tom daschle served as majority and minority leader in the senate and actually got something down.joins me now from the hill. thanks for joining us. >> my pleasure. >> you can't be happy about the track record of the current congress. >> it is unfortunate. there's a lot of polarization, but in addition to the polarization, you have a new problem. that is that members aren't spending a lot of time in washington. as i understand it, the overlap in december alone between the house and the senate is only four days. and ten days between thanksgiving and january 15th. so you've got to be here. you've got to be able to do the work when you are here, but i think schedule is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. >> what do you think of the nuclear option and the decision on filibusters? >> andrea, i don't think that senator reid had much choice. when you leave people hanging for years in some cases with their nominations, i think it's just unfair. and it becomes harder and harder to recruit good, quality people. so i think at this point, regardless of who's president, a republican or democr

tom daschle is from aberdeen, south dakota. there's a theme here. stillwater, minnesota, aberdeen, south dakota. i will tell any south dakota jokes today because tom has heard them all. but i will tell you that we have been personal friends for i guess almost four decades no. tom as i said grew up in south dakota. he is a military veteran. he got involved in politics and became the majority leader of the united states senate. he i think is the only person who has ever served in leadership in the senate. he was majority leader twice and minority leader twice. over a long career, one of the longest in the history of this country. tom is a healt health care expe. he's written two books on this subject to elections across the subject of. is a very close personal friend. he's a senior advisor and he's agreed to join us today. and tom will give a presentation and take some questions and answers. tom, thank you very much. welcome tom daschle. [applause] >> byron, thank you very much for that generous introduction. thank you all for your warm reception this

welcome, tom daschle. [applause] >> byron, thank you for that generous introduction and thank you all for your warm reception this morning. i really appreciate the opportunity to be with you and to talk, as dennis has, about something we all care deeply about. i think it's appropriate that i'm the third in this line of midwestern speakers -- minnesota, north dakota, the gateway to south dakota and it's only appropriate that i come third. [laughter] dennis, byron, and i grew up in states where, in most of the communities, you put entering and leaving on the same post. most kids are about seven years old when they realize the name of their town is not "resume speed." we have a lot in common. you can understand why i'm as proud of dennis's work and commitment as i am this morning. i've known him for close to now 20 years and i had the good fortune to work very closely with him even after i left the senate. and i have the opportunity to work together. it's a real honor to have heard him this morning and to see

welcome, tom daschle. [applause] >> byron, thank you for that generous introduction and thank you all for your warm reception this morning. i really appreciate the opportunity to be with you and to talk, as dennis has, about something we all care deeply about. i think it's appropriate that i'm the third in this line of midwestern speakers -- minnesota, north dakota, the gateway to south dakota and it's only appropriate that i come third. [laughter] dennis, byron, and i grew up in states where, in most of the communities, you put entering and leaving on the same post. most kids are about seven years old when they realize the name of their town is not "resume speed." we have a lot in common. you can understand why i'm as proud of dennis's work and commitment as i am this morning. i've known him for close to now 20 years and i had the good fortune to work very closely with him even after i left the senate. and i have the opportunity to work together. it's a real honor to have heard him this morning and to see

. ♪ >>> tomorrow on the show, debbie wasser man shultz and tom daschle. >> developing news, presidentning of what's described as a full-court press to get people enrolled and turn the page from the flawed rollout. has the white house truly turned the corner? we'll talk with top democratic leader james clyburn. more news on the train derail xt in new york. the train engineer recently started a new early morning shift. plus, sources tell nbc news the engineer said he may have zoned out just before the crash. >>> a winter storm has already blamed on several deaths now pounding much of the nation, ice, snow and possibly some of the coldest temperatures we've seen in years. this is all coming up next on "news nation." is this the bacon and cheese diet? this is the creamy chicken corn chowder. i mean, look at it. so indulgent. did i tell you i am on the... [ both ] chicken pot pie diet! me too! [ male announcer ] so indulgent, you'll never believe they're light. 100-calorie progresso light soups. when you don't have the time, there's new crest 3d white 1 hour express whitestrips. removes ye

