BRAC Breakdown

When Republican John Thune was sworn in as South

But on May 13, the adulation faded as suddenly as it began. That was the day the Pentagon released the list of recommended base closings and realignments that would go to the independent Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. On that list was Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota's second-largest employer with 3,852 jobs, which was slated for closure.

No member of Congress who represented an endangered facility took the news well, but none took it harder than Thune. During his campaign, he told voters that his connections to the Bush administration would better serve Ellsworth's interests than Daschle's seniority. Now he looked not only foolish but ineffective, and Democrats were quick to attack him. In response, Thune introduced a bill to delay the base-closing round. He also played a few other cards to signal his displeasure to the Bush administration. First, he declined to take a position on a key administration trade initiative. Then he announced his opposition to the nomination of John Bolton as U.N. ambassador. When asked whether his opposition to Bolton had anything to do with base closing, he told the Associated Press, "I'm concerned about our diplomatic posture as a nation, and I'm concerned about our defensive posture. These issues are not unrelated."