Gephardt Aims to Stand Out From Rivals
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - NEW YORK TIMES
If Gephardt can't take Iowa, it's over for him.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Democrat Dick Gephardt, seeing his advantage in Iowa shrinking, is making a concerted effort to sharpen the differences with his presidential rivals on the party's core issues of health care, trade and labor.
The Missouri congressman captured the Iowa caucuses in his unsuccessful bid for the White House in 1988, and expectations are high for Gephardt in the leadoff precinct caucuses of the 2004 election. But recent polls show rivals John Kerry and Howard Dean cutting into his early lead.
Gephardt, in the midst of a five-day, 19-stop campaign swing through Iowa this week, is trying to persuade voters to trust him, a 27-year veteran of the House, not his rivals, and he's making the political calculation that going on the offensive on the issues will boost his candidacy.
``In any election it is necessary and valid for candidates to engage in debate or discussion about the differences in their positions,'' Gephardt said in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press. ``That is beginning.''
Gephardt has proposed a sweeping, $240-billion plan to give all Americas access to health insurance. The proposal would repeal President Bush's tax cuts and require every company to provide health insurance for its employees, with 60 percent of the cost paid by a refundable tax credit.
Gephardt's plan is far more extensive than his rivals, and on Wednesday he tried to make the case that his proposal is the only viable one that has a chance in Congress.
``I learned from the Clinton health care plan that a plan you can't pass is worse than no plan at all,'' said Gephardt, referring to the debacle of President Clinton's national health care plan in 1994.
In the coming days, Gephardt plans to focus on trade -- the Democrat has been a staunch opponent of the North American Free Trade Agreement and fast-track procedures for trade pacts -- and labor issues. Gephardt sees a strong stand on these issue as boosting his standing not only with Democratic voters but possibly in the general election if he wins the nomination.
``If you're going to beat George Bush, you've got to beat him in the Midwest, in the heartland,'' Gephardt said. ``Labor is the most important base of the party in the Midwestern states.''
He added that he could do better than Sen. Kerry of Massachusetts or former Vermont Gov. Dean. ``If we can't do that, then we're not going to win the election,'' Gephardt said.
Campaign aides said a union hall speech this weekend in Iowa will be the venue for that assault, though there's still internal debate over how sharp to make the contrast with other Democratic candidates.
``I'm going to try to get across to people that I'm the only candidate who has really been there on the trade, manufacturing issues and job issues,'' Gephardt said. ``The others argue that they're good on trade, but when we were counting on their vote, they weren't there.''
Veteran Democratic activists view the development as the onset of a competitive race for the caucuses.
``Overall the campaign, on a lot of levels, is starting to get more engaged,'' said Democratic consultant Phil Roeder. ``Gephardt recognizes that support from 15 years ago isn't going to cut it this time around.''
nytimes.com |
