The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> MAD DASCHLE br> Perhaps Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle plans on making throwing a conniption a weekly event. In which case, we'd like to know the schedule, because his hissy fits really are entertaining. /p>

The inspiration for this week's diatribe, according to Daschle, was a report he read in the Washington Post that quoted the president as saying that Democrats weren't interested in the security of the American people. Bush made this comment while pointing out that Daschle and his Democratic colleagues had stalled the Homeland Security Act, and had otherwise ground Senate business to a complete halt. It now appears doubtful that Congress will even pass a full set of appropriations bills before leaving town on fall recess.

As if to compound his obstructionism, Daschle launched into a ten-minute speech about patriotism and demanded that Bush apologize to Sen. Daniel Inouye, who fought and suffered permanent injuries in World War II. What that had to do with voting on legislation was unclear, but it probably made sense to Daschle at the time as he jumped from one topic to another in a great display of obfuscation. But it wasn't just that he thought Bush was calling Democrats sissies and no-goodniks.

What got Daschle really hot, according to Democrat leadership staff, were the four memos and press releases put out by Republicans in the past few days targeting the Democratic leader as Senate Problem No. 1. The one that really got his goat was entitled, "Tom Daschle: Epitome of a Failed Leader." That memo was faxed off to South Dakota newspapers.

"He's just blowing off steam," says one Democratic Senate staffer. "The White House is winning on the Iraq issue, and Daschle just has to go along for the ride until something else comes along. If the elections get even tighter, I'm sure you'll see more of these speeches on the Senate floor."

p> IN BAD FORM br> Senator John Edwards is playing politics again with a Bush nominee to the federal bench. Last time, it was his show-boating interrogation of Judge

topics:
Business, Law, Iraq, NATO