Posted on 12/11/2004 3:09:14 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Tom Daschle says he might consider writing, lecturing or teaching now that his Nov. 2 election loss has cost him his Senate seat and the job of Senate minority leader.
"I do want to affiliate in some way professionally with public policy," Daschle said Saturday in a telephone interview from his Washington home, where he was helping baby-sit his two grandchildren. "I'm also looking at the investment world."
The three-term senator, who led the Democratic caucus for 10 years, lost the nation's highest-profile Senate race last month by 4,500 votes to former Rep. John Thune in an expensive and bitterly fought race.
Daschle said he isn't in any hurry to decide what he'll do. "I don't have any particular plans in mind, but I think I can say fairly definitively that I won't be lobbying."
The Washington newspaper The Hill has reported that Daschle's wife, Linda, now will expand her lobbying to the Senate. She said she did not lobby in that chamber while her husband served there.
Linda Daschle works for Baker Donelson Bearman & Caldwell. Airlines and aircraft companies are among her biggest clients.
Thune and some of his supporters injected her lobbying into the campaign, with some ads saying Tom Daschle profited from her clients in the pharmaceutical industry.
Daschle said making his wife a campaign issue was "one of the most disgusting effects of the campaign, and one of the most unfortunate and sorry displays of bad manners and bad politics."
Daschle, 57, said he probably won't enter politics again.
"I think this is an important opportunity to close the door and move on to other exciting challenges in life. I guess you never say never, but I can't imagine what that new political challenge would be," he said.
He gave no specifics about his plans, but said he will try to spend time on rural economic development, American Indian issues and international affairs.
"I've talked to law firms and investment firms and different educational institutions, and I'll probably do some speaking, and I'm taking a look at writing another book at some point," Daschle said.
His book "Like No Other Time" described the workings of government during the 107th Congress, when events included Sept. 11, 2001, and the anthrax scare.
Daschle said he has no regrets about his last political campaign, saying his 193,000 votes exceeded his goal of about 190,000. "The other side just did a little bit better job than we did."
Daschle won a U.S. House seat in 1978 after a statewide recount gave him a 139-vote edge. He served four House terms before sidelining Thune's Republican mentor, then-Sen. Jim Abdnor, in 1986.
Daschle has devoted his recent days to the lame-duck session of Congress, casting his final vote this past week. He said he also has helped the new Democratic leadership make the transition and tried to find jobs for his staff.
He said he wants to make sure South Dakotans know how grateful he is for the "incredible years I've had the good fortune to serve them. Twenty-six years is a long time in public life, and I've had one of the most enjoyable experiences that anybody in public life could ever hope to have."
Buy crow. Rats are gonna be eating a lot of it over the next 10-15 years.
lucky you.
ZING!!!!
He is probably very concerned too!!!
Do ask her about him.
See if she remembers anything we might relish hearing. :)
I feel his pain.
Surprisingly, Daschle didn't utter the word "concerned" once.
While we pay, he plays.
That's because he is "deeply saddened."
Now, where is the obligatory picture of Tommy sitting on his stool on an empty stage?
He may not be lobbying , but you can bet he will greasing the skids for his wife.
Dash garbageman's wife has made a fortune lobbying for the airline industry. A couple of years ago her gross for one year was $7 million. Of course South Dakota is an "equitable" distribution state on divorce. That means that Tommy garbage lying scum was entitle to $3.5 mill from that one year alone.
Demo lying scum always scream republicans are bought out shills, multimillionaires, etc. They leave out the details about how their people are major benefactors of the money sleaze machine.
Any anecdotes? :-)
see post #20.
There is no need for a lot of changes. But this is one of them.
Dakota doesn't want him, after the stunts he pulled right before the election, he may get lynched if he goes back
Let's make sure this happens. He needs to get a DC driver's license, pay DC taxes and register his car in DC (and get it inspected). That will make your hair turn white, just standing in line to do that!! Once he leaves the Senate he can no longer remain a resident of SD. Maybe he can work on Councilman Marion BARRY's staff?? Or wear that "tutu" I saw on another post at next year's "Drag Races" at Dupont Circle. Semper Fidelis!!
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