MAD DASCHLE
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.
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.”
IN BAD FORM
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 Charles
Pickering. This time, it’s a less public display of
senatorial hubris.
The White House nominated Raleigh, North Carolina lawyer
James Dever to the U.S. District Court for the
Eastern District of North Carolina, but Edwards apparently feels
miffed that he wasn’t consulted on the nomination.
As a result, the junior senator and presidential wannabe has
declined to sign and turn in to the Judiciary Committee a
nomination form senators from a nominee’s home state are required
to file before the nominee can be scheduled for a confirmation
hearing. The office of Jesse Helms filed its form
promptly.
Edwards has told the White House and the Judiciary Committee
staff that he’s still examining Dever’s record, and probably won’t
get around to filing the form, if ever, until after the election
recess. Dever, though, wasn’t viewed by anyone — White House,
Judiciary Committee, Justice Department — as a controversial
pick.
“Not even close,” says a Justice Department staffer. “This is
just the kind of thing Republicans up on the hill should be
screaming about. One lousy form, one senator bottles up the whole
process.”
Edwards apparently is miffed that none of the names he has put
forward for the federal bench has been considered by the White
House or Justice Department.
