Posted on 08/10/2007 6:10:15 AM PDT by gridlock
Calling national Republicans “sad” and “desperate,” former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) decried their pledge to begin pursuing an aggressive campaign against his ill former South Dakota Senate colleague, Sen. Tim Johnson (D).
In an e-mail to supporters issued by Johnson’s campaign committee, Daschle criticizes National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) for saying he would push forward with an effort to defeat Johnson in 2008.
(snip)
“Tim’s focus should be on his recovery to serve the people of South Dakota, not fending off classless political attacks from national Republicans,” Daschle wrote. “That means we’re not going to sit back and wait for the right-wing slime machine to attack Tim Johnson. We have to fight back.”
The seat is a top Republican target, and the national GOP’s efforts to win it have been hampered by Johnson’s health problems.
Last month, state Rep. Joel Dykstra became the first major Republican candidate to join the race.
(snip)
“It’s acceptable for Democrats to fundraise for Sen. Johnson but it’s over the line for Republicans to say the seat is a focus? Sounds like the very definition of hypocritical to me,” said NRSC spokeswoman Rebecca Fisher.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
This is straight out of the Twighlight Zone!
If the Donks run Johnson, the Republicans will have to approach the issue with tact, but I think that the argument that a Senator should be able to perform his functions should resonate with the voters.
So I guess he’s deeply saddened?
Seriously, both sides of the aisle put “red-meat” into fund raising letters. So F’in what? Tiny Tom can say what we wants when shaking the money tree. 9 out of 10 of these letters go straight into the circular file anyway, maybe more.
Daschle is also still deeply troubled, and likely to come up short again.
If you are a lion, you chase the slowest wildebeast.
He posted that just for the headline, I bet........
If Senator Johnson is so ill that he won't even be able to make a run next year, maybe the best service he could make is to retire to focus on his recovery and allow another person to take his place in the Senate.
Oh, wait, the governor would replace him with a Republican, and we know that wouldn't be of service to Reid and the rest of the donks.
Yes, every Republican’s health and age are to be questioned, yet the same not done against a democrat, who is in obvious dire straight in regards to his health.
This is just sleight of hand from the attention whore Tom Dashole. He wants the spotlight on Johnson's condition so he can step in and graciously offer himself as the Demokrat Senate candidate when it becomes apparent that showing up for debates wearing a drool bib and a diaper is not a winning strategy for Johnson.
Why not? All of the rest of them are. If you took all of the politicians, Republican and Democrat, and laid them end-to-end, they would still never reach a conclusion.
Why not, they do it ever six years.
So running someone from the other party for the Senate seat is mean because it won’t allow Johnson to focus on his recovery. LOLOL
Perhaps relinquishing his Senate duties would be a more direct way to permit him to focus on that recovery.
If the dead can vote, the incapacitated can run the government.
What it illustrates is that you don’t actually have to do anything to be a Senator. Just sit around and collect your paycheck while everyone worships you.
On 23 November 1969 he suffered a severe stroke and was subsequently unable to attend sessions of Congress, although he received extensive speech and physical therapy. His wife, Mary, led his staff in Mundt's place and refused calls for the crippled Senator to resign. Mundt was stripped of his committee assignments by the Senate Republican Conference in 1972, but he remained in office through the end of his term on January 3, 1973. He did not seek reelection in 1972.
Mundt was a good guy too. Despite the fact that his wife did a credible job of managing his office and making sure constituent services got done, they did not even think about running him for re-election.
If Johnson, as Daschle assures us, is totally fit to go back to the Senate in September, why doesn't he give at least a radio interview to the South Dakota media?
So, let me get this straight. The Democrats want to run a man who is incapacitated for the US Senate, and the Republicans are being condemned for daring to run anybody against him...
This is straight out of the Twighlight Zone!
Yes, a place tiny tommy daschle inhabits to this day...(chuckle)
Six years ago Johnson cheated John Thune out of his victory. Thune had a 900 vote win until 1500 votes were “found” on an Indian reservation. The Indian woman who “found” these votes eventually went to prison for voter fraud and Johnson went to Washington. tiny tommie is a hack that should not be listened to. The more he objects, the more people will hear about Johnson’s real condition.
Whaaaaaa!
Doen’t bother us with governance and performance!
Can’t you see we’re way too busy being victims and accusers?
Too funny!
ding, ding, ding ... we have a winner.
