Thune targets Daschle

The Aberdeen American News ^ | Jan. 06, 2004 | Carson Walker

[Sockdologer]

By Carson Walker Associated Press Writer

SIOUX FALLS - South Dakota will again have one of the most watched U.S. Senate races this year after an announcement Monday by John Thune that he will challenge Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle.

''Starting tomorrow I will begin filing the necessary paperwork to enable me to raise money and start organizing a campaign for the United States Senate,'' Thune, a Republican, told a GOP gathering in Sioux Falls.

Thune, 42, said last month he would not be a candidate for his old job - the U.S. House seat now held by Republican Rep. Bill Janklow, who plans to resign Jan. 20 and is scheduled to be sentenced two days later for causing a fatal accident that killed a motorcyclist. A special election will be held June 1 to fill Janklow's seat.

While South Dakotans aren't ready for another long campaign, it takes time to raise money and put together a staff for a race that will shape the country for years to come, said Thune, who unsuccessfully challenged Sen. Tim Johnson in 2002.

''The 2004 election will be historic and defining,'' said Thune, who expects to formally announce his plans in about a month.

Thune, who served in the House from 1997-2003, said he was asked to run for the House again and did think about it but concluded the Senate is in need of leadership and decided that is where he can make the biggest difference.

''The truth is the House isn't where the problem is,'' said Thune.

In a statement, Daschle said the question that should drive the 2004 election is what is best for South Dakota.

''My leadership position in the Senate gives South Dakota an unprecedented opportunity to put our priorities on the national agenda and deliver for this great state,'' Daschle said.

''I look forward to this campaign as an opportunity to discuss my record of accomplishment for South Dakota,'' he said.

Republicans hold a 51-48 majority in the Senate, with one Democrat-leaning independent. Five Democratic senators and two Republicans plan to retire after the current term.

Unlike 2002, when President Bush invited Thune and his wife to dinner and lobbied for him to run, the decision to enter the race this year depended on advice from family and people from South Dakota, said Thune.

''We made this decision without a lot of input from folks in Washington, D.C.,'' Thune told reporters Monday evening. ''This is really John Thune and the people across South Dakota driving this thing.''

Thune lost the 2002 Senate election by 524 votes. In that race, Thune and Johnson each spent about $6 million on their campaigns. Third-party groups spent an estimated $12 million on behalf of each.

Daschle has set a goal of raising at least $10 million for his re-election and started airing television commercials in July.

Thune said he isn't worried about Daschle's financial and organizational head start and he doesn't think he will have a problem raising the money needed to run his campaign.

''I don't know how you can spend that amount of money anyway,'' he said of the $10 million Daschle hopes to raise.

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said a Thune-Daschle matchup means a lot of GOP money will also flow into South Dakota.

''I think it will be even bigger than in '02,'' he said.

Thune won his last two House terms with more than 70 percent of the vote.

Daschle, 56, has won seven statewide elections, and his last two Senate terms with more than 60 percent of the vote. He's running for a fourth Senate term after previously serving in the House.

An independent public opinion poll conducted Oct. 30- Nov. 2 in South Dakota showed Daschle with 50 percent support to 44 percent for Thune. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 5 percentage points.

''This is going to be one of Daschle's toughest races ever, House or Senate. It's going to be another one of those 500-vote races,'' Sabato said.

Thune's entrance in the race brings another Republican's exodus.

Neal Tapio of Sioux Falls said he had been exploring a run against Daschle. He earlier said that if Thune got in, he would get out.

As he did in 2002, Thune is expected to contend that he could work with President Bush and an expected Republican majority in the House and Senate to get things done for South Dakota.

The risk to Thune is high, Sabato said.

''If he loses both Senate seats, he's finished,'' he said. ''This is his last shot.''

[Sockdologer]

Notice the poll on the left hand side of the page.

Though I'm sure no Freeper would do anything to influence a poll given by the main newspaper in Daschle's hometown...

[Support Free Republic]

Rank	Location	Receipts	Donors/Avg		Freepers/Avg		Monthlies
21	Arizona	285.00	8	35.62	346	0.82	100.00	10

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Move your locale up the leaderboard!

[JohnnyZ]

Thune 50
Daschle 20
Neither 4

[annyokie]

What's this fellow's bio? I have seen him mention here frequently, but know nothing about him.

