Chicken what? (THUNE V. DASCHLE)

Rapid City Journal ^ | august 16, 2004

[AmericanMade1776]

Daschle seeks apology from Thune on statements to staffer

By Denise Ross, Journal Staff Writer

Feathers were flying Friday after the man running Republican John Thune's Senate campaign used a barnyard epithet to refer to Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D.

South Dakota's two Senate campaigns traded barbs Friday over Thune's campaign manager's use of a swearword to refer to Tom Daschle and over Daschle's absence at events hosted by South Dakota organizations.

A fuss over debates, ongoing for weeks, got ratcheted up when Thune campaign manager Dick Wadhams approached a Daschle staffer who was videotaping Thune's remarks and said: "Your boss is a chickens**t. You know that, right?"

The exchange, detailed in a news release from the Daschle campaign, took place at a forum in Sioux Falls hosted by Associated School Boards of South Dakota and the School Administrators of South Dakota.

The Daschle campaign took offense and issued a news release calling for an apology from Thune, Daschle's challenger in the Nov. 2 election.

"Later, Wadhams approached Jeremy again and said, ‘So, let me get this straight. Your boss is too chickens**t to show up, so they sent you here? How do you feel about that?'" reads the release.

The videotaping Daschle staffer is 25-year-old Jeremy Funk.

"Berating young staffers and referring to public officials with obscenities is not how we do things in South Dakota. John Thune owes Sen. Daschle and his staffer an immediate apology," Daschle campaign manager Steve Hildebrand said in the release. "I know Mr. Wadhams is not from South Dakota, but you don't have to be here long to see that this sort of behavior goes beyond the pale of what is acceptable in South Dakota politics."

Thune will not apologize, Wadhams said. Instead, Daschle should apologize for ducking debates, he said.

[pointsal]

These folks need one of those raffle boards with one chicken and a bunch of squares marked Thune or Daschle. The winner is the square with the first or most "poop".

I could have used a more appropriate term, but then it wouldn't be read in South Dakota.

[Cboldt]

Men, if you don't mind, school me here. What are the chances of "Dasshole" getting canned by the voters?

I'm not a poll watcher, and have no idea. I do think it's a bit early to be speculating though. The election is three months away.

If I had to guess, I'd say the election is Daschel's, and he'll have to make a mistake to lose it. The media in South Dakota will promote Daschel hard, and the DEM "get out the vote" machine is well-oiled, and well supported from all around the country.

[tractorman]

Thune should put a rubber chicken in Daschle’s debate chair.

[alwaysconservative]

It would be even more funny (but probably too partisan) to have Thune put up a cardboard cut-out of a yellow chicken at the debates to represent Daschle. Then send out invitations to the press that look like fried eggs. LOL!

[alwaysconservative]

You are absolutely right, and VP Cheney's private comment is nowhere near as offensive (coming as a blunt, frustrated response to Leahy) as the deliberate use of the same word by sKerry in the magazine interview, when he said, for attribution, that President Bush "f'd" up the Iraq war (that he now agrees with, again, for now).

The political discourse is one thing, but I appreciated the fresh air of VP Cheney's honesty to Leahy's hypocrisy while deploring the giggling smugness of those who tattled on this private conversation (while ignoring sKerry's deliberate f-bomb intended for public consumption).

[Mister Baredog]

I know for a FACT that Daschle is NOT a Chicken &#$t. He is an @$$h*le.

Can't he be both, oh please, can't he be both????LOL

[an amused spectator]

The Daschle machine appears to wear its underwear backwards.

MOM! THAT MAN SAID SOMETHING MEAN TO ME!!!

Maybe Little Tommy Daschle can introduce legislation forming a "sensitive" National Football League, for those who are too "offended" by all the violence in the real NFL, since he appears to abhor violence in any form, including verbal.

[anonymous_user]

then it wouldn't be read in South Dakota.

Oh, we get lots of sh*t out here. Smells like money. :)

[chainsaw]

What would a farmer say if chicken Little came into his barn yard and proclaimed, "the sky is falling, the sky is falling"?

A 4 year old had the perfect answer.

"Holy shit, a talking chicken!"

[sweetliberty]

"used a barnyard epithet to refer to Sen. Tom Daschle"

ROTFL! Shoulda called him a little banty rooster....except that a banty rooster has more b**ls.

[sweetliberty]

"he put up a cardboard cut out of the candidate and went on with the Debate."

ROTFL! I like it! You should send it to Thune's campaign.