Daschle says tenor of politics has led to increased threats against him, family

Indiana Gazette ^ | 11/21/02

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle says threats have increased against him and his family and blames talk show host "Rush Limbaugh and all of the Rush Limbaugh wannabes" for an increasingly negative tone in politics.

"What happens when Rush Limbaugh attacks those of us in public life is that people aren't satisfied just to listen," Daschle, D-S.D., told reporters Wednesday. "They want to act because they get emotionally invested. And so, you know, the threats to those of us in public life go up dramatically, on our families and on us, in a way that's very disconcerting."

Daschle was the target of an anthrax-contaminated letter sent to Capitol Hill last year, although he did not mention that incident Wednesday.

He did cite an incident last year when Republicans labeled him an obstructionist. "There was a corresponding, a very significant increase in the number of issues that my family and I had to deal with. And I worry about that," Daschle said.

Daschle, who will be stepping down as majority leader now that Republicans have won back control of the Senate, blamed the problem on the disappearing divide between politics and entertainment.

"If entertainment becomes so much a part of politics and if that entertainment drives an emotional movement in this country among some people who don't know the difference between entertainment and politics, and who are then so energized to go out and hurt somebody, that troubles me about where politics in America is going," Daschle said.

Limbaugh, during his radio show Wednesday, called Daschle's comments "a well-thought-out strategy by the Democrats to counter the influence of this program."

"It's not just against me but it's against you folks, the entire audience," Limbaugh said. "You all now are being characterized as unsophisticated barbarians. You don't know the difference between politics and entertainment.

"This is the continuation of a pattern. Every time the Democrats lose, either elections or a major issue, they blame me, they blame talk radio and they blame you," Limbaugh said.

[RAT Patrol]

So Daschle, with a straight face, calls us names while complaining about the "tenor of politics?" That's a 'rat for ya.

[SamAdams76]

I get the impression that a certain Tom Daschle from South Dakota is not having a very good year.

[goldstategop]

Its been the Year Of The Lost Man From The Teepee in Wounded Knee. Tom Daschle went down like George Custer with the calvalry.

[Diogenesis]

Threatening look? What do you think?

[thegreatbeast]

Being the leader of the Senate under a Republican president gave Daschle a higher profile than when Clinton held that position. More people got to see and know Daschle; he became more prominent in the public eye.
Of course he would get more threats. It only makes sense! How else can you respond to his reptilian demeanor?

[Argus]

Daschle's thought balloon says:

"Good God, I can see clear through to my house from here."

[Revolting cat!]

Me thinks it's the Tom Daschles of this country who don't know the difference between being public servants and celebrity entertainers.

[barker]

Tom, just shut up and go away. BTW Sean Hannity mentioned on his show that, for reasons he didn't want to get into, he can't open his own mail. Threats from Tom's side?

[colorado tanker]

Yep, just hearing that terrifying word "obstructionist" has been known to turn mild mannered men into frenzied, homicidal maniacs.

[Texas_Jarhead]

with all these claims of threats against Daschole and his family I keep thinking to myself. This guy is a US Senator. Senate maajority leader no less. If he is receiving threats then why wouldn't someone be checking it out. Doesn't the FBI, SS, Marshals of somebody check out these threats?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Wouldn't want him to be Vince Fostered.

[Quix]

DASHDULL DASHOLE IS MERELY REAPING WHAT HE HAS SOWN with all his carping, whining and wholesale blaming. Maybe he will keep talking so much he wipes himself off the political landscape. What a nice possibility.

[Boston Tea Party]

Colorado, your dry wit cracked me up!

[Highway55]

"The Dashole doth protest too much, methinks."

[Digger]

I heard that the biggest threat came last evening with a phone call from someone who said today he would sprinkle Dashole with some conservative dust. Supposedly if that stuff gets up your nose you regain a conscience.

[Las Vegas Dave]

HEADS UP:

Someone on FOX said that the Rats might be going after a fairness doctrine, to coincide with the campaign finance act. (Will try to gag conservative talk radio.)

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Hannity to interveiw rush ronight on h&c

[DAnconia55]

Odd that he hasn't considered that it's what he's doing that makes people threaten him.

[babygene]

If he can't take the heat, he should stay out of the kitchen... (original, huh?)

[Solamente]

The little weasel should worry more about standing before God and account for himself.

[snippy_about_it]

The little demonrats always acuse the right of what they, the left are guilty of. Really tommy, you think we are confused between politics and entertainment? Let's see, Alec, Babs, julia roberts, and 95% of hollyweird are your talking heads for crying out loud. What a load.

[Brett66]

Rush actually suckered Daschle into this. He blasted daschole on Friday (I think) about him bashing the president on the war on terrorism. I mean he really laid into him. So daschole was stung by his remarks which caused him to go into this stupid rant on Thursday and then daschole really paid the price for his stupidity. The score so far is Rush: 2 daschole: 0 (and still counting)

[cadillac cowboy]

WOW !! Tommy checks out the ear wax build up of one of the few people he can look down on...har, har.

[intolerancewillNOTbetolerated]

The Democratic Socialists are so zealously offended when they accuse someone of horning in on any of the most popular antics from their playbook. They understandably have come to believe they have a corner on the market when it comes to distasteful behaviors.

[Cate]

oh bring on the rats.... try and silence the mighty force that we are..............

[sarasmom]

You just do not understand!

Daschle in referring to threats against himself, and his family, was talking about the very high chance he will not hold public office upon the end of his current term.

Sheesh, as long as you have been here, and not to pick up on what a Democrat views as a scary "threat" ?The death of his career of feeding from the public trough is his major fear.

LOL!

[Lizavetta]

How many times have we heard the liberals refer to Bush, Ashcroft, Cheney, etc. as fascists, racists, ultra-extreme, etc.???

They're just pissed at Rush and his ilk because they poke fun at the liberals and make them laughingstocks. To put Rush in the 'hate' category is a joke - the worst thing he does is parodies and sarcasm. Some hate.

[sarasmom]

That is the truth!

I love Rush. I will treat myself to his 24/7 column for Christmas this year.I dont agree with everything he says, but everything he says, outside of the sports stuff, does make me think about my viewpoint, and why I think that way.If for only that, he is worth listening too.

He is intellectually my superior, but I am not threatened by that. So is George Will and Ann Coulter.I find it hillarious that right ring intellectuals are so much more humorous and inclusive than "shrill" left wingers.LOL.

[PhilDragoo]

Hahahahahaha.

Daschle has no clue.

He turned red in the face and belted out his best Sarah Bernhardt from the Senate floor,

Apologize, Mr. President. . .

Then, last Friday, Tell-em-Tommy-Boy-Has-Crapped-His-Pants really pooped in his drawers--

What a load of fifth column traitorous crap:

We're not winning the war on terrorism. We're not safer now than September 12th.

What's a normal American to do?

I faxed and phoned and emailed our senators and congressman and president--

"Daschle is the best lobbyist Osama and Saddam ever had."

Now Tommy-Lumpy-Luv sez he's been threatened--

Of course, that's baby poo, Tommy--show us the police reports.

Show us the criminal cases. Show us the Secret Service tossing cribs.

Thus goes the former fraudulent Majority transvestite, not with a badda-bing, but with a whoopee cushion raspberry.

And his wife Linda was just a hooker he did in a hotel, after which he left his family--whoa! Dude!