Thanks!

[Bush Cheney]

I agree that this is a very important article, but

try this lovely tool.

[anonymous_user]

I hope Thune and Co. open a few of these...

[Vigilanteman]

''My leadership position in the Senate gives South Dakota an unprecedented opportunity to put our priorities on the national agenda and deliver for this great state, obstruct the war on terrorism, ensure that nobody but the far left is approved for judges and generally be a turd in the national punch bowl'' Daschle should have said.

This is not a do or die race for Thune, but for Daschle. Thune already has proven statewide appeal plus courage in taking on well-financed incumbents with a large fraud machine behind them. Notice also buried in the article he has drawn a higher percentage of the vote in his house races than Daschle has done in a Senate race. Daschle won his first election contest by less than 200 votes. His luck will run out, like McGovern in 1980.

[ILuvW]

I would be excited about this, but there's so much voter fraud in that state (naturally benefitting the Dems) that I find it hard to believe he could actually get a victory out of it. Let's hope the good people of South Dakota will spread the word about voting OUT Daschle.

[af_vet_1981]

The risk to Thune is high, Sabato said. ''If he loses both Senate seats, he's finished,'' he said. ''This is his last shot.''

The risk to Daschle is higher. He is the Democrat Minority Leader in the Senate. Someone should explain that to Sabato before he gives his next expert seminar ...

[randita]

Thune came into the Congress during the '94 GOP sweep, I believe. In 2000 he resigned his House seat to run against Tim Penny for the Senate. It was nip and tuck until the end when a lot of questionable shenanigans on the Indian conspired to give Penny the edge. It was close enough that it could have been challenged and the possible fraud investigated, but Thune conceded and survived with his reputation untarnished to run another day--apparently now.

If, and it's a big if, Bush manages a historic sweep, he might very well sweep Thune right in with him. Sweet.

[Digger]

I don't think Thune has the killer instinct necessary to pop off Dashole. Let's hope but I guarantee you having 60 pubbie senators or more does not guarantee you any conservative agenda. Would like it to happen to prove my point.

[JohnnyZ]

Penny = Johnson, unless that's an inside joke . . .

[annyokie]

Thanks!

[oprahstheantichrist]

"Thune lost the 2002 Senate election by 524 votes."

Yeah, I remember that. I'm from the Chicago area. Looks like any election involving Daschle (or his power) is going to be like a mayoral election here.

Just wondering, is there any way to get the reservation precincts counted first?

[AgThorn]

And how does South Dakota rate these two?

Poll (1 of 1)

451.1 

If the U.S. Senate election were held today, who would get your vote?
John Thune
	74 votes (75%)
Tom Daschle
	21 votes (21%)
Neither
	4 votes (4%)
99 people have voted so far1/6/2004 6:40 pm

[nicmarlo]

South Dakota will again have one of the most watched U.S. Senate races this year after an announcement Monday by John Thune that he will challenge Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle.

* * *

An independent public opinion poll conducted Oct. 30- Nov. 2 in South Dakota showed Daschle with 50 percent support to 44 percent for Thune. The poll's margin of error was plus or minus 5 percentage points.

-------------------------------------------------------------

(Please Freepmail me if you want on/off Daschle ping.)

[ancientart]

"I agree that this is a very important article, but try this lovely tool..."

Careful with the sarcasm. Though this article starts the same as yesterday's American News story, it's a new and fuller article. The Thune/Daschle poll wasn't there Monday either.

[nicmarlo]

It's not the same article, Bush Cheney....I didn't ping on the article from yesterday....it lack the more specific information (I was actually looking for) contained on THIS thread.

[Dog Gone]

If Thune was elected to the House by 70% of the voters, in what was essentially a statewide election, he will be a formidable candidate against Tommy.

Stop the fraud in the reservations, combine it with a Bush rout of Dean, and we could be dancing in the streets.

[nicmarlo]

Stop the fraud in the reservations, combine it with a Bush rout of Dean, and we could be dancing in the streets.

I certainly do hope that lots of South Dakotans are out in full force this time, from now until election day, watching for fraud.....especially as pertains to the reservations. Sweetliberty, do we know what the outcome was of the woman charged re voter fraud there on the reservations? (I can't remember her name.)