Posted on 11/19/2004 8:28:38 PM PST by gab1279
Scores of soon-to-be-unemployed Democrats fear that their party’s electoral defeat could hinder their ability to find work on K Street, a traditional safe haven and source of employment for Capitol Hill staff.
At a time when many Democrats are anxious about their ability to earn a living, some even fear that a conspiracy to blacklist aides to certain Democrats, such as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), could be afoot.
Daschle, who is reviled by many congressional Republicans for his efforts to stop GOP initiatives and judicial nominees in the Senate, was defeated in this month’s election by former Rep. John Thune (R-S.D.).
Some Democrats, still singed by Sen. John Kerry’s defeat in the presidential election and party losses in the House and Senate, even suggested that House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) might be behind an effort to convince K Street firms to think twice before hiring Daschle staff.
Several Democratic aides said that a midsize Washington lobbying firm, the Alpine Group, declined last week to hire a Daschle staffer with whom the group had been in long-standing discussions about a possible job. They said the Daschle aide, who The Hill agreed not to name, believed he would get the job based on conversations with the firm about three months before the election.
According to one Senate aide familiar with the situation, the firm told the Daschle aide, “This is a cold town for Democrats. It’s especially cold for Daschle’s staff.” Asked whether DeLay or any of his associates had specifically conveyed a message to the firm, the Senate aide said, “The implication was that DeLay had put the word out that Daschle staff should not be hired.”
The Daschle aide did not contact The Hill about this story, nor did he return a call seeking comment. Daschle’s office declined to comment. None of the Democratic sources could name a specific DeLay associate who conveyed the message to the firm.
Nevertheless, anxiety among Capitol Hill Democrats was running so high last week that talk of a DeLay effort against Daschle staff spread to a number of Hill staff and Democratic lobbyists.
Several senior Senate Democratic aides and Democratic lobbyists contacted by The Hill were familiar with the situation involving the Daschle staffer and with talk on K Street that DeLay had discouraged hiring of Daschle aides.
“We have heard from two different Republican lobbyists that this is true,” said one Senate Democratic aide. The aide cited the “K Street Project,” an effort to get firms to eschew Democrats and hire Republicans to top posts at major Washington associations, and reported GOP efforts to punish the Motion Picture Association of America for hiring former Clinton administration Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman as its head, saying the efforts had deliberately created a sense of paranoia on K Street against hiring Democrats.
However, some Democratic sources were questioning whether there was any such organized effort.
DeLay spokesman Stuart Roy said, “Tom DeLay has been the subject of more urban myths than Karl Rove, Elvis and Mikey from Life cereal combined.
“The patently false rumor du jour is that the leader somehow ‘sent the word’ to K Street not to hire defeated Senator Tom Daschle’s staff. My request to any journalist who wishes to print such completely untrue gossip is to consider the source and then ask anonymous accusers trafficking in this rumor exactly who on our staff has sent out such a message. We wish all former Daschle staffers full employment.” [SNIP]
Democratic job-seekers face an acute problem this year, with numerous Hill staffers who worked for Kerry’s campaign now looking for work. Most of Daschle’s leadership staff also is on the market, with few places to secure a soft landing. New Democratic “527” groups are expected to ramp down now that the election is over. [SNIP]
One of the few people hiring Democrats in town is incoming Minority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). But Reid plans to bring in his own people, according to aides.
Read more at hillnews.com...
And Tom DeLay's response to "The Hill" about this story...
From House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas):
The Hill’s Nov. 16 story “Dems fear lobbying backlash” simply isn’t true. It’s not a “miscommunication,” or “he said/she said,” or “open to interpretation.” It’s a fabrication. You were lied to and used by those very same liars.
The story — if I followed it correctly — “reports” on the “fear” of “certain Democrats” of a “conspiracy” that I “might be behind” to “blacklist” on K Street soon-to-be-unemployed staffers of defeated Sen. Tom Daschle [D-S.D.].
Not to put too fine a point on it, but are you kidding me?
The Hill didn’t get spun on this one; you got played. You were lied to and leapt at the chance to print the lies. The sad thing is that this was not just an example of journalistic integrity breaking down. It was that this particular lie was so juicy, so dishy, that it just “deserved to be true.”
Ultimately, the truth was nothing more than a distraction that might get in the way of an irresistible rumor.
Is it too much to ask that an allegation with as many possible ramifications as this one have some level of verification? No news organization with serious aspirations should allow itself to be used by transparently self-interested rumor mongers.
They will pay dearly for trying to bring him down.
He is also "pro-life" (so they say) and pro-gun, and is very coy and clever. In a normal time this would be respected and caution would be the rule of the day.
