Kerry Urged to Put Gephardt on Ticket | Washington Post

Kerry Urged to Put Gephardt on Ticket
Teamsters Leader Says Congressman Would Increase Support From Labor

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 17, 2004; Page A04

LAS VEGAS, May 16 -- Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry should tap Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.) for vice president as a way to maximize union enthusiasm and turnout this fall, James Hoffa Jr., president of the Teamsters, said Sunday.

Hoffa, in town for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters annual conference, told reporters he has lobbied Kerry three or four times to pick Gephardt because of his unwavering support of organized labor's political and policy agenda. The union endorsed Gephardt during the Democratic primaries and threw its support behind Kerry only after Gephardt and other Democrats dropped out of the race.

"I think Dick Gephardt does bring a comfort level with regards to organized labor," Hoffa said in an interview at Bally's Hotel Casino. "He's traveling with John Kerry today, so I think things are coming along."

More at the Washington Post

It's bad enough that Kerry is apparently the best the Dems could come up with. But to put Gephardt on the ticket?!?!?

<runs off to vomit...>

These articles that come out prior to the pick are usually 100% wrong. Look for the pick to be the anti-Gephardt.... An army general perhaps? :-) Or a charismatic blonde senator from the south?

interest in having the Dems lose so he can have the Alaskan pipeline? He was awfully cushy with Bush at the beginning of the Admin.

Management in teamsters is headed for an all time low with this fool at the wheel. My guess is he would dumb enough to push for it. He is close to having the untouchable complex.

what next Lieberman again. Kerry needs to pick someone with charisma like Clark or Edwards (fingers crossed). I'm not liking the trial balloons they are sending up at all so far.

it will show me that the DNC is still calling the shots. And old ways at that. Then Gep can step down after 4 and allow Hillary to come in. I do like Hilary, but I really want to win this election.
The young kids are not going to vote for Kerry-Gephardt. Clark or Edwards, they will. Read it and weep DNC. The Post is a right wing paper, I think they are afraid of Clark or Edwards, not Gephardt.

The Wash. Post harbors right-wingers like Charles Krauthammer :puke: but they at least try to strike some balance, unlike the New York Post, which is Rupert's Daily Newsletter.

Read this two-part series from OnlineJournal.com - very eye-opening stuff.


Secret Admirers: The Bushes and the Washington Post (Part One)

Secret Admirers: The Bushes and the Washington Post (Part Two)


(BTW, I love your icon. "Are you asking for a challenge?!")

Young people don't vote.

Don

:puke:

With all due respect to your cleverly-composed response, young people do in fact vote. We may not vote with the numbers representative of our population, but to write us off is a huge mistake.

I lead a socializing/organzing group of young democrats in my area and I can assure you that if similar groups would be formed across the country (which I may be overly optimistic in thinking they are) we will make a big difference this fall.

Thanks for the words of encouragement though!

Seth

Although Pelosi may have something to say about that.

Gep is very effective as a legislator. Why would he want to be VP?

Byt will he increase support from anyone else?

Like Indies, disgruntled Repubs, unhappy military?

at his call anymore. I don't think he'd inspire anyone. Plus having Gephardt, who stood side-by-side with Bush in the Rose Garden and signed off on the Iraq War Resolution will not appease liberals already pissed off with Kerry's war stance.

Neither will John Edwards, for that matter. So out of the five people being vetter, I think only Vilsack, Graham, and Clark are potential VPs.

Not only did Labor not turn out in big numbers in Iowa (aside from my precinct here in Cedar Rapids, a bluer-collar neighboorhood than some), but historically speaking is the labor vote a real tough one for the dems to swing?

I mean, shouldn't we be focusing more on military and ex-military or some other sort of group that is being increasingly pandered to by the Bush admin?

Edwards would be an excellent choice. If it's not him, then Clark. Outside of those two, I can't see anyone with a national profile to help the ticket.

pizzazz! No charisma! No imagination! No personality! No to him on the ticket...he would be the same old shit as far as politics go.

he has too much pizzazz.. the top guy never wants the second banana to get a lot of attention..

I just have my fingers crossed that he does not pick gephardt.. I am sure he's a great dad and grandpa, but it's time for him to stay in missouri.. labor is NOT going to go for bush anyway..

Kerry already has the "reputation" for being boring and pedantic.. gephardt would just "nyquilize" the ticket even more..

He needs someone with some energy and enthusiasm..If he's way ahead, he should be bold.. I have always thought that John Lewis would be a great pick..:)

...but the first thing I thought of after your post was that a Kerry/Gephardt ticket would resemble a Herman/Grandpa Munster ticket.