Don Pardo, tell bikerMD what he's won for posting Tiny Tom's real motives.
Good analogy there!
I am sorry but Senator Johnson's health is no reason why the GOP shouldn't aggressively campaign against him. And his health is just as legitimate an issue as his voting record is.
Why should Johnson be any different?
There are at least 50 other dem’s in the Senate who are incapacitated, to one degree or another.
- Inability to reason,
- Inability to see,
- Inability to articulate,
- Inability to hear,...
Mundt was a Republican. Mundt and his party had honor, and did the right thing.
Geez, Tom, I don’t think “Tim’s focus” is on much of anything.
It’s like a Weekend at Bernie’s,and I’m paying for this crap!!
Just as Nixon refused to challenge the 1960 election, regardless of all the evident vote fraud that effectively stole that election from him. He didn't want to be part of a "constitutional crisis". Then along comes whiney ass al gore in 2000. I hate every liberal tactic and everything they stand for.
They have no honor, no patriotism, no values, they are the lowest form of life.
After Florida 2000, I knew that there was no limit to what the Democrats would do, no depths to which they would not sink, and no amount of damage that they would not be willing to inflict on the Nation, in their relentless pursuit of power.
I don’t limit that condemnation to Algore. The whole Party went along. There was not a single Democrat who stood up to say “enough”, for the sake of his country.
This is true, but isn't it ironic how things worked out? Thune proceeded to retire Tom Thumb in the very next election and Tim Johnson is now having to fight for his own seat from a rehab center.
Who do the Republicans have on the bench now?
Daschle Wants Taxpayers To Fund His Remake of "Weekend at Bernie's!"
HF
The RATS are used to running dead people and demanding that repubs not speak ill of the dead.
Johnson is not room temp so they figure he can represent his state even better than some of their prior candiates.
It amazes me that voters do not see the constant dissing they are getting from this sham of a party.
Yes. he’s deeply saddened that the republicans would even DARE to run someone against Mr. Johnson. I feel sorry for the man and wish him well, but I still want to see him defeated.
They were openly routing for Jesse Helms and Strom Thurman to die.
Just one vegetable standing up for another.
I think Daschle could be lining up to run for Johnson’s seat in 2008. He has to get his name back out there in the public eye.
Congratulations. You are now going to star in Daschle's next fund-raising letter!
The Republicans are going to have to be a little bit graceful and tactful, here. If we can keep from being jerks, the people of South Dakota will appreciate that the Republicans are taking the matter seriously. If we whoop and hollar, call people names and insult the handicapped, we will hand this thing to the Donks.
Your choice.
It does look mean to attack Sen. Vegetable. He clearly serves the state of South Dakota near-dead almost as well as he served them while alive. Shame on us.
Who let Daschle out of the loonie farm? What a wimp.
I agree that Senator Johnson's focus should be on recovery. At present he is incapacitated. Although I feel for the man, this does not mean that the people of South Dakota should be handicapped. They deserve a fully functional, intellectually active person willing and able to represent their interests.
It is apparent Mr. Daschle cares more about the interests of the Democratic Party than he does the people of South Dakota. Then again, he always did.
The Dems have come full circle and have no where to go with their juvenile arguments. Here’s how the new logic is applied”
No Pubbie can run against a Dimwit who is ill because that is mean spirited.
No Pubbie can dare to contradict a Dimwit alleged war hero like Kerry or Murtha.
Dingy Harry Reid knows infinitely more about fight a war than Gen Patreus.
It’s just fine to bash Republicans at funerals for Dimwits who were respected by people from both sides of the aisle.
etc, etc.
They've kept dead people on the ballot (Mel Carnahan, Patsy Mink) and won!
Would you reme,ber to put that info on EVERY Johnson/Daschle thread please? I had NO idea there was a person responsible for VOTE FRAUD that went to prison...and Johnson didn’t resign....he SHOULD have asked for another election.
In both cases state election laws required it.
This blurb must have been written by a Democrat. This senator was "crippled," but never mind the political incorrectness of using the word "crippled" to refer to a disabled person, as long as it does the job. Of course, Johnson is "recovering." Also, Mundt was "stripped" of his assignments by an obviously cold and callous Republican caucus. The democrats would have "relieved" him of his duties. They care.
We need to start organizing NOW to stop the MASSIVE Democrat Voter Frauds we will will face next year.
Volunteer to be a poll observer...
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