The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> STARTING IN THUNE br> Dick Wadhams , who in past years successfully steered the initial campaigns of Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard and Gov. Bill Owens , jumped on board the South Dakota Senate campaign of former Rep. John Thune on Monday, in what may be a pivotal race for Republicans. /p>

Thune, in announcing his decision to challenge the troubled sitting Senate minority leader Tom Daschle, said he could not take the easy way out and run for a winnable seat in the House of Representatives, when a historic opportunity awaited him in a Senate run that could tip the scales more solidly for Republicans.

The former congressman is starting from scratch, which apparently is just fine with Wadhams, who joked with South Dakota reporters: "What do you call it when the minority leader has $3 million in the bank and a staff of 30 running against a former congressman with no money in the bank and a staff of two people? I call that a fair fight."

Currently Thune's staff consists of Wadhams and John Wood, who worked for Allard.

topics:
Hillary Clinton, NATO