Lakota Nation journal publisher Tim Giago says Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) called him and questioned his plans to run for U.S. Senate as an independent.

Giago, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, says Daschle compared him to Ralph Nader, whom Democrats blame for spoiling the 2000 presidential election. "He asked me: 'Do you want John Thune to be the next senator from South Dakota?'" Giago told The Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

Giago previously said he would challenge Daschle in the Democratic primary, a race he'd almost likely lose. But his entry as an independent would hurt Daschle, says one observer.

"If he's going to siphon votes away from anybody, he's certainly going to get it from Tom Daschle," William Richardson, a political science professor at the University of South Dakota, told The Washington Post.

Get the Story:
Giago says Daschle called to question Senate-bid decision (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 4/4)
Daschle Gets His Own Nader (The Washington Post 4/5)
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