Subject: Daschle letter on confirmation process
From: Cassandra Butts <[email-masked]>
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Chris Lu <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:35:49 -0400

See the following from Sen Daschle regarding a letter he has been  
asked to sign with Sen Dole on the confirmation process. I think this  
may have come up on our Friday call but it is being pushed by Howard  
Paster and Max Steir of the Partnership for public service and Dole  
has agreed to sign.

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Bennett, Jody" <[email-masked]>
> Date: September 22, 2008 12:58:41 PM EDT
> To: [email-masked]
> Cc: "Hogan, Timothy" <[email-masked]>
> Subject: TAD request
>

> Cassandra -
>
> I'm about to bother you with a random request….
>
> Senator Daschle was asked if he would sign the following letter with  
> Senator Lott to Congressional Leadership regarding the importance of  
> expediting the confirmation process.  Tim and I are not inclined to  
> have him sign this letter for a couple of reason, primarily because  
> we don't want to do anything that is at cross purposes with the  
> campaign.  However, Senator Daschle would like to have your opinion  
> before he gives it further consideration.  Would this cause angst  
> for you all?
>
> Thanks,
> Jody
>
> --------------------------
> Dear Senator Reid, Senator McConnell, Chairmen and Ranking Members:
>
> With  two  ongoing wars, the threat of terrorism and a flagging  
> economy, it is  essential  that  our  nation's national, homeland  
> and economic security remain undiminished   during  the   
> presidential  transition.
>
> From our perspective as former Majority Leaders, we believe the  
> Senate can perform a  vital  service to the American people by  
> working in cooperation with the President-elect  to  ensure  that   
> his  core  security  team  is  in  place immediately after  
> Inauguration Day.
>
> In the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the  
> Senate acknowledged the importance of expediting consideration of  
> national security nominees.
>
> Our government bears the responsibility of keeping the American  
> people safe, and the actions of the Senate before and after the  
> general election can facilitate a seamless transition between  
> presidential administrations.
>
> We know from experience that enemies of peace and stability seek to  
> exploit leadership transitions to their advantage.  The 1993 World  
> Trade Center bombing occurred only five weeks into President  
> Clinton's first term, the2004 bombings in Madrid were timed to  
> disrupt national elections, and Al Qaeda's attempted attack in  
> London and Glasgow occurred just two days after Gordon Brown was  
> sworn in as Britain's Prime Minister.  Only 60 percent of President  
> George W. Bush's appointees were in place when the Pentagon and  
> World Trade Center were attacked on September 11, 2001.
>
> Between the 2008 general election and the inaugural, Congress and  
> the President-elect should work together to ensure that functioning  
> national, homeland and economic security teams are in place as soon  
> as possible after the President takes the oath of office.  It is  
> essential to the safety and security of all Americans - and could  
> raise the bar for all future transitions.
>
> We encourage you to reach out to the presidential campaigns with an  
> offer:  the committees of the Senate will consider, and the Senate  
> leaders will schedule a vote - as soon as possible after  
> Inauguration Day - for individuals designated by the President-elect  
> for as many key Cabinet and Subcabinet positions affecting national,  
> homeland and economic security as is feasible.  In order to meet  
> this highly ambitious and unprecedented timetable, the President- 
> elect would need to provide the names of his designees to enable the  
> Senate to conduct a thorough, but swift, review.
>
> The Senate has an opportunity through this proposal to initiate a  
> new standard of excellence in the selection and confirmation of  
> presidential appointees.  Doing so would insulate the American  
> people from the dangers of a sluggish appointments process and, just  
> as important, assure the American people that Congress can act  
> quickly and decisively when the times demand.  This is one of those  
> times.
>
> Sincerely,
> [Senator Tom Daschle, Senator Trent Lott]
>
>
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