Thursday, January 05, 2006

Lucas: To run or not to run

What shall it be? The Southern Political Report believes that he will run according to insiders. He has until JANUARY 31, 2006 to file.

Mark believes that the KDP should run someone in the 5th. Dr. Dan Mongiardo or Attorney General Greg Stumbo would mike fine candidates. One rumor I've heard has Stumbo running when Hal Rogers retires. I give Hal another term before he retires because he is too strong of an incumbent. We lose in the first and fifth districts and will regain 2-4, while holding on to the sixth.

Tom Daschle will not return the campaign contributions while John Thune and Tim Johnson will. Thune is donating $2,000 to a domestic abuse shelter located in Mission, SD. Johnson plans to donate the $8,250 to an organization that gives help to Native Americans.
Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, the South Dakotan who was defeated by Thune in 2004, received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from Abramoff's associates and tribal clients. Steve Hildebrand, Daschle's former campaign manager, said Wednesday that he will not return or give away the money because it would be "a big slap in the face to Native Americans across the country."

Hildebrand said that giving the money away would "be a suggestion that he accepted the contributions for the wrong reasons and that's not the case."

He said that Abramoff's associates who donated to Daschle were friends of his campaign before they became involved with the controversial lobbyist.

"These people were helping to raise money for Daschle before Abramoff ever turned up," Hildebrand said.

The South Dakota Democratic party also received thousands of dollars connected to Abramoff, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Party officials would not say Wednesday whether they would return or give away the money.
More on Jon Stewart hosting the 78th Academy Awards. He will take the week off before the awards show. My guess is that he will take the Monday off too.

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