Thune to challenge Daschle in '04

The Washington Times | Jan 5, 2004 | NA

[neverdem]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Former South Dakota Republican congressman John Thune is expected to announce Monday he will run for the U.S. Senate.

Thune is scheduled to speak at the Lincoln County, South Dakota, GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner. Republican sources inside the state say they expect him to make it official that he will challenge Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in the 2004 election.

The possibility that he would challenge Daschle, a leading critic of the Bush administration, has been widely forecast since Thune lost a bid for the Senate in 2002 by just over 500 votes to Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson.

State GOP Executive Director Jason Glodt told United Press International that "All signs point to yes," though, he cautioned, nothing would be official until Thune's speech.

"If (Thune) listens to what the voters of South Dakota are telling him to do, then he'll run," Glodt told UPI, noting that the state party headquarters had been inundated with messages supporting a Thune challenge to the Senate's leading Democrat.

Daschle won 62 percent of the vote in his 1998 re-election campaign, one in which more than 250,000 South Dakotans voted. George W. Bush carried South Dakota in 2000, taking 60 percent of the more than 300,000 votes cast.

[neverdem]

I'm sure Daschle is deeply, deeply saddened.

[Fresh Wind]

Worried, too.

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[billorites]

"John Thune is expected to announce Monday he will run for the U.S. Senate. "

Better thuner than later.

[hotpotato]

From what I'm reading, I don't see why Daschle would be all that worried. He won his seat with 62% of the vote which is a hefty margin. And Thune lost, albeit a small margin, in 2002. Why would Thune beat Daschle? Would like to see it happen, though. More so, would like to see Boxer replaced but I'm not sure that can happen. Both Boxer and Daschle have been playing the quiet card.

[speedy]

We all hope Thune destroys Daschle. But realistically, if he could not beat Johnson, and if Tom Thumb got 62 percent last time, is there any realistic chance he could actually win? Any Freepers have a good handle on this?

[RWR8189]

I'm saddened, deeply saddened.

[exit82]

The Pubbies better take the vote fraud seriously this time. That's why Thune isn't already a Senator.

[demkicker]

Great quip! Thune's campaign should use it.

I bet the farm that Daschle will come up with some excuse not to run. His ego couldn't bear a potential defeat & he knows W's coattails are huge. I predict he'll need some sort of surgery (hehehe....plastic or lobotomy) and won't be able to dedicate enough time to run a "respectable" campaign. Presto, he's off the hook and able to retire and crawl into his spider hole.

[mwl1]

First, this is great news... it will drain a fortune of Democratic money nationwide to try to save Daschle... even if Thune loses, he can get a cabinet or sub-cabinet appt in the second Bush term. And we will make the RATS go broke nationwide pouring a fortune into SD, draining their resources elsewhere.

Now, in response to your question, Daschle and his fat little porkchop, junior senator Tim Johnson, made the argument to South Dakota voters that Johnson's re-election was critical to having another majority vote in the Senate and also keeping Daschle as majority leader. Unfortunately, too many stupid people bought this line, albeit cushioned by a lot of voting corruption on the Indian reservations. The RATS stole the election in South Dakota.

Instead, they got Johnson as a minority senator and Daschle as the minority leader. Daschle cannot pitch the line that voting for him gives South Dakota anything, because there's not a chance in Hell the RATS will regain the majority. The only card Daschle can play is that he has seniority, which doesn't win a lot of Senate races outside of the South. It didn't help Bill Roth in Delaware at all, where ignorant people traded in the chairmanship of the Senate Finance Committee for a washed-up, blow-dried phony named Tom Carper who now sits in the minority backbenches of the Senate and who can deliver nothing for his state.

The delicious irony in the whole 2002 and 2004 cycles in South Dakota is that Daschle may have saved Johnson, only to have put himself at significant risk. Had Johnson lost to Thune, then Thune wouldn't be challenging Daschle this year. Serves him right for stealing the election.

It's a real pity that this circumstance has come back to haunt Tom Daschle... just a pity... I may lose sleep over this... NOT.

RATS are nothing but a bunch of scheming liars, and I am being charitable in my assessment. This Thune challenge is just desserts for the RAT slime.

[Jeff Gannon]

Thune would not enter this race unless he had promises of substantial suppport from the RNC and assurances that vote fraud would be addressed.

A recent poll shows Daschle and Thune running even. Daschle has never been more vulnerable.

[Tall_Texan]

This time, I hope Thune demands a recount (unless he wins, of course).

[Cobra64]

Tom Thumb, "I am saddened. Deeply saddened. Life has not been fair to me. Even though I'm paid $158k a year for trying to destroy the Republic; I may lose my next Senate term."

"What to do... what to do?"

Mommy !!! Help!!!

[paul in cape]

Thune could win. He lost to Johnson last time because 1) Dead Indians kept voting until the 'Rats found out how many votes he needed, and 2) Daschle convinced enough people that the Dems were going to win back the Senate.

There's no way for the Dems to control the Senate, so Thune has to run his campaign to bring a Republican voice to the people of South Dakota.

This race will definitely get Bush's attention and coattails, and Thune's entry could convince baby Tommy to "retire!"

How Sad (/sarcasm)

[billorites]

"Daschle will come up with some excuse not to run."

Like a tenured chair in academia?

He's always wanted to teach, don't 'cha know.

[Salvation]

Good news for South Dakota -- a red state!

[Jeff Gannon]

He will not drop out. On the Ed Schultz show today, he declined to endorse any of the Democratic presidential candidates. He said, "I've got my own race to run."

Watch for him to craft an interesting voting record while his henchmen launch an all out assault on Thune.

[demkicker]

Like a tenured chair in academia?

He's always wanted to teach, don't 'cha know.

By George, I think you've got it! He'll not be able to resist poisoning legions of young minds full of mush.

[hotpotato]

Ok. Thanks. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I don't see how Thune can really offer any more at this point than Daschle can but if voters are reminded of the voting fraud, that might be enough to convince them. Voting fraud hurts *all* voters.

[mwl1]

You are correct, he will temporarily drift to the right, but unless he lets the circuit judges through, not much of that stunt will garner any traction in SD. Tiny Tom is between a rock and a hard place.