Thanks For Taking That Thorn Out Of My Side

Now go away and die. That's what the Ellsworth Air Force Base closing is to John Thune. Thune ran hard on the issue when he took out Tom Daschle in last year's election. Now he must be thinking "et tu, Bushte" as the Pentagon is preparing to take a quarter of a billion dollar shit on South Dakota. Thune told his constituents that he had the president's ear on the issue. From the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

But Thune is in a unique position, having defeated a Senate leader in Tom Daschle. In part, that stems from the fact that Daschle was able to get Ellsworth off a closure list 10 years ago. Daschle has said Ellsworth was on the initial list before it became public. But it was removed after he had conversations with President Clinton and his staff, according to an Associated Press report.

"Tom Daschle successfully defended the base in the 1990s when we did this the last time," [Bill] Richardson said. "John Thune will be queried hard about his ability to defend it now with his close relationship with the Bush administration."

Ouch. Looks like a one and done type situation.