Daschle helping state party recruiting

By Dennis Gale, The Associated Press | Friday, March 14, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

SIOUX FALLS -- The South Dakota Democratic Party, which has been in the minority for years in the Legislature, is getting some big-name help in its effort to gain some seats.

"I'm calling people who are considering running for the state Legislature," former Sen. Tom Daschle said Thursday during an interview in Sioux Falls.

Daschle said, however, that he doesn't have an official role in the state party other than being a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention.

But he said he'll help the party when he can. "I think we've got something set up in Aberdeen to do a fundraiser up there one of the next times I'm coming home. Other than that, that's all I'm doing."

The state party is considering opening its June 3 primary to independent voters, and Daschle said he thinks that would be a good move.

"I'd love to see more participation," said Daschle, national co-chair of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid. "South Dakota has been a state that has encouraged participation but only rhetorically, and I think it would be great to say we're going to open it up and let people vote and participate, especially with a candidate like Barack who seems to draw a lot" of independent voters.

Both Obama and the Republican nominee-in-waiting, Sen. John McCain, attract independents, Daschle said.

A decision on allowing independents to vote is expected March 22, when the state Democratic Party's central committee meets, Rick Hauffe, Democratic Party executive director, told the Argus Leader.

A tight deadline probably will keep that change from happening this year, he said, adding that he's sure independents will be allowed to take part in future primaries. Currently, South Dakota only lets registered party members vote in their respective primaries.

"It should be a wonderful party-building device," Hauffe said.

Asked whether open government might be an issue in state races in 2008, Daschle said he hopes it is. In the 2008 session, legislation failed that would have created a presumption that state government records are open unless they're specifically closed.

Government transparency is important, the former U.S. Senate Democratic leader said.

"It would be interesting to see how many states are as opaque as this one is. ... I think it's just appalling that in this day and age that we have to say that."

Asked to respond to some political observers' musings about a political future for Daschle, he said he would not even comment on speculation that he could be a replacement candidate if Sen. Tim Johnson, who suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2006, had a medical problem during his re-election campaign this year.

"I won't answer that," Daschle said. "He's not going to have one, and I'm proud of his recovery. He's just doing a phenomenal job."

One political blog has speculated about a 2010 rematch between Daschle and Sen. John Thune, who defeated Daschle four years ago.

"That's not going to happen, either," Daschle said.

Daschle, who bought his family home in Aberdeen some years ago, said he and his wife thought about buying a home in the Black Hills and had just about signed the papers when he became the target of a conservative radio talk-show host.

"Rush Limbaugh attacked me for buying land next to federal land that had pine bark beetle and I had introduced legislation to fix the pine bark beetle, so he was accusing me of some sort of a special interest thing, and it got to be very controversial in the Black Hills, and I said I don't need that, so we just gave it up," Daschle said.

Things ended up working out better, he said, adding "I want to thank Rush Limbaugh."

Daschle is a senior policy adviser at the Washington law firm of Alston and Bird.

Associated Press writer Tena Haraldson contributed to this report.