Reply #10: The White House chose to target Daschle for defeat for a couple of reasons

[snippy]

One reason was to give the republican base an individual target for the focus of their hate. Stoking the insatiable appetite of the republican base for hatred prevents them from focusing on what the republican party is doing to them and the country.

A second reason was to use the defeat of Daschle as a threat to other democrats in an attempt to prevent them from opposing Bush on any issue. The republican party now uses "Daschle" as a verb, as in "Watch what you say and do democratic Senator X or we will Daschle you." Or "Senator X needs to be Daschled."

Gannon's obsession with Daschle was merely the result of following instructions from the White House.