Daschle responded to Thune 's claim that he was a partisan anti-Bush obstructionist by pointing to his action just nine days after the September 11 attacks when he hugged President Bush on the Senate floor following Bush 's address to Congress and the nation . He also hit back by alleging that Thune wanted to " rubber stamp what the administration is doing . " Daschle 's use of the video of his embrace of Bush forced the Republican National Committee to demand that the ad be pulled , claiming that it suggests that Bush endorses Daschle . Shortly following the airing of the ad , in a nationally televised debate on NBC 's '' Meet the Press '' , Thune accused Daschle of " emboldening the enemy " in his skepticism of the Iraq War
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
2004 United States Senate election in South Dakota