The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

Tom Daschle took to the floor of the chamber yesterday and unleashed a 40-minute diatribe against the Bush economic plan. /p>

"He looked like an advertising executive with all those charts and things," says wise-acre Republican Senator who watched the show. "Wish we had props like that. Hope the taxpayer didn't have to pay out a lot for them."

But there was very little, if any, substance to Daschle's address. Instead he stayed on the DNC message the party has been touting for weeks. The Senate majority leader charged that Bush was doing little to spur the economy, had failed to address concerns about unemployment and the retirement fund losses Americans had suffered of late. He complained about the shrinking budget surpluses.

"Regardless of what it is we do with Iraq and the war on terrorism, I'd hope this administration can dedicate some of its time each week to economic security," Daschle said. "It takes leadership not only with regard to international and foreign policy, but to help here at home on economic policy as well. We haven't seen it to date."

Daschle wasn't about to show any leadership either. According to a policy adviser in the DNC, party leaders have stressed to their candidates and their various talking head minions not to push ideas leading into the 2002 elections. "No plans for Social Security reform, no plans for appropriations or spending, no plans on Wall Street reform. Details can damage a campaign. The less we say about what we would do the better," says the policy adviser. "That's why you heard a half-hour speech without a single constructive point. It was brilliant."

p>"It's not like anyone is asking us, 'What would you do differently?'" says a Democratic leadership staffer. "All the press seems to care about now is what do Democrats think of Bush and his plans, actions. We're more than willing to address those points. I don't think Daschle has been asked to lay out any Democratic alternatives in more than three months." br> /p>

topics:
Social Security, Iraq, NATO