It will probably make Thune’s day, but really it is not a compliment He has done nothing to make himself stand out in the crowd of repug wannabees. They don’t even vote for them at their own repug conventions;
Offering an earnest assessment of the 2012 landscape, DNC Executive Director Jennifer O’Malley Dillon acknowledged on Friday that among a field of generally flawed (in one way or another) Republican presidential candidates, there is one who genuinely scares her.
“This is personal but John Thune is somebody that I am worried about. I’ve worked in South Dakota with Tom Daschle,” she said. “[Thune] just a guy who’s just doing his work… who not everyone is following.”
O’Malley Dillon didn’t elaborate much further. But her take on Thune, while broadly shared both in Republican and Democratic circles, was a bit more rare and candid than DNC officials generally make. And it would be curious to see what the chatter of Thune as the dark horse of the Republican field does for both his standing within the party and his own internal deliberations about his political future.
Speaking on a panel at Netroots Nation about the current electoral landscape, O’Malley Dillon addressed issues more pressing to the 2010 elections than the next presidential cycle. But in addition to her comments on Thune, she did acknowledge that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush stands out from the rest of the GOP field for his nuanced position on immigration reform — a policy platform that could win him kudos from Hispanic voters.
John Thune:
Voted with Republican Party 91.0% of 324 votes. (Sep 2007)
Voted YES on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress. (Mar 2006)
Voted NO on expanding the Children’s Health Insurance Program. (Jan 2009)
Voted YES on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium. (Mar 2008)
Voted NO on allowing tribal Indians to opt out of federal healthcare. (Feb 2008)
Voted NO on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility. (Nov 2007)
Voted NO on restricting business with entities linked to terrorism. (Jul 2005)
Voted NO on limiting soldiers’ deployment to 12 months. (Jul 2007)
Voted NO on comprehensive immigration reform. (Jun 2007)
Voted NO on restricting employer interference in union organizing. (Jun 2007)
Voted NO on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D. (Apr 2007)
Voted YES on limiting medical liability lawsuits to $250,000. (May 2006)
Voted NO on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D. (Feb 2006)
Voted NO on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics. (Nov 2005)
Voted NO on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug. (Mar 2005)
Voted NO on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox. (May 1999)
Voted YES on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M. (Feb 2008)
Voted YES on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million. (Mar 2007)
Voted YES on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts. (Aug 2006)
Voted YES on permanently repealing the `death tax`. (Jun 2006)
He certainly can be trusted to recite the day’s talking points to Fox and the Argus.
Still can’t believe no one challenged this D-Bag?
and wasn’t his daughter the one in that roosevelt bus scandal a few years back?
No. I actually checked into that. That was a really, bad rumor. Someone told me it was just an average girl that was trying to become popular.
Yeah, it wasn’t her.
Roger Simon said in his column today that Sarah Palin is a “hick and a rube,” however he still thinks she has a chance in the 2012 election because of her ability to connect with the base of the republican party. Simon ends his column by saying that “considering her likely opposition–Romney, Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee or Haley Barbour–tell me she has no chance.”
Once again in all the names that get listed as possible republican candidates no one adds John Thune to that list. It seems to be a figment of someone’s imagination that he is a prime candidate.
The best possible way for Obama to be re-elected is for Sarah Palin to win the GOP nomination.
Thune might actually pose a challenge.
Ron Paul would actually get my vote against Obama.
I’d love to see some legitimate competition against Obama, but if the best the GOP can throw against him is Palin or Thune, I’m going to have to stay home in November.
I see they are all excited over at the War College about John Thuule being Prez. He will fall flat on his face.
No one ever talks about Thune running for pres. except his people that plant his name all over. Haley Barbour’s name gets mentioned more then Thune’s name for Petes sake.