A grown-up Democrat does the right thing- which means there is no chance in hell he will win the nomination:
Democrat Dick Gephardt, siding with President Bush on his $87 billion request for Iraq and Afghanistan, pledged Wednesday to finance the war on terrorism even if that posture undercuts his presidential bid or ensures budget deficits for years to come.
“We’re in a military situation, we’ve got a lot of foreign obligations, we’re fighting terrorism in many places around the world, we’ve got homeland security needs,” the former House minority leader said. “In light of that, I don’t think it’s possible to get to a balanced budget.”
In an hourlong interview with Associated Press editors and reporters, Gephardt criticized Bush’s postwar policy in Iraq, but argued that it would be irresponsible to vote against reconstruction money for two war-torn nations.
“I think we’ve got to send the right signal to our troops in the field, and we’ve got to send the right signal to people in Iraq who both don’t want us to succeed and do want us to succeed,” Gephardt said.
For years I railed against Gephardt when he was in a leadership position, and it is clear now how loyal a Democrat he was. Clearly, he does not believe the crap that the far left flank of his party tries to advance, but he did it because it was his job in the leadership. That is the only way I can explain his having morphed over the last 12-14 months into a respectable moderate Democrat.
zenjohn
‘hot air and ill-informed’ indeed. Gephardt is a spineless appeaser, and deserves no respect for enabling Bush the idiot warmonger, who should be made to grovel for every dime.
Dodd
Wow! That’s some response, though not very zen-like, zenjohn. Mr. Cole, I think you’ve riled up the very far left flank you mentioned.
Sadly, I cannot agree with your assessment as a more plausible one comes to mind: Gephradt’s presidential ambitions are staked entirely on doing well with union voters in the early primaries (especially the Iowa caucuses). Since those voters overwhelmingly support Bush and the war, sticking close to the center is simple pragmatism on his part. Since he can’t possibly out-do Dean on appeasing the left-wingnuts (as Kerry’s manifest failure to outflank Dean has proved), he may as well tack to where his base is anyway.
Kimmitt
The Democrats in the House and Senate have consistently backed Bush in his War on Terror, providing him with every dollar he has asked for as well as a blank check to invade Iraq at his whim.
I cannot grasp the Republican mindset which states that the Congressional Dems were soft on foreign policy; there was simply no difference between them and the President.
Further, since either Dean or Clark will win the nomination — and since both of them have made clear that they would vote for the $87 billion in what amounts to its current form, you may rest assured that your definition of responsibility will be seen to.
All of this “grow up” talk associated with the opposition to the least responsible, most petulant administration in living memory is baffling to me. Is there some kind of projection taking place?
Andrew Lazarus
Who has paid with their jobs for underestimating the cost and number of troops needed for Iraq?
Larry Lindsey and Gen Shinseki BECAUSE THEY GOT IT RIGHT (or at least closer).
I’d vote for the $87Bn too BUT WE NEED SOME ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE PREVIOUS ERRORS.
Scott
Gephardt does have his sane moments,like today, when he puts the good of the country ahead of his politics. I wouldn’t agree that he has “morphed over the last 12-14 months into a respectable moderate Democrat.” He only appears to be moderate when he stands next to the other Democrat presidential candidates.
Emperor Misha I
Hey, c’mon, give Dickie some credit.
Sure, it’s political strategery, but every word that ever left ANY pol’s mouth is just that, BOTH sides of the aisle.
I still don’t think that a moron who thinks he can overrule the Constitution by Executive Order is Presidential material, but I’m perfectly willing to applaud him for having made perfect sense for once.
Well said, Dick, well said.
John Cole
Kimmitt- Do you get LINK television? Or the International Newshour? You really need to watch some foreign media- I would suggest Mosaics on LINK.
Then you can watch the foreign media quote Maxine Waters, Elijah Cummings, etc, while they claim that Bush’s approval rating is at 29%, etc.
As far as the rest of the Democrats, there are a number in the mold of Lieberman and Gephart (and I honestly think Edwards at first) who voted their conscience. However, a majority of them, like Daschle and John KErry, have supported only in the sense that they voted for the resolution last OCtovber. They did so for political expediency, and in Kerry’s case, because he wanted to run for PResident. Since then, thery have done nothing but belittle, bemoan, deride, obfuscate, and try to derail any progress made overseas. Turning the reconstuction of Iraq based on US loans is just their latest attempt.
Kimmitt
That was a really dumb idea, but maybe it will open up the debate as to where the hell this money is supposed to be coming from.
Maybe.