John Thune has issued this press release:
THUNE TO DASCHLE:
DON'T OBSTRUCT CIA NOMINATION
SIOUX FALLS - South Dakota Republican Senate candidate John Thune today called on Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle not obstruct the nomination of U.S. Rep. Porter Goss to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
"I know Porter Goss very well having served with him in Congress and I strongly support him to head the CIA," Thune said. "Senator Daschle's silence on whether he supports the Goss nomination is disconcerting given the deep national security concerns of our nation."
As the Senate Democratic Leader, Daschle has been the partisan point man to obstruct 32 federal judicial nominations in addition to obstructing welfare reform reauthorization, medical liability reform, bankruptcy reform, energy/ethanol legislation, repeal of the marriage penalty tax, repeal of the death tax, a constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration, and the Federal Marriage Amendment to ban gay marriage.
"I urge Senator Daschle to not obstruct yet another important nomination in the U.S. Senate."
Goss was elected to Congress from Florida in 1988. Thune served with Goss from 1997 to 2003 while Thune was South Dakota's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Goss was a CIA case officer for nine years before being elected to Congress where he has chaired the House Intelligence Committee for the past eight years.
"Porter Goss is uniquely qualified to head the CIA," Thune said. "His CIA career is impressive and impeccable but he has not hesitated to provide critical oversight of the agency as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Daschle's silence comes during a week when he is ducking two debates with Thune sponsored by the Sioux Empire Fair, KSFY-TV, Associated School Boards of South Dakota, and School Administrators of South Dakota.
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