democratic leader tom daschle filled the tree only once during his year and a half. trent lott was majority leader, he did it 11 times in five yea years. george mitchell, from maine, a very distinguished majority leader, filled the tree three times in six years. and bob dole when he was majority leader filled the tree seven times in three and a half years. point i'm making -- and then i'll sit down -- is that this majority leader, in an unprecedented manner, has filled the tree over and over and over again. why? to prevent other senators from having an opportunity, as representatives of the 50 states, to offer ideas and improve bills and get us on record on important issues. i hope that we can have a parliamentary motion in just a few moments to allow this tree to be taken down and to allow the elected representatives of the 50 states to come before the president of the senate and before the american people and offer different ideas. and i yield the floor. mr. cornyn: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from texas. mr. cornyn: madam president, in a mo

whether it's bob dole or george mitchell or trent lott or tom daschle, all of a sudden we're cast into a situation here which is sit down and shut up. we got the votes. tough. that's our frustration. i just tell my colleagues, think about this. think about how we can get back to what the senate has been for 225 years. think about what it might be look for you when you're in the minority. you're going to want -- you're going -- not want to go home and tell your constituents and say the other party rules and i don't have any ability to represent you at all. i can't offer any amendment expressing your wishes. i don't even have a chance to get it to a sroeut. i just have to go home and say i was denied the opportunity to even put it to a vote. i remember, of course, senator dole from kansas and senator roberts knows this well, how bob dole would say, look, this is the united states senate. you've got to take tough votes. you're not going to win every one. you're going to have to go home and explain those votes. this isn't just a deny -- don't take tough votes because you don't want to expl

senators that were democrats, bill nelson of florida, senator tom daschle, we tried to do what we could to reach out on a bipartisan basis. sometimes these efforts were futile, i share john's view that why partisanship should be at the core of the future of the faith-based initiative. finally, all of george bush's were fundedograms by congress and helped countless americans. first the compassion capital fund, second a program for the mentoring of the children of prisoners, third, the access to treatment and recovery program he started for drug addicts. he used vouchers to choose faith-based organizations if they wished. were funded byfourth, the president reentry program and then five, the helping america's youth program. when you look at these accomplishments and you realize what was done against a pretty strong head wind, you have to realize that president bush's efforts were not in vain. the defense of faith-based organizations from discrimination have to continue. unfortunately today, we see government hunting faith-based organizations like my little university emma ave maria univer

senators that were democrats, bill nelson of florida, senator tom daschle, we tried to do what we couldh out on a bipartisan basis. sometimes these efforts were futile, i share john's view that why partisanship should be at the core of the future of the faith-based initiative. finally, all of george bush's signature programs were funded by congress and helped countless americans. first the compassion capital fund, second a program for the mentoring of the children of prisoners, third, the access to treatment and recovery program he started for drug addicts. he used vouchers to choose faith-based organizations if they wished. fourth, the president reentry program and then five, the helping america's youth program. when you look at these accomplishments and you realize what was done against a pretty strong head wind, you have to realize that president bush's efforts were not in vain. the defense of faith-based organizations from discrimination have to continue. unfortunately today, we see government hunting faith-based organizations like my little university emma ave maria university in s

welcome, tom daschle. [applause] >> byron, thank you for that generous introduction and thank you all for your warm reception this morning. really appreciate the opportunity to be with you and to talk, as dennis has, about something we all care deeply about. i think it's appropriate that i'm the third in this line of midwestern speakers -- minnesota, north dakota, the gateway to south dakota and it's only appropriate that i come third. i grew up in, and states where, in most of the communities, you put entering and leaving on the same post. most kids are about seven years namehen they realize the of their town is not "resume speed." we have a lot in common. you can understand why i'm as work anddennis's commitment as i am this morning. i've known him for close to now 20 years and i had the good fortune to work very closely with him even after i left the senate. and i have the opportunity to work together. it's a real honor to have heard him this morning and to see him again doing such good work. andme also

before him, majority leader tom daschle only did it once in a year and a half. majority leader trent lott of mississippi did it ten times in his five-year tenure as majority leader of the united states senate. majority leader george mitchell did it only three times in six years, and majority leader robert c. byrd did it only three times in two years. in other words, this used to be an extraordinarily rare use of the tool that the majority leader has to block amendments to legislation. by the way, majority leader bob dole did it seven times in three and a half years, about once every six months. by contrast, majority leader reid has done it 70 times, 70 times. and what recourse does the minority have when they are blocked out of the legislative process on the senate floor? well, the only tool we have available to us is to block cloture because it still takes 41 votes -- excuse me, it takes 60 votes to get to a final passage of legislation. but when the minority exercises its rights, then we're called obstructionists. because the majority leader has blocked any am

agreement that these rights need to be protected so there is bob dole or george meshaal trent lott or tom daschle of a sudden we are tasked with the situation which is sit down and shut up. we've got the votes. tough. that's our frustration. and i would just tell my colleagues think about this. think about how we can get back to what the senate has been and what it might be like for you. you're going to want to go home and told your constituents the other party rules and i don't have any power at all. any ability to represent you at all. i can't offer any amendment expressing your wishes or any other chance to get into a code. i just have to go home and say that i was denied the opportunity to even put it through a vote. i remember the senator from kansas and senator roberts knows this well. he would say it's the united states senate. you have to pay top votes. you're going to win every one. going to have to go home and explain those votes. but don't take tough votes because he wanted to explain it to people back home. stepup, the date. you might win and you might lose but we are here to vote and

tom daschle was going to be the secretary of health and human services. glen reports in the piece, he was a can any washington operator. a former majority leader of the senate. when he was going to take the job he specifically negotiated for an officer in the west wing of the white house and status as a senior adviser to the president in addition to that cabinet portfolio. his nomination was derailed because of an un-related tax problem. but i think there was always a sense among the political operative he had the kind of political juice that she never did. of course, in a crisis so needed. >> host: john harris. the president should in order have americans trust health care and thrust the government again. the president should send that message and fire someone. >> >> guest: yeah. as i understand it and gibbs made that comment. it didn't surprise me. it is a classic problem that presidents face. in bush-cheney years there was a lot of this. okay we somebody's heads needs to roll to still the political waters. and sometimes that works. and sometimes it rea

senators that were democrats, bill nelson of florida, senator tom daschle, we tried to do what we could to reach out on a bipartisan basis. sometimes these efforts were futile, i share john's view that why partisanship should be at the core of the future of the faith-based initiative. finally, all of george bush's signature programs were funded by congress and helped countless americans. first the compassion capital fund, second a program for the mentoring of the children of prisoners, third, the access to treatment and recovery program he started for drug addicts. he used vouchers to choose faith-based organizations if they wished. fourth, the president reentry program and then five, the helping america's youth program. when you look at these accomplishments and you realize what was done against a pretty strong head wind, you have to realize that president bush's efforts were not in vain. the defense of faith-based organizations from discrimination have to continue. unfortunately today, we see government hunting faith-based organizations like my little university emma ave maria univers

tom daschle was going to be the secretary of health and human services and as was pointed out in thee, he was very canny and when he was going to hit, he specifically negotiated for an office in the west wing and status as a senior advisor. his nomination was derailed because of an unrelated tax think there was always a sense among political operatives that he had the kind of political juice that kathleen sebelius never did in a crisis. what do you make of robert gibbs saying in "the new york times" today saying that the president should send the message and fire someone? i certainly understand it and he has made that comment on other platforms and it does not surprise me. it is a classic conundrum that presidents face. , therebush cheney years were certainly a lot of heads needing to roll in order to still the political waters. sometimes that works, and sometimes it just amounts to an acknowledgment of weakness. dick cheney would argue that if you threw them a scalp, the pack of wolves will get hungrier for another scalp." i am sure that that is the debate taking place in obama's mi

and so i experienced under robert byrd and then republican bob dole and then tom daschle, democrat, trent lott, republic republican, i experienced respect for the rights of the minority even though i was in the majority. they were sacrosanct. and no one really stood up and said, let's take those rights away. and those that did were shot down by their own party. our party made an attempt at that. sense and reason prevailed. and it was imposed by those who had been here saying, you need to understand the unique role of the senate that's been created by our founding fathers, enshrined in the constitution. 225 years of tradition and history. to have the majority leader, the senator from nevada, come here and say, we're taking that away. what we had promised to do -- that is, keep the rules -- we're going to break them and we're going to impose on you, because you are dragging out the time it takes to secure nominations, we're going to impose on you, we're going to take away your minority rights and we're going to rule by majority. as i said, i understand the frustration that must have been fe