Reply #34: You are off-base and WRONG about so much in your post ... [View All]

[Pepperbelly]

First, cheering the addition of Thune to the Senate is a chump-move and if you are happy about that, then your credentials as a rational person are very much in question. I do not know where you live but for me, as an American citizen, I mourn Daschle's political passing.

Some people here tend to think that if politicians do not mimic their every whim, then the politician is worthless and that is, IMO, maloderous, perverse, childish, anti-Democratic and anti-democratic. Not every one is going to agree with what you want done. Some people are going to disagree with everything you want, some will disagree with most, some with equal parts, and some will disagree very little. To cast away allies who do not march in lock-step is self-defeating and guarantess that you will get NOTHING that you want. So you're an all-or-nothing kind of guy? Well, then you get nothing because NO ONE gets everything.

For the most part, from reading the complaints of those who post here, their disagreement with Daschle was often more a mattedr of mannerism and word choice rather than something substantive. And that is a profoundly deep shallowness (:D). Daschle, God bless him, accomplished as much as could possibly be expected with a minority. While a lot of things occurred which all reasonable people SHOULD disagree, a lot more extremely egregious things were blocked. The Democrats won outright the battle over ANWR, the battle over the more fascist appelate court justices as well as other more minor victories. What the fuck do you expect with a minority of votes in the chamber?

Finally, the role of minority leader is not one that answers to the Democratic rank-and-file or the activists. The role is FOR the convenience and good discipline of Senate Democrats. The role is about LEGISLATIVE strategy, not public relations strategy. It is about putting together votes in the Senate, not pleasing the emotional needs of internet political students and activists. And in that role, Daschle performed magnificently. I realize that this runs counter to conventional wisdom at DU but so what. The conventional wisdom is wrong and so are you.

Flame on if you wish but I really don't give a shit.