Apparently Daschle, who left the Democratic convention in Boston as soon as he could, wants to add further distance between him and the Kerry wing of the party.

Daschle's commercial begins "Tonight the president has called us again to greatness, and tonight we answer that call."

The voice continues, "In our country's hour of need, Tom Daschle made us proud."

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., appears and adds: "Tom Daschle called us together and said, 'We have to keep this nation safe and secure.' I thought that was one of his finest moments. He really said in those moments what all of us felt, that before we are Democrats, before we are Republicans, we're Americans."

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., says Daschle has "a great inner strength and toughness, which is why Tom is such a great leader."

The announcer then concludes that Daschle "helped forge a consensus to rebuild our military."

A headline then scrolls across the screen: "Daschle: Time to Unite Behind Troops, Bush." The photo of Bush and Daschle hugging is shown.

"And no one has done more to get our troops the equipment they need or ensure our veterans are taken care of when they return home," as Daschle appears again.

Editor's note: