Thomas Daschle: “I don't know that I can recall ever having witnessed the depth of anger and deep-seated frustration expressed by all of…”

“I don't know that I can recall ever having witnessed the depth of anger and deep-seated frustration expressed by all of our membership as a result of the scheduling decisions made with regard to the supplemental next week. It started with the decision that may have been necessary but made last week with regard to calling Ambassador Bremer to a hearing on Monday, the very day the hearing was scheduled in the afternoon. No Senators were notified ahead of time. Senators had very little time to prepare. Very few Senators could attend because they were out of town. Many expressed the view that this was orchestrated in a way to minimize the amount of scrutiny and attention Mr. Bremer would receive. Throughout the week, similar experiences have been noted. And now we have a markup on Monday, when, again, Senators have made travel plans and the real prospect for a good attendance is minimal at best. The frustration, the anger, the venting that I witnessed, and that most people felt, was as palpable as any caucus I can recall holding in the 9 years I have been leader.”