I know, I know! It's not to be taking seriously, anybody. But it popped into my head, and I had to get it off my chest. I feel better now.

:P

:P
NOT THIS GUY.....




THIS GUY



and as a side note to the freeps out there.. It would keep kerry from being harmed or impeached ...wouldn't it ??:evilgrin:

You know why that's so funny? I didn't even realize the Lewis connection!

HAHAHAHAHAHA! Nice work!

:)

Edwards or Clark! Gephardt looks plain scary!

He's a fine man but would be a huge mistake as VP.

I think Kerry knows that and will give Gep the Sec. Labor position if he wants it.

Labor should be the Sec of Labor

and dept. of labor would be ideal.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

This drives me crazy! Why do they keep saying this, it is just so off of the radar screen when it comes to this election?
This is 2004 not 1904.

Wake up Labor bosses, let's win this thing. Gephardt, with all due respect, is a nice man but NO!!!

...one that allows Geppy to take the first plane out of DC.

Worthless. Utterly worthless.

Every republican I've talked to when I get an honest answer out of them (now that Kerry is the nominee) says that we blew it and that Gephard was the guy they were actually afraid of.

I think Kerry/Gephardt is a boring ticket, but it's a winner. On the other hand, anything but Kerry/Lieberman is probably a winner too.

david

Wasn't that the joke back in like '92, when he was one of the Seven Dwarves? I think they said that when he died his blond eyebrows to a more telegenic color his approval rating jumped above the margin of error.

Husband needs work. Driving me crazy with model trucks. Please help.

I swear, the DLC is doing all it can to help * these days. I pray that Kerry has a bit more common sense than to listen to whatever yahoo came up with that VP suggestion!

At least amoung those that have been talked about seriously on DU.
McCain is the only one that could be worse, but he's already said he wouldn't and it would be suicide for Kerry.

I know I'm alone on this but Dick Gephardt will be our next vice
president and like Kerry, he's been around Washington and knows how to handle Republican attacks. Gephardt has said that the first thing he would do if he were elected is to get rid of Ashcroft and eliminate the Patriot Act. Sounds good to me. He may not be Mr. excitement but neither is Clark, Edwards, or Dean...actually Dean is Mr. excitement but in a wacko way. I'll take Gephardt and the ticket will win.

the gepster is a pro-labor sort of guy; just what we need.

Yeh right, he goes over to the WH and stands in the
rose garden with an illegal president declaring an
illegal war. Nothing would please KKKKarl more than
to enrage and inflame the huge grassroots movement ready
and willing to vote Kerry but will lose all hope if
Gep is tapped. O please Sen Kerry don't be that politically
stupid. There's a reason Gep didn't make it out of Iowa.

NO ON GEP, YES ON WESLEY CLARK

Clark, Dean and Edwards all have more excitment in their left ass cheeks than Gep has in his entire body!

Did you actually think there was no price to be paid for Geppy throwing his votes to Kerry?

Nothin' comes cheap my friends.

Julie

I think Kerry's success in Iowa is a bold reflection of the work HE did there, not Gephardt "throwing" any votes to him. I can speak as a representative of my county (LINN) only, but I can tell you that no votes were "thrown" here. Gephardt put up what he could, which just wasn't enough.

I don't see how anyone can expect him to help this ticket.

but I don't find this a disastrous choice. Bland, but not disastrous, and I can certainly see worse ones. Kerry really really shouldn't need a charismatic VP - he will have 5 debates (last I heard) to take Bush on, and if he can't win those no VP in the world will help him. And Gephardt's union support shouldn't be underestimated, especially since the economy is Kerry's strongest suit and because of the way that jobs have been hemorrhaged under Bush.

the time has come - on the anniversary of Brown v Board of Ed take a look at Congressman John Lewis and see if he inspires you
http://www.house.gov/johnlewis/bio.html
I am sounding like a broken record here but I think people need to expand the list and get creative with this choice
imagine this ticket - 2 people willing to speak truth to power Kerry/Lewis representing the best of America

Wow, would that be bold. We need two real dems not repub lite
or opportunistic war supporters like Gep.

Clark-military backround, southernor, would do well in a debate against Cheney.

Dean-gets the young people out for the vote.

Edwards-southernor, charming, many of my female friends think he's cute.

Personally, I think Clark is the best choice. Dean adds little geographically, and Edwards was a trial lawyer-there's always some case that can be dragged out and misinterpreted by the GOP spin machine.
Clark is smart, he's quick with a funny and cutting remark and is from the south.

