Tom Daschle: Clintons Are "Very Combative"

Political Players: Former Senate Majority Leader Says Barack Obama Can Turn the Page

(CBS) 

CBSNews.com: What baggage, in particular, are you referring to that you think would be an impediment to Senator Clinton becoming as effective a president?

Tom Daschle: Well, without enumerating all the things that occurred in the 90's, all of us--Democrats and Republicans--were at each other's throats a lot. And that combativeness is something that goes on today.

I mean, the Clintons are a very, very combative couple. And they understand that that's their best tactic, their approach. They were very combative before the South Carolina primary and, I think, paid a price for it. They have now since become less combative. But that is how they've learned to survive, is to be that combative, to be that confrontational.

What Barack is saying is, "I don't want to take that style and approach." I don't want to have to go back to the days when we were at each others throats and attempted to try to resolve things through force rather than through reconciliation and a real effort at reaching out to the other side to find common ground.

CBSNews.com: If you assume Senator Obama becomes the nominee, do you worry that Senator McCain can say to people, “Imagine a foreign policy crisis. A terrorist has just struck the United States. Who do you want to be sitting in that chair? Somebody with zero foreign policy experience? Or somebody with 25 years of foreign policy experience?”

Tom Daschle: Well, the American people have faced that question many times in the past. They faced it with Ronald Reagan. They faced it with Bill Clinton. And they'll continue to face it. And I think what the American people are looking for is not a wealth of Washington experience. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld had a wealth of experience. Look what the mess is that they created over these many years that they've been in public life.

We don't want to see that mess again. What the American people want is good judgment. They want to be able to say, "Look, we want somebody who's smart, who's good about bringing in a circle of people that are probably independents, Republicans and Democrats, who can help him work through these decisions."

But somebody with the judgment and the understanding of these issues that maybe doesn't relate to all the Washington experience, but just the good common sense that comes with the kind of experience Barack represents.

CBSNews.com: Does Senator Obama completely rule out serving as Senator Clinton's running mate?

Tom Daschle: You know, I haven't really talked to him about that. I would assume that he has. But I think he'd much prefer to look at Hillary Clinton as one of the people on his short list. And he's said that publicly. And I'm sure he holds that view today.

CBSNews.com: Do you rule out serving as Senator Obama's running mate?

Tom Daschle: For the most part. I don't expect to be asked. I think he has a wealth of good talent that he can choose from. And I don't think I'm going to be on anybody's short list. But I'm mainly interested in making sure that he’s the next president and will do anything I can to help.

---

Tom Daschle served three terms in the United States Senate and became majority leader when James Jeffords switched parties in 2001. He was first elected Democratic leader in 1994. In the history of the Senate, only Lyndon Johnson served fewer years before being elected to lead his party. Daschle's re-election defeat in 2004 resulted in the first ousting of a Senate party leader since 1952 when Arizona Senator Ernest McFarland lost his seat to Barry Goldwater. Before the Senate, Daschle served eight years in the House of Representatives, five years as a Senate aide, and three years as an intelligence officer in the Air Force. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University and is married with three children. Daschle endorsed Senator Obama in February 2007 and has been a key adviser to his campaign. He is currently a Special Policy Advisor at the law firm Alston & Bird LLP, visiting professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

[cfin5]

Posted by williamparta at 11:14 PM : Feb 10, 2008-----Please define what kind of "change" he means for us. Back to the Constitution which has proven to work,....or socialism which does not?

[williamparta]

It is becoming more evident that the majority of Americans are voting for all the wrong reasons. Instead of voting for a Democratic nominee Candidate based on policy and what each brings to the table as Candidates, We find that most Americans are voting based on Race and or gender. This is primarily what is wrong with this Country. We continue to not look past the color of our own skin, and whether we are men or women, when trying to solve the common problems of our society. If we continue down this path, We will continue to see the rise of other Countries turning against us and will ultimately lead to the decline of a once great nation. I''m white and voted for Obama, not because he is black or male but because I believe He is the better candidate. I think he has the best answer for fixing the problems we face in this country
today. It was a decision that took time to win me over. But, after seeing what each candidate brought to
the table. His plan seemed to be the clearest.

