Monday, July 05, 2004
An interesting letter to the Aberdeen News notes a problem John Thune has with being the GOP leadership's golden child - he's unlikely to be able to challenge the party when it acts against the interests of South Dakota.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has recently acted to delay a bill by Tom Daschle to fund the Veterans Administration. The letter's author, Dennis Hahnemann, cleverly throws down a gauntlet for Thune:
This will be interesting to watch. Would the GOP give Thune enough leeway to condemn a partisan action such as this? More stories like these will seriously damage Thune.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has recently acted to delay a bill by Tom Daschle to fund the Veterans Administration. The letter's author, Dennis Hahnemann, cleverly throws down a gauntlet for Thune:
My challenge to Thune is pretty simple: Condemn the actions of Frist for playing politics with vets' health and well-being and pressure him to support the Daschle legislation. If Thune really wants us to believe he would have any influence in Washington, this would be an easy way to prove it. For some reason, though, l doubt that Thune would have either the political courage to call Frist on his actions or the influence to change how Frist acts. Not very becoming of someone who thinks he deserves to be a senator.
This will be interesting to watch. Would the GOP give Thune enough leeway to condemn a partisan action such as this? More stories like these will seriously damage Thune.
