Is this why Daschle was so passive?

I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake, or in denial. But I just never really allowed to myself to consider the possibility that Daschle was SCARED.

I knew all about the anthrax attack, which was actually decently covered by CNN, which I was addicted to at the time. I can still see that block printed envelope in my mind with his name on it.

He would not be paranoid to see it as a warning; he would be stupid not to. I just never wanted to think of it in those terms. I wanted to believe that he wouldn't let himself be intimidated, even as I raged against his inaction.

Bur, really, isn't that the simplest explanation?

...I can't blame him much for that, we are going to loose a lot of good people who just don't care to be smeared and dragged through the mud and possibly be in danger for their lives and the lives of the ones they love. It really is a toxic business.

I never heard that.

A tremendous shit-storm is coming ...

That is the reason Kerry conceded so quickly.

They have proved they will stop at nothing to get their way. They will lie, cheat and allow thousands to die so that their PNAC plans move forward.

Since there has never been a resolution, arrest or even further attention paid to the anthrax attacks, any reasonable person could surmise there are sinister forces at work, and they are working on the opposition to the PNAC planners.

...."who needs this kind of danger" and walk!

of attention to politics, could you tell me something about what Daschle was like before the anthrax business.

In any event, I think that if you can't do your job due to fear for your life, you have an obligation to either get out of the way for someone who is less afraid, or else scream bloody murder about it until there's an appropriate investigation.

I can't say that I'm really unhappy about Daschle's defeat. I think Reid is displaying much more backbone.

I like what you said about Daschle's obligation to get out of the way or to scream bloody murder. I also like Reid. As far as how Daschle behaved before the anthrax, I'm afraid my memory is faulty. Somehow I don't think he was ever that aggressive toward *, but perhaps others remember more clearly.

Thta's why our "leader" should always be someone who can "afford" to be bold.

During the window of oppportunity when Jeffords jumped, and Daschle did NOTHING, I was furious.

That was the perfect opportunity for the Dems to play a little hardball, and at least initiate some official investigations into some of the scummier dealings of this admin. Once started, and publicized, they would have been hard to stop...but he played footsie with the repubes..and poor ole Jeffords ended up jumping for nothing really.

he didn't see this whole post 9/11 thing as a new departure such that "as we must think anew, so we mustr act anew" and speak anew. He didn't have in him to break out of his "Washington insider" ethos and begin to fight and resist the gambits of Bush in new ways. He didn't have the courage of his convictions ort at least didn't speak from the heart as to what those might be.

A congenial, pleasant, soft-spoken guy. Not bad as a local politician, but decidedly NOT suited to be Senate Minority Leader.

As a Democrat in a very Republican state, he was very hesitant to step far away from Bush.

In fact, he semi-endorsed Bush's war on terror.

He was a good man in a no-win situation.

The "Get Daschle at all Costs Campaign". Whiney repukes talked about him on cspan...His name was dissembled on the internets (Dasshole) by repukes. I guess it was the way for the little people that have no power to tear him down. But they got their talking points from folks like Rush, Hannity and countless other hate radio jocks. The final push was Gannon working hard to drag Daschle's name in the gutter with lies. It worked.

There is a reward side of equation as well.

Your typical politician never rocks the boat too much nor does he stake all on one fight.

I read an article which suggested that his spouse made a lot of money on the airline bailout after 911. After all it was free money for all after 911, a virtual looting of the treasury.

Why rock the boat and take very real personal risks when you are becoming extremely wealthy? Go along and get along.

These creeps can not be fought by one man alone.

They sabotaged him, most definitely.

I believe that he really won this last go around, but because of election fraud was denied the spot.

and he should have backed up his speeches in Congress with actions. For example, he went on a very long speech against the proposed invasion of Iraq and then he went and voted for it. Is the kind of leader the Democrats want? No. He brought it all on himself and no amount of anthrax would have helped Daschle. He said one thing and did another.


John

democratic diplomacy in the early years and could not change his mo. He was like all the rest of the Dem politicians....he was way too late in changing behavior. Did he ever don Rove armor?

He and many others including Kerry had to/have to know about the theft, treachery, and lies and the attempts to throw out the constitution and run a secret government....but few of them put their foot down. What did Daschle and Kerry do for the vote thefts of 2000 and 2002? To be precise - voting machines. Exactly what? Answer that and you might have the answers to some bigger questions.

Where was his line in the sand?

They failed/fail to see the right wing push to reverse all the progress of the last 100 years - or they see it, but can't talk about it?

Our voices were/are Byrd, Wellstone, Kennedy, Conyers, Sanders, Boxer, Kucinich, Dayton, and a few other good souls, while Daschle (and Kerry) spoke/speak to the Repubs in diplomatiqese.

I may be totally unfair. I think his seat was probably stolen. He probably lost an unbelievable amount of sleep during the time he served. Living under the scare of anthrax or your plane being taken down while commuting must be a harrowing way to live.

I probably sound like an ungrateful pita because the assault by Rovians is serious and massive and we don't need to pile on, but the DNC, DLC types have to figure out how to put their foot down - how to save us.

patsies that participate in the coertion & personal attacks and baiting and all.

Sorry for you guys. My people in Canada can still put a long stick between them and the WH.

I mean- if he was too scared to do the job he'd been elected to do, he could always resign.

I think Daschle's problem is that he's a career politician from a DLC era. A moderate Republican, in other words.

the DOJ wasn't going to do anything about it, probably was pretty discouraging.

both bu$h and cheney personally contacted Daschle and "asked" him to "limit" the 9-11 investigation. What, exactly, did they say to him?

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/01/29/inv.terror.probe/

but I wonder why he listened, unless he was afraid?:shrug:

It was right after he elected not to filibuster the medicare bill, and Kennedy wrote that screed about not "forming a circular firing squad" and how Dashcle had "steel in his spine" or something.

I was like "huh"?

Of course I was none too pleased with Kennedy when he played footsie with * on NCLB. He's been better since.