[cfin5]

Still waiting and hoping that democrat and republican voters realize this election is not about which party wins, but rather which ideology wins. It''s about world globalism versus national sovereignty,......our founding fathers wisdom versus the modern day progressives. This is why a lot of dem''s are bewildered at why their leaders installed and support NAFTA and now SPP that will indeed wipe out Unions for good. Don''t think that a lot of republicans aren''t in the same boat of disgust towards their party leaders as they are just as guilty. Come on people! Discern the shell game that keeps us bickering and see what really gets accomplished quietly out of the mainstream press. I can''t do you homework for you to convince you to these facts. You MUST be completely honest with yourselves and check out your own leaders with whom you have to do!.......before it''s too late to even discuss these issues legally.

[eddynewhope]

jdukes - Many Dems including Hillary Clinton already have jumped parties and support the GOP. This is evident in the Clintons numerous votes to support the war in Iraq, NAFTA, Iran, etc. etc. etc. I think it''s fair to say that a lot of Dems will go Indi if she is nominated. Look for a centrist Indy to appear if the race is McCain/Clinton since the middle 60% will be wide open for the taking.

[ammovet-2009]

And if Obama wins, I will vote McCain. Like his mentor Rev. Wright, Obama''''s religion appears to be essentially racial and political rather than universal or spiritual or behavioral, although they appropriate traditional Biblical vocabulary for expressing it. The Old Testament expresses a primarily racial religion as well, so it''''s better suited to Wright and Obama''''s wants than the universalist New Testament. Similarly, the Afrikaaners'''' Dutch Reformed Church found much inspiration in the Old Testament. In summary, Reverend Wright went with Minister Farrakhan to visit Col. Gadaffi in 1984, three years before Obama decided to join his church out of all the churches he had visited as part of his ethnic organizing. And in November 2007, Reverend Wright gives Minister
Farrakhan a lifetime achievement award named after himself. There seems to be a pattern here, one that somebody as astute as Sen. Obama would have noticed long before. The Farrakhan connection is not an anomaly, it''''s a window into the now-historically important question of who Obama ... well, not into who Obama is (that''''s a complicated question), but into who he has long wanted to be. And Obama? He doesn''''t hate anyone-he''''s going to be a uniter, not a divider, like Bush was. And if you believe that, you''''ll believe anything!!

[jack3213]

First they didn''t want Chelsea to do anything afraid that the media would emabrrass them. Then they let her out to call upon ''celebraties'' to support ''her mother'' and are astonished by a comment that otherwise could be taken in jest but nonetheless unprofessional. Double standards and hypocritical politicians are an embarressment, more so than the media. When will the tears fly again I wonder?

[jdukes12-2009]

Here''s a problem the Obama camp isn''t seeing. A lot of Hillary Dems will jump party and become McCain Democrats if Obama is the candidate.

[ioweign]

The words ''''President Hilary Clinton'''' scare the living heck out of me.

Posted by nottellin1 at 05:23 PM : Feb 08, 2008


Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran - scare the living heck out of me...

[jack3213]

"However, I became Chelsea''s mother long before I ran for any office and I will always be a mom first and a public official second. " I WANT A ''CANDIDATE'' WHO IS NOT SELF ABSORBED WITH THEMSLEVES FIRST. COUNTRY FIRST, FAMILY SECOND.

[cakemanjb]

Tom knows that Clinton would bring with her , a House divided , another do nothing congress , and more Clinton scandals in the "Peoples" White House.

