The Return of TOM DASCHLE

[liberalpragmatist]

Obama's Secret Weapon
Endorsements. Key staffers. Fundraising lists. Brotherly advice. Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle is making his presence felt behind the scenes in Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Web-exclusive commentary
By Howard Fineman

April 10, 2007 - Three years ago, it took a nasty, industrial-strength assault by Karl Rove & Co. to oust Democratic leader Tom Daschle from his Senate seat. But if Republicans thought they had seen the last of the resilient South Dakotan, they were wrong. He’s back, this time behind the scenes, as a sort of secret sauce in the surging presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama.


Daschle spent 30 years on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide, House member, senator and ultimately Democratic Senate leader. Now he is providing newcomer Obama with valuable endorsements, staff, fundraising lists and brotherly advice. “He brings an unrivaled mix of policy knowledge and political expertise,” said Steven Hildebrand, an Obama senior campaign advisor. He ought to know: a fellow South Dakotan, he ran Daschle’s last Senate campaign.

Money talks and Daschle knows the language. Although three years distant from the Hill (he is now a law firm consultant and lecturer at Georgetown), Daschle has carefully maintained his mailing list of 85,000 donors, and he is renting it to only one candidate – Obama. I am told that Daschle is about to do a fundraising letter for the campaign as well. “He is incredibly well-liked by Democrats,” said Hildebrand. “He really doesn’t have any enemies in the party.”

<snip>

One other thing. If Obama wins the nomination, Daschle will be a top contender for running mate. Far-fetched? Maybe. South Dakota is a red state, and one with the fewest possible electoral votes: three. But in 2000, political novice George W. Bush chose a congressional veteran from a sparsely-populated state as his reassuringly experienced running mate. Is Tom Daschle the Democratic answer to Dick Cheney? Then Daschle would be back, big time.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18041590/site/newsweek/page/2/

[sutz12]

1. I always liked Tom....

I really did.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. OK, as soon as I saw that he was the "Democratic answer to Dick Cheney", I knew it was corporomedia.

I don't doubt that Tom Daschle is a resource, but he is one of many. If Obama has shown anything, it's an understanding of the mosaic of experience and knowledge of those around him.

But, this speculation is ridiculously premature. I wish there was even a semblance of comprehension among those who are supposedly informing us. MKJ

[Bucky]

3. I see Daschle being a Clark Clifford type, a gray eminance, rather than a blue Dick Cheney

If Obama nails the big one, he's gonna need more gravitas in the VP slot than Daschle can give him. Odds on it goes to Richardson, Clark, maybe Biden or Bill Nelson of Florida.

Oddly enough, the perfect balance to Obama on the ticket would be Dick Durbin, who wouldn't be eligible because of that dang Constitution.

[hayu_lol]

5. Tom Daschle is a spineless jellyfish...

If Obama takes any advice from this twirp, he has just shot himself in the foot.

Immediately following the 2000 selection, Tom's website sported the comment that we must get behind this president and support him. This little gem lasted on the site about 3 days. Daschle's site was bombarded by thousands of us who strongly protested the comment.

Tom sat through much of the early Bush regime without doing anything to stop the neo-cons. He was useless, about as useless as Geppy. True, he was a target of the anthrax attacker, but if afraid for his safety, should have resigned.

Tom should stay in retirement.

[illinoisprogressive]

7. I agree. Can you imagine Durbin and Obama running the show??

[IChing]

4. Nooooooooooooooooooooooo

OK, bad move

[BeyondGeography]

6. I can see how they'd get along

Both are good listeners and ground-up style politicians. Daschle used to take those statewide drives by himself in SD every summer to meet people and hear them out. It's similar to what Obama is doing in Iowa.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3206475

[benEzra]

8. Daschle lost his seat to a NO-NAME repub...

after making some really boneheaded campaign decisions. I'm not sure that this will be a good thing for Obama...