Reply #4: Bull Shit

[StlMo]

If you look at Gephardt's record, he is quite progressive and outspoken.
It is worth noting that Gephardt did stand up to Bush and indications are that Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in 2002.


Don't buy the Media spin.
Gephardt is a strong Liberal/Progressive/Populist.


A mini-article posted on DemocraticUnderground:

10 15 2002

WASHINGTON (StlMo) - Today Minority Leader Richard Gephardt attacked Bush for his “abdication of leadership” on the economy. Gephardt pointed out the Bushies are “playing politics with the economy and denying the disastrous consequences of their actions.” Gephardt called for a reversal of economic policy away from tax cuts for the rich. He proposed tax cuts aimed instead at working families and middle class Americans. Gephardt also called for an increased investment in Education and Health Care. Plans include $25 Billion for new school construction and $75 Billion to provide insurance for those who lost jobs to the Bush recession and to increase the federal contribution to Medicare. The Minority Leader demanded a cut of $100 Billion in corporate welfare. He also argued that the minimum wage must be raised to a level people can actually live on. "The fact is America faces a clear and present danger to the economic life of working families," Gephardt said. "But all this president and the Republican House have offered is an extremist ideology of trickle-down economics and ineffective gimmicks." Gephardt was adamant that laws must be passed to make CEO’s responsible for their crimes. He said that current laws were inadequate to protect pension plans, small investors and workers. Gephardt also pledged to oppose Bush’s effort to make tax cuts to the rich permanent. He refused to hand Republicans a campaign issue by explicitly denouncing the tax giveaway, but gave the clear impression that he will work to repeal Bush’s failed plan. Republican pollsters expressed great concern that voter outrage at the state of the economy will cause a disaster for the GOP. Gephardt expressed confidence that Republicans would indeed lose.

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Democrats-Economy.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2092051,00.html
http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=politicsnews&StoryID=1579860

© 2002 StlMo


Dick Gephardt: The Record

From Vote-Smart.org:
Gephardt

The ratings are the most current available at press time.

Education
NEA Rating
Gephardt 100%

Environment
League of Conservation Voters
Gephardt 93%

Honest Government
Common Cause
Gephardt A

Health
American Medical Association
Gephardt 100%
AIDS Action Council
Gephardt 100%

Labor
Service Employees International Union
Gephardt 100%
BCTGM
Gephardt 100%
American Postal Workers Union
Gephardt 100%
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Worker
Gephardt 88%
United Food & Commercial Workers
Gephardt 100%
United Auto Workers
Gephardt 100%
American Federation of Government Employees
Gephardt 100%
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
Gephardt 100%
American Federation of Teachers
Gephardt 100%
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees
Gephardt 100%
AFL-CIO
Gephardt 100%
Transportation Communications Union
Gephardt 100%
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Gephardt 83%

Preserving Social Security and Medicare
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
Gephardt 100%

Women
American Association of University Women
Gephardt 100%
National Organization for Women
Gephardt 90%

Civil Liberties
American Civil Liberties Union
Gephardt 75%

Civil Rights
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Gephardt 86%
National Hispanic Leadership Agenda
Gephardt 91%
Arab American Institute
Gephardt 75%
Human Rights Campaign
Gephardt 100%

Liberalism
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
Gephardt 85%
National Committee for an Effective Congress
Gephardt 90%
Americans for Democratic Action
Gephardt 95%
Public Citizen's Congress Watch
Gephardt 100%

Election 2002:
The Democrats face an incredibly conservative mainstream media and a gargantuan money gap against the super rich Republicans.
VNS data disappears. Unverifiable voting machines give Republicans a narrow victory. Media Whores cover it up.

Toughness:
Gephardt: On possible LIHOP, “What did the President know and when did he know it?”

Bush plan to invade entire Middle East:
Gephardt turns a minority position into a bill banning invasion of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, etc. in exchange for a symbolic endorsement of diplomacy backed by force. Will the Bushies torpedo the diplomacy? Of course, but they already had the ability to invade Iraq with the same legality before – (fake self defense a la Gulf of Tonkin). The Republicans gave up real concessions for a symbolic move.

Gephardt is a better leader than most people give him credit for.
Dick Gephardt would be a great nominee.