[tbweb]

I wish the U.S. Congress could Vote on the candidates even though it would not officially count just to see who they would pick, of course if they all Voted along Party lines it wouldn''t mean much, but if they could Vote anonymously on the candidates in the race I think it would be very telling! I would love to know who they would choose.

[chyke1]

Well spoken, Tom!!!!

[croft777]

Tom Daschle,
anyone in their right minds know its to dangerous to pick up and leave right away out of Irac, let alone leave the Iraqi people mad . Obamas ideas are no good. Hillary said she will get them out as soon as posible, but carefully. Better an alive soldier comming home then a dead one. I''m sure their parents would agree. Obama thinks hes going to unite the world when he can''t even unite the whites and blacks. The muslim nations where their are the extremist is people we just don''t want to feel comfortable about calling them are friends.I''m sure you noticed that they have made war with the rest of the world, anyone who is not muslim. They are a decietefull people that cannot be trusted in no shapes or forn at this time.

[ajmarine1]

alanrobisch2,


Adviser in Tawana Brawley Case Pays Off Defamation Award


Published: November 7, 2001


http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE1D71339F934A35752C1A9679C8B63

[alanrobisch]

Posted by AJMarine1 at 07:10 PM : Feb 08, 2008
JUNe of what year

[ajmarine1]

as far as I know he never paid the fine.

Posted by alanrobisch2 at 06:34 PM : Feb 08, 2008


Mr. Sharpton paid off the judgment against him in June with the help of a group of supporters that included Percy E. Sutton, the former Manhattan borough president, the lawyer Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. and Earl Graves Jr., the president of Black Enterprise magazine

[alanrobisch]

mean, all of us have the right to disagrees with juries. If people feel that you did it wrongly, they have a right to pursue an action, and you should stay and stand up and pay the penalty of that. I did. And so should others, including, in this case, Mr. Imus.




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

Posted by AJMarine1 at 04:32 PM : Feb 08, 2008

as far as I know he never paid the fine.

[morris1030]

DASCHLE FAMOUS FOR LOSING THE DEMOCRATS AND A TOTAL LOSER. ONE OF THE ALL TIME CAVE IN ARTISTS AND WORST BURNT OUT POLITICIANS EVER. I FEAR FOR THE PARTY IF HE HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. HIS PERFORMANCE IN CONGRESS WAS A CONTINUAL DISGRACE. PERHAPS HIS WIFE IS STILL A LOBBYIST AND HE SEES A REBIRTH FOR HIS CAREER. THIS CREEP IS ASTOUNDING WHEN HE CALLS THE CLINTONS "COMBATIVE". THIS, FROM A MAN WHO WAS KNOWN TO LACK STONES?

[morris1030]

Daschle is a burnt out failed democrat who wussed and compromised so much I generally took him for a tepid version of a Republican. He screwed up bigtime in congress and of course, anyone with the political savvy and stones of the Clintons would be seen by this weak pol as "combative". His support of Obama and hitting on the Clintons is expected.

Obama''s involvement with Tony Rezko, slumlord, of taking kickbacks for land while Rezko was under federal investigation was more than "boneheaded" as Obama says. While accepting sweetheartland deal money with Rezko he continued taking money from his neighbor, friend, patron, and soon indicted Tony Rezko. Obama and his lawfirm arranged govt subsidies for rehabbed low income homes for 17 years for Rezko in Obama''s district.[ 11 bldgs] that systematically denied heat,repairs, & foreclosure of thousands of apartments. Not a peep from Obama. There''s lots more in Chicago and as reported last week in NY Times, Exelon, USA''s largest nuclear plant provider''s lobbyist gave $227,000 to
Obama, and his votes in senate regarding nuclear energy have been dicey and compromised. So much for Obama''s fibbing about taking no money from lobbyists. when Obama accused Hillary of working with WalMart...GUESS WHAT?? Michelle Obama served on WalMart board for years as paid boardmember, and resigned prior to Obama''s run for senate.

[voter1111]

Yikes! The trolls are out.