2/24/2007

The return of Tom Daschle?


With Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota undergoing intensive rehab at George Washington University Medical Center, the question of whether he will be able to run for reelection for his Senate seat in 2008 has yet to be asked, primarily out of respect. However, while I was thinking about this very question the other day it occurred to me that the former Senate Majority and Minority Leader Tom Daschle, who was ousted from his Senate seat in 2006 by John Thune, could make an easy trip back to Washington if he were to run for Senator Johnson's seat. I have not run across anything so far in the media indicating that Daschle has even considered retaking his seat, but I assume it has at least occurred to him.

If he were to run again, Daschle could throw a wrench in the gears currently running the Democratic Majority, which has scored its first electoral victory in over a decade. I am not sure how the Democratic caucus accounts for temporary absence when determining seniority, but it could make for interesting C-SPAN drama if a Daschle return sparked a battle among Dems for party leadership.

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