He could go for an african american, but not Sharpton. Someone like Dennis Archer would be a better choice, but I'd like to see him as Kerry's AG.

and plenty was written in the "liberal media" about W's unions support based on Hoffa Jr. He has even less credentials to give advice/make requirements of Kerry than Zell Miller. If I were Geppy, I'd be embarrassed and ask him to stop helping me.

Not VP.

He will not excite the party as a whole and he will not be a bridge for moderates.

Nope...not Gep.

by Crisco.

Gawd, what are they thinking?

It's not a top choice with my personal preference, but I won't criticize it. But I think that there is a problem with someone so pro-Iraq war on the ticket. A little too Humphrey-esque.

Hoffa and his Teamster MAFIA has a vested interest to see Bush Re-Selected. V.P. Gephardt is UNNACCEPATBLE!!!

Though I support Unions, I believe that the Teamsters need to be SHUT DOWN!!! They are the MOST CORRUPT SOB's around!

:argh:

I can't think of a more boring conservative Democrat aside of Leiberman. I just don't get it.

He is one traitorous son of a bitch. He supported Bush* and sold the Teamsters out. When they built a new Teamster's Hall in Houston he authorized scab labor because it was "cheaper". Fuck Him.

To think some of our teamster dues pay for this fool Hoffa. They must of made a mistake at the hospital. This guy couldn't really be genetically related to his father. You can bet that he didn't teach his son that way

Why should we go nuts for them now?

Leave the VP spot to someone who can really rack up the numbers with Kerry.

And I say this as someone who has always liked Gephardt.

he could not even carry his own state - which I'm sure the bushies would be real anxious to exploit. Catering to supposed voter blocks will not will the majority - truth and new directions will.

Teamsters join Bush on arctic oil drilling
By MARK BENJAMIN

WASHINGTON, July 31(2001) (UPI) -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters joined House GOP leaders Tuesday to push for oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Teamster officials said opening ANWR would create...25,000 Teamster jobs.

The move puts the explicit support of a key Democratic constituency behind President Bush's plan to open ANWR to oil exploration on the eve of the House vote on the issue.

--

Hoffa also threatened to "remember" politicians who vote against it. Who the f cares who he thinks should be on Kerry's ticket?

VP is a terrible idea. It'd make for the dullest ticket imaginable. I don't think we need to provide entertaining candidates but this would be ridiculous.

NO FREAKING WAY!!!!!

Gephardt is a traitor, he was standing at Bush's elbow in the ROse Garden ready to lick his ass..

he reminds me of a ventriloquist dummy left out in the sun too long..

when he talks it's like watching PAINT DRY..

NO FREAKING WAY!!

That group was stuffed full of rightwing neoconazi fucks.

Check the names - a Who's Who of traitorous shitbags:

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Committee_for_the_Liberation_of_Iraq

October 11,2002

War Resolution Senate 77-23

Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Missouri, said giving Bush the authority to attack Iraq could avert war by demonstrating the United States is willing to confront Saddam over his obligations to the United Nations.

"I believe we have an obligation to protect the United States by preventing him from getting these weapons and either using them himself or passing them or their components on to terrorists who share his destructive intent," said Gephardt, who helped draft the measure.

Sorry Dick. However that very day was the end.

need other groups too. clark or edwards.

That's giving them too much credit. ;-)

Gephardt is a warmonger in the same ilk as Lieberman. Both of them grandastanded for the press when Congress handed their war powers over to Bush. He should be ashamed.

http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

Please don't, JK. Add Gephardt at your own political peril...Edwards or Clark, please.

He campaigned around here and I met him. Not impressed at
all. This was during the 2000 debacle and I was concerned
about Gore. He wasn't interested. I told him I thought that
the media was drowning out Gore's message, he said, don't worry he's
doing fine. What a maroon.

That Kerry is even worried about what Labor wants baffles me.

Labor is not that large a demographic any more. Just like the elusive "NASCAR" dads -- peanuts in sheer number.

A much much much richer mother lode would be to entice just SOME of these millions of single women who aren't motivated to vote. They prob. far out number labor households.

And the Black vote, who very righteously now say to the Dem Party "Stop taking us for granted." Blacks have voted Dem religiously and all they get thrown are friggin crumbs.

I say F*** what Labor wants. It has proven to be a mighty fickle finacee.

And Gep? That one Rose Garden photo is worth millions of Nader votes.

Can the Kerry be THIS TONE DEAF?

HELL F***ING NO