Daschle needs to be gone by the end of this congress, period...

[Hippo_Tron]

The GOP doesn't even like him even though he is an incredibly weak leader for us. Start naming your choices for replacements.

[dobak]

1. and...

are you suggesting that you want him to lose?

While I have some problems with Daschle, he comes from a conservative state, so what do you expect from him?

If he loses, I can guarantee that SD will give us some Right Wing nutball instead

[agates]

21. Not just any RW nutball

If Daschle loses, it'll be to John Thune, * and Rove's lapdog.

[truebrit71]

2. Dick Durbin of Illinois springs to mind

..God I miss Senator Wellstone...

TB

[dobak]

3. me too....

What a great man

[ComerPerro]

18. Yes!

He is outstanding

[neverforget]

4. and replaced by who? South Dakota will go repuke if it's not Daschle.

He should be replaced as Minority Leader but not as Senator.

[Hippo_Tron]

13. Agreed...

I don't think he should be voted out of the Senate (well actually that's for his state to decide) but I think as Democratic leader he shouldn't have too many problems getting re-elected since the job is basically the second most powerful position in the senate.

[rwheeler31]

5. Please do not do this

bashing dems in the know does not help.

[KittyWampus]

6. Daschle's Done A Decent Job

And I question whether anyone else would've done better. Anyway, he's certainly a favorite whipping boy around ere.

[Democat]

7. Daschle sucks, but he's a symptom of a bigger problem, not the cause of it

Try to imagine someone doing a worse job than Tom Daschle, it's pretty hard. We lost the senate under his leadership.

The problem is that he is representative of the current group of elected Democrats who are undermining our party.

We have a lack of leadership and lack of vision in the entire party.

If Daschle goes, and I think he should have resigned from the leadership position after the 2002 failure, then who will take his place?

It's not just Daschle that's the problem, it's our party.

The Republicans are fighters, for the most part, the Democrats are not.

[Woodstock]

17. Agreed, you summed it up well

How about Feinstein as leader?

[demgrrrll]

10. I agree, no one is going to vote exactly the way you would want them to

100% of the time. That is as impossible as I like everyone and everyone likes me.. No reality there either. I think he has been weak at times. The question is what is his overall voting record compared to the most moderate Republican? Exactly the same? I don't think so but I may be wrong.
I would like to hear from someone from his home state in regard to his re-election potential and what he is up against. He did write to me about his re- election campaign and requested a donation and quite frankly I am considering sending one unless someone can convince me that there is another far superior alternative person that would have an equal chance of being elected in that state.

[Democat]

15. Who cares about his home state when talking about Senate leadership?

Most of us don't argue that he shouldn't be a senator for his home state.

Zell Miller is probably a great senator for his home state.

Would you want Zell Miller to be the Democratic leader of the Senate?

No.

As our "leader" in the Senate, Daschle cannot just be judged on how he represents his home state, he must be judged as the person who lost the senate for Democrats. He is a proven failure as a leader.

There is no reason he shouldn't be a senator, but there are proven reasons why he shouldn't be the Democratic head of the Senate.

He failed.

[eagler]

12. Embedded Freepers

nt

[Woodstock]

19. How much time do you have?

I've got 20 names that would have done better. This is about Senate leader, not whether he should be a Senator.

[dansolo]

8. Daschle should have been voted out as leader

Daschle was a big part of why the Democrats lost in 2002. He did nothing when he actually had the majority.

[JVS]

9. "period..." You slay me!

[Eloriel]

11. I want him out of the Senate too.

Send him back to the minor leagues.

Eloriel

[RapidCreek]

24. I agree and he is my Senator

I campaigned for the vacillating limp dick. Never again. He is scared, weak and easily cowed by the Rethugs. Dick Durban should without a doubt be the minority leader. He is tough, principled, a very powerful, confident off the cuff speaker not the least bit frightened of ANYONE. He meets any blow the Rethuglicans deal him...one better and that is what we need.

So the hell what if the fuckers in my state choose to elect a pimp like Thune....they need a dose of reality....nothing like holding your hand in a fire for four years to learn that it's hot.

RC

[La_Serpiente]

14. They should put in...

I am not sure ...ROBERT BYRD OF WEST VIRGINIA....and after him, probably Kennedy afterwards.

[Cocoa]

16. I say keep him, period

the GOP hates him, and ironically one of their "lines" against him is that he is weak.

Limbaugh calls him "puff."

Kinda weird that DU rhetoric on Daschle matches the Limbaugh rhetoric.

[Woodstock]

20. Even a broken clock is right twice a day

They are going to diss anyone we put in there.

That doesn't mean he doesn't suck.

He IS weak.

We need someone who:

1) is in a solid Dem state (so they can vote the straight Dem platform without worrying about being re-elected)

2) has fighting spirit and isn't afraid to speak up loud and clear and outfox the foxes

3) who can rally the troops

[RapidCreek]

25. One if not the only time Limbaugh has ever been correct

about anything. I couldn't agree with butt cyst boy any more....and Dascshle is my Senator. The mans testicles fell off years ago....though he is still more of a man the Rush will ever be.

RC

[millsaps28]

22. Yes!! He Needs To GO

As majority leader, that is. Don't get me wrong. I think he did a good jod in 1998 keeping the Democratic coalition in the Senate together, ensuring that President Clinton wound not be indited (in fact not one Dem Senator voted for inditement). However, that should have been a wakeup call that the days of moderation were over. Unwittingly, Daschle, Gephart, and there friends kept up the facade of moderation, even when it was clear that the republicans had long abandoned any meaningful bi-partisanship. There were so many oppurtunitites over the last 2 years to nail Bush (even as minority leader) that he should hang his head in shame for letting them slip by. One exampe of his weakness is illustrated by his reaction when the Democratic senators were snubed by the Repugs and the British had to offer them touring vehicles. His reaction was shameful. IF fact, it was so weak, I cant even remeber what he said, but I remember my reaction to reading it, and trust me, it was weak. This is not what we need at this time. Our backs are against the wall. Quite frankly, I am supprised that it has taken this long for someone to bring up the subject of whether/who should replace Daschle. For the record I totally support the replacement of Daschle as Minority Leader in the Senate and I nominate Russel Finegold From Wisconsin to take his place. He has demonstrated his abbility to work with Republicans (McCain-Fiengold) but he is independent and Democratic enough to Vote against the Patriot act, even in the mist of the 9/11 emotion. I've heard him speak on the Senate floor on C-Span and he is passonate. He would be a great leader. We cannot afford another DLC or DLC type leader. It is obvious that the party is headed in another direction, We need a Fiengold. In cloing, I believe that the DU board has grown in its influence with our the hard core party members. I believe it is an incubator of sorts, so I plan on promoting Russell Fiengold for minority leader by doing multiple post and solisiting the help of some very influential DUers. Thanks.

[Democat]

23. This is not the first time it's been brought up

After 2002, many of us screamed that the Democratic party simply was not willing to admit there was a problem. The fact that Daschle wasn't replaced right after the 2002 failure showed that they don't get it.

As long as Daschle stays, it means that those high up in the party perfer being nice losers than winners.

[RapidCreek]

26. Nothing like having a Boeng lobbyist in the Senate!

Think of all the money it brings in to the DLC!

RC