Daschle in a Good Place, in Politics and Life

As Early Obama Backer, Former Senate Leader Gains Role as Wise Man of the Party

Thomas A. Daschle spent much of 2005 summoning friends and former colleagues to lengthy meetings. The former Senate majority leader broke out a pen and pad to take notes as he grappled with what to do next after a stinging defeat.

"I struggled the first few months. It was an uncertain time," Daschle recalled in an interview this week.

Now, Daschle is basking in the spotlight of his newfound role as Democratic wise man and close confidant of Sen. Barack Obama. He made the rounds this week as though he had never left the limelight. On Monday, Robert Bauer, his former legal adviser, introduced Daschle to a group of election lawyers as "one of the hottest tickets in town" and someone who, even after narrowly losing reelection in 2004, has "secured a place in the party's heart and soul."

Daschle was given a prime speaking role Wednesday, a spot just before former president Bill Clinton. Later that night, he got the rock-star treatment -- literally -- when he had the chance to address 2,000 party activists moments before a concert by hip-hop star Kanye West.

Now, many party insiders see Daschle as a lock for a key position in an Obama White House.

But he demurs when asked whether he might consider a role such as Obama's chief of staff or secretary of state. "The honest answer is, I don't know. I have nothing in mind," he said.

The South Dakotan said that if he and Obama came to a consensus that some formal role made sense, he would do it. But, he added, he has a sense of "ambivalence" because he has arrived in such a good place in his life that he's reluctant to tamper with it.

"I can't recall a time when I had greater happiness," he said.

It wasn't that way three years ago. Then, after a 4,000-vote loss to Republican John Thune, Daschle was out of office for the first time since he won a House seat in 1978 by 14 votes. A counsel job at the law firm Alston & Bird could not replace the rhythm and sense of importance of leading the Senate.

He met with former Fannie Mae director Jim Johnson, former representative Tony Coelho (D-Calif.) and former senator Tim Wirth (D-Colo.), among others, trying to find direction. He even pulled together his closest political advisers to plot a comeback bid for president, leading to a solo driving tour of Iowa trying to connect with voters in the host state of the first-in-the-nation caucus. After several long walks with his wife, Linda, he realized that he probably would "lose a couple years" of his life chasing a long-shot bid.

"Either I can get on with my life, or I could roll the dice. I concluded I just really needed to get on with my life," he said this week.

Then he made the decision that would create the pivot point for him to take on the full role of party elder. In the summer of 2006, he privately encouraged Obama to run for president and promised to endorse him, a surprising decision for a man who had never served with Obama and had known the Clintons for 15 years.

With his former chief of staff, Peter Rouse, serving as Obama's top Senate staffer, Daschle had formed with Obama "an ongoing relationship that became a friendship," he said. By early 2007, members of Daschle's inner circle took on top roles in Obama's campaign.

Over the past 18 months, Daschle has played the role of adviser and cheerleader. He spends countless hours fielding calls from major Democratic figures who want to give their input to the campaign, serving as a filter for Obama by dealing with people with whom he has had long relationships.

But Daschle has maintained a private life -- in addition to his law firm role, he has been an investor in a private equity firm while his wife has continued her lobbying practice. This lifestyle has afforded him the luxuries of time and resources he never had while in Congress.

The night of the Iowa caucuses, which legitimized Obama's candidacy, Daschle was not in Des Moines with the candidate. Instead, he was at a Mexican resort with his family, having a belated 60th birthday celebration. They watched the victory celebration on satellite TV.

"It was a good life," Daschle said of the Senate, adding that he "can't think of any scenario" in which he would return to electoral politics. "Things happen, and you just have to get over it and move on. I always say, the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror."