Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), who will be the new minority whip, told reporters that Democrats were not intimidated by the election results but would have to "be careful to pick our battles" in light of the lost seats. It is a "gross misrepresentation" to suggest that Daschle and others were defeated because of opposition to Bush legislation and nominations, he said.
Clinton weighed in yesterday on the Democrats' future, saying in a speech in New York City to the Urban Land Institute that Democrats should not be demoralized by Kerry's defeat and should resist the temptation to "sit around and whine," according to an Associated Press report.
While president and in the early part of Bush's term, Clinton regularly urged his party to try to seek constructive compromise whenever possible, on the belief that voters want results from their politicians. Now he believes that the party must be more aggressive in response to Bush's partisanship, according to Democrats who talk with him regularly.
Simon B. Rosenberg, president of the New Democratic Network, devoted to making the party more competitive, said he and many Democrats used to believe the key to success was to play down overt partisanship and seek common ground where possible. But many Democrats, he said, in the Bush era have concluded this approach is naive.
"What's changed in the Democratic psyche in the last two years is that we believe we have to oppose the Republicans because their agenda is not just different from ours but that it's dangerous," Rosenberg said. "We don't see ourselves arguing in a debating society between two alternative points of view. . . . We are fighting with a missionary zeal."
Sen.-elect John Thune (R-S.D.), who defeated Daschle, suggested that nothing would make him happier than for the Democrats to take this approach. "There's going to be a hesitancy by some of these [Democrats] to get too far out there" resisting Bush's agenda, he said, because they know from Daschle's experience, "if you do that, there's going to be a price."
John Breaux (La.), who is leaving the Senate, was among the Democrats who most frequently worked cooperatively with Bush in the first term. He urged Democrats to become more comfortable talking about faith and values.
"Running against the Republicans and God at the same time is almost an impossible task," Breaux said.
But the legislative agenda may make this repositioning hard. If Bush appoints social conservatives to the federal courts, including a potential Supreme Court opening, several Democrat legislators said they will have no choice but to resist aggressively. "If he does seek our advice before he makes the nominations, I think it will go a lot smoother," said Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.).
Staff writer Charles Babington contributed to this report.
