Daschle told reporters that the "very shrill edge" taken on by many radio and television talks show hosts has turned
politics into entertainment and can spark an emotional response in people.
"What happens when (radio talk show host) Rush Limbaugh attacks those of us in public life is that people aren't
satisfied just to listen," the South Dakota Democrat explained. "They want to act because they get emotionally
invested. And so, you know, the threats to those of us in public life go up dramatically, on our families and on us, in
a way that's very disconcerting."
Daschle, whose office was a target in last year's anthrax mail attacks, declined to go into detail about the nature of
the threats. But he said that when he was accused by Republicans of being an obstructionists the number of threats
against him and his family rose.
Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott when asked about Daschle's remarks said he did not agree that political
discussion had taken on a shrill edge for entertainment purposes and was not aware of any increase in the number
of threats.
No comments:
Post a Comment