Posted on 10/23/2006 2:53:40 PM PDT by finnman69
WASHINGTON - Former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle predicted on Monday that Democrats will pick up seven U.S. Senate seats this year and said his party needs to "restore the confidence that has been lost about Congress."
Daschle, who was Senate Democratic Leader when he lost to Republican John Thune in 2004, also predicted his party would pick up around 25 seats in the U.S. House.
"It looks awfully good," Daschle said on C-SPAN's Washington Journal.
Daschle said he hopes South Dakota voters will defeat a state ballot measure that would ban most abortions.
"I think it is too extreme," he said of a measure that will be on South Dakota's Nov. 7 ballot.
It would ban nearly all abortions except when necessary to save a woman's life. One provision would allow a victim of rape or incest to get emergency contraceptives before a pregnancy could be detected through conventional medical testing.
He also demurred on a possible run for president.
"I haven't made any decisions, any announcements," he said. "I think there's a big field out there ... and it's going to be exciting to see what's going to happen."
Daschle visited the politically pivotal states of New Hampshire and Iowa earlier this year to discuss a possible run with voters there.
In the interview Monday, Daschle downplayed the prospects of some potential Democratic opponents.
On Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who said Sunday he is considering seeking the nomination, Daschle said it's "appropriate" he's thinking about a run.
"I think because of the tremendous amount of enthusiasm and support that Sen. Obama has around the country, you'd be foolish not to give it some very careful thought ... And I hope he does make a very thoughtful evaluation of whether a race at this point makes sense or not."
He said New York Sen. Hillary Clinton is not a lock for the nomination.
"I think even Sen. Clinton would tell you that she is not, she is not a candidate yet, and it's hard to say," Daschle said. "I don't think anyone has a lock on it."
Former Senator
Or the token challenge (Keyes) vs Obama in Illinois.
In hindsight I wish that the Illinois GOP had let Obama take that seat unopposed.
Sure thing little tommy daschle.Ya said the same thing about your own senate seat dont you remember little tommy? Hope we hear from you again its been fun.
Tom Daschle, however, will pick up no Senate seats ever again.
"Is he lying or just wrong?
It's getting so hard to tell anymore."
With dims it is usually BOTH!
LLS
So, Tommy, is that how many seats the Dems plan on cheating to win? Just askin'.
Republicans will stay even
Doesn't this has-been have a garden or something to tend to?
I have no time for loozerz....
I think Keyes would have run for that seat even over the objection of the Illinois state party.
Are you from Quebec or France?
The current projection for Nov 7th is:
GOP 50 -5
DEM 48 +4
IND 2 +1
Which keeps the Senate in GOP hands unless the two independents side with the Democrats for Senate control.
Deeply saddened, greatly disappointed and gravely disheartened as well - to say nothing of his being irredeemably stupid.
-PJ
Al Gore is in the running too. Otherwise why would Hollywood have made such a big deal of his insipid little movie?
Sorry but Mr.D is only one of the growing numbers of Dems who have suddenly exited the public scene.
To hear Hugh Hewitt tell it just now,it's pretty embarrassing.
...and it's not just a few bad eggs,
it's a whole mess of characters. His recount of Harold Ford's "abbadabbaing" is painful, but it is only one of a slew of ghastly exits by these numerous "Angels fallen from Grace".
What in the world has happened to the pride in being a Democrat? All this ugliness!
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