Daschle moving on from politics

By Dennis Gale, Associated Press Writer | Sunday, December 12, 2004

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SIOUX FALLS - Author, lecturer and teacher are among titles Tom Daschle says he might consider now that his Nov. 2 election loss has cost him the moniker of Senate minority leader.

"I don't expect that I'll be lobbying," Daschle said Saturday from his Washington home, where he was helping to baby-sit his two grandchildren. "I do want to affiliate in some way professionally with public policy. I'm also looking at the investment world."

Daschle, a three-term senator who led the Democratic caucus for 10 years, lost the nation's highest-profile U.S. Senate race last month by 4,500 votes to former U.S. Rep. John Thune in an expensive race that many labeled as nasty.

Daschle said he won't be in any hurry to decide what he will do. "I don't have any particular plans in mind, but I think I can say fairly definitively that I won't be lobbying."

The Washington newspaper The Hill has reported that Daschle's wife, Linda, now will expand her lobbying to the Senate. She said she had not lobbied in that chamber while her husband served there.

Linda Daschle works for Baker Donelson Bearman & Caldwell. Airlines and aircraft companies are among her biggest clients.

The former Senator didn't offer specifics on what kind of job or position he is interested in but said he will try to spend time on rural economic development, American Indian issues and international affairs.

"I've talked to law firms and investment firms and different educational institutions, and I'll probably do some speaking, and I'm taking a look at writing another book at some point," Daschle said.

Asked whether he wants to teach, Daschle said: "Yes, yes. I would consider teaching or lecturing over a period of time."

Daschle, 57, flirted with a run for president in 2004. But on Saturday, he said he probably would not enter politics again.

"I think this is an important opportunity to close the door and move on to other exciting challenges in life. I guess you never say never, but I can't imagine what that new political challenge would be," he said.

He said he and his wife have decided not to replay the election or muse about the what-ifs and whys. "I am very proud of our campaign," Daschle said, adding that he has no regrets.

He said his goal was to attract about 190,000 voters, and he got 193,000. "We exceeded our goal, as far as turnout goes. The other side just did a little bit better job than we did."

Daschle won a U.S. House seat in 1978 after a statewide recount gave him a 139-vote edge. He served four House terms before sidelining Thune's Republican mentor, then-Sen. Jim Abdnor, in 1986.

Campaigning has become much more expensive over the years, but negative campaigns are nothing new, Daschle said.

The 1980 campaign that pitted Abdnor against another three-term Democratic senator, George McGovern, was "a very, bitter and vicious attack on (McGovern's) character and on his record. So negative campaigns, unfortunately, have been a part of politics, and we tend to forget them as time goes on."

The 2004 Senate campaign in South Dakota also was negative, "but it's certainly not the first time," he said.

Daschle said he is pleased that Indian voters have turned out in greater numbers in recent elections. "That's a dramatic change from the way it was when I first started."

Daschle has devoted his recent days to the lame-duck session of Congress, casting his final vote this past week. He also said he has helped the new Democratic leadership make the transition, tried to find jobs for his staff and packed up items from his offices. "We'll be at that for another couple weeks."

He said he wants to make sure South Dakotans know how grateful he is for the "incredible years I've had the good fortune to serve them. Twenty-six years is a long time in public life, and I've had one of the most enjoyable experiences that anybody in public life could ever hope to have."

Daschle said he might even drive around the state to talk with people as has done in the past, visiting each of South Dakota's 66 counties annually.