Wow, Daschle is now saying Ellsworth was overblown:
Former Senator Tom Daschle says the debate over the future of Ellsworth Air Force Base during last year's Senate race was overblown.
Daschle says it's impossible to tell whether this year's base closure process would have been any different if he had been re-elected. Republican John Thune defeated him after the two argued over who would be in the best position to save Ellsworth.
Thune said his connections to Bush would be most beneficial to the state, while Daschle argued that his position as minority leader would be better.
On Friday, Daschle downplayed the significance in last year's campaign. In his words: "I think that part of it was overblown from the very beginning."
Now check today’s position with one in May when Ellsworth was put on the closing list:
Daschle also used the issue in the heated campaign, claiming to have kept Ellsworth off the list during the last round of closures when Bill Clinton was president. "This is something I have tried to avoid for many years and something I was involved in stopping 10 years ago," Daschle said in a telephone interview Friday.
Of the election that ended his 18-year Senate career, Daschle said, "South Dakota made its decision and I am at peace with it, but we now have to deal with the circumstances before us."
If I was a Republican Chad Schuldt, I would be saying Daschle lied, Daschle lied. He said during the campaign that only he could save Ellsworth.
