other turncoats.

[mlawson]

8. Dems pushing the draft

are idiotically throwing away our best issue for next year!!! Now, if the repukes do reactivate the draft, they have political cover. It boggles the mind.

[Cocoa]

7. Rush LImbaugh hates Daschle too

and also uses a repetitive, abusive, namecalling style of criticizing his targets.

[buycitgo]

10. exactly, and that's why I mentioned the other posts

the ones that spurred this thread centered on the idea that, instead of whiningly complaining about the nasty Bush attack ad that the media keeps playing for free, over and over and over (and upon which the repellent tweetyboy just COMplimented Ed Gillespie for its effectiveness, instead of pummelling him for its cynical dishonesty), TAKE the OFFENSIVE, and TAKE the GLOVES off, just as they've been doing since Gingrich struck gold in the early nineties with his strategy of just what you've mentioned: framing the republican offensive in the most pejorative terms, mold public opinion (with the almost complete cooperation of the corp/gov media) to make it seem as the dems are soft on defense, tax-and-spend, left wing, homosexual coddling, soft-on-terror traitors.

that's what they do, and the media, of course, let them get away with it, the 2000 selection campaign being the most obvious example.

ain't seen nothin' yet, though

emboldened by their success, and the media's complete acceptance/pushing of their first foray into general smear (aforementioned "attacking he who attacks the terrorist" ad), the pugs' vicious propaganda campaign will only get more vile and mendacious.

in addition, they'll have over a QUARTER of a BILLION dollars with which to brainwash a lazy, credulous audience

[Cocoa]

17. I forgot homophobic

I've never heard "taking it up the whale eye" before, but it sounds like it's about anal sex. :eyes:

[buycitgo]

19. cocoa.....that's so.........gross!

let's just leave it to the imagination

[Wetzelbill]

9. Daschle has been so disappointing this year

but so have most Dems. Actually, since 9-11. I want to like Daschle, I want him to do well, he just is not capable of getting up and kicking ass. Maybe he considers himself above the fray or something. Personally, I think Dems need to go Teddy Kennedy on these guys and become "uncivil." Truthfully uncivil.

[joeybee12]

11. Yup, it's pathetic taht Daschle can make a wuss like Frist look competent!

The GOP has a weak leader, but you'd never know it from the way Daschle caves.

[Hippo_Tron]

15. Frist is quite a strong leader, for GOP puposes anyway...

Republican leaders are generally mindless puppets. Chimpy is Karl Rove's puppet, Dennis Hastert is Tom DeLay's puppet, Frist is Rick Santorum and Orrin Hatch's puppet.

[buycitgo]

12. you got it

what a concept: go truthful on them

over and over and over

a hundred eighty degrees different from what they do:

lie after lie after lie after lie.

and boy, would I love to see that fast-talker Ed Gillespie get his lying ass handed to him sometime soon.

lots of people say that the addition of that screwnosed weasel was the main reason dumbo's campaign hit its stride in August, I think, of 2000, right around the time Gore seemed poised to overtake the chimp and put him in the mirror.

ever notice how fast he talks? sure sign of someone who doesn't believe what he's saying, and rushes to get it all out before his audience catches on to the whoppers being spewed. so obvious.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Ted Kennedy is probably too old to be democratic leader...

He's probably reaching the time of pro-tem status. However, there are pleanty of other democrats who could do a much better job than Daschle.

[Yupster]

16. I remember he beat Chris Dodd

for the leadership spot. I can't remember who was senate leader before him though? Was it Mitchell? I think Mitchell retired and Dodd and Dachle ran against each other for the post.

[reprobate]

18. Why are ANY of the democrats there?

Hey, guys. I'll tell you a little secret. There is NO democratic party anymore. Any candidate that runs today must beg for corporate money to run a campaign. Do you think they take the money with no idea that there will be some form of quid pro quo? NO. They know that the money comes with strings.

That's why we are always disappointed in the congressional democrats. They AREN'T democrats any more. They are corporatists.

This is the one huge problem with politics in america today. No one cares about what happens to us. They care only about pleasing their paymasters and getting reelected.

Add the probability that there were some Rove death threats passed around, and there was really no chance that the dems could block any of the bush agenda. I think the energy bill was a fluke. It was so filled with corruption that even the corporatists couldn't support it.

Please forgive my pessimism, but I really feel that we are watching the end of the american system as we knew it.

Boy, do I miss the Old Republic.

[buycitgo]

20. I was going to mention that strain in the header, but

didn't want to open that can of worms.

you're absolutely correct, of course, and said it very well.

I remember being for Fred Harris way back when, as he was the very eloquent populist alternative to the even-then beholden dems.

still caught between two unpleasant alternatives, it's a shame that one must vote for a dem/pug, with the alternate being a pug/fascist.

If Gore had assumed office in 2000, perhaps a third party would have had a chance to blossom....one in which the vast majority's interest could be reflected.

what percentage of the almost FIFTY frickin' percent of people that don't vote WOULD vote if they felt it wasn't a waste of time?

[Wetzelbill]

21. yeah, I have no argument with that, we have no real leadership anymore

[CWebster]

22. The picture I'll always have in my mind is his bowing and scraping

in front of Tony Blair while Maxine Waters sat expressionless in her seat.

Didn't he get kicked up after the 2001 elections and Gephardt stepped down after all the calls for his head? Gephardt then proceeded to pursue a presidential campaign like he was oblivious to his Rose garden performance.

[buycitgo]

24. Gephardt.......house

Daschle.....senate

somebody stepped down, then he won election.....dunno if he was opposed.

he was Majority Leader at time.....think Clinton was pres, so it wasn't such a big deal then; loyal "opposition" and all

think of how brutal the Gingriches/Doles were when WJC was in office

nonstop investigation/castigation

they set the stage for Grand Theft Nation with their eight year inquistion of Clinton.

that's why it was so fateful for our democracy for the dems to lose the senate when Bush's Brooks Brothers brownshirts stole democracy.