But this is not an ordinary time. this is a time for history to be made. So we will we stomp on his ass, pass ANWR, tort reform, medical and retirement savings accounts, eliminate judicial fillibusters, put on 4 ultra-right SCOTUS judges and countless appelate judges.
Boy, are you a wuss. NEVER let the SOBs get their way is the way real men play this game. The prosecutor, Ronnie Earle, a leftist from Austin, hates DeLay for getting a bunch of liberal Dems redistricted out of office and has brought these totally trumped up campaign finance charges against him. How stupid of you to suggest that the Republicans in the House dump him as leader and give that plum to Earle and the sore loser Dem from Houston who brought the ethics charge and will be unemployed as of Jan. I'm glad the House Republicans have more spine than you. Stand back and watch what happens to people who cross The Hammer. I hope the pansies in the Senate are taking notes.
Stop being such a liberal girlie-man. The Dems have got nothing on DeLay, and they've already escalated and attacked with all of their weapons...to no avail.
Now they are defenseless, yet you want to fly the French national flag of surrender to them.
Go away and come back when you've grown some cajones.
All true, but we won't have a no-brain Daschle opposing us. Even with fewer fighters, Reid is a more formidable opponent.
Of course, he'll still lose to our oncoming onslaught, but we'll have to insure that our flanks and soft underbelly continue to be covered from a potential Reid counter-attack.
Which is to say that so long as Pubbies don't show up fat, drunk, and stupid, we'll have our way with Congress.
Name them so we can make sure they go on welfare !
What grief has he caused us ?
He was instrumental in stopping renewal of so-called "assault weapon" ban ---
He helped redistrict Texas to gain Republicans --
Tom Delay is an anchor.
If the GOP can't muster the willpower to defend him, then I don't see the point in defending them.
Yes, and it was only that close because Delay redistricted a Democrat out (Lambert) and split his district with Ron Paul.
Well said! Delay has been a constant defender of RKBA. A constant thorn in side of Krinton and Dims. Can't believe some here would toss him over the side over a little "rough water." I say FIGHT!!! If anyone should get tossed it's that tick-turd DA who always indicts Republicans as a form of harassment.
"I swear you'd think these mysterious aides were DU'ers."
They are! At least in spirit, even if they don't actually log in.
It's like the democratic party is crumbling before our very eyes. This is what they get for becoming nothing but a cult of personality worshipping Madame Hillary! and The Stainmaker.
Values, values? They don't need no stinking values.
2 Timothy 3 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
....a conspiracy to blacklist aides to certain Democrats, such as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), could be afoot........
What a truly sensible concept. Kill the Rats in the holes where they live, that's the ticket.
Paranoia destroys the will to live.
No sir.
When they bring out the brass knucks we must go to knives, when they go to knives we must bring out the swords when they bring out the swords....
We must never again engage without superior power. Winning is all that matters.
Winning is all that matters.That's all they respect. It is a struggle for life.
Why don't you catch up with the truth? The rule change passed by Repubs simply said that instead of an automatic ouster for an indictment, the source would be considered before forcing a stepdown.
This Texas prosecutor is the same one that brought a lawsuit against Kay Bailey Hutchison during her first campaign for reelection. It was thrown out of court because it was not backed up with facts, but it did some damage to her during the campaign, which is why it was filed in the first place
.
This prosecutor, Earle, is in a very pro-Dem county (Austin city--don't know the county name) and brought this action against DeLay during an election year to help the Dems and hurt the Repubs. It is NOT a serious lawsuit. So you think the Repubs should just make DeLay, the most effective leader in the House, stand down. By this reasoning, people back in home states could just make up a lawsuit against any effective Repub. and get them all out of the leadership positions, at least temporarily.
It is my understanding that the Dems have NO SUCH RULE in their ranks. Of course, Pelosi and other twisted sister Dems will try to demonize DeLay even more. They HATE DeLay because he
is so effective. According to your post, Repubs SHOULD listen to Pelosi and get rid of DeLay to pacify Dems. Thanks, but no thanks. I can't think of ONE THING Pelosi, Daschle, or any other Dem has done for me (excepting Zell Miller).
If someone has more relevant facts, post them.
vaudine
Who cares?
He's King of the House.
He won the war, and they are bitter. Frost and team are sending out parting shots before they are sent packing - nothing more than that.
K Street doesn't hire folks who have no clout - they would have hired Daschle's staff if it looked like Kerry was going to win the election.
Now that he not only lost, but Dems lost big in both chambers, why hire folks who have no contacts? Same thing happened to them in 2000.
This is such a non-story for the uninitiated.
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