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| Gephardt to step down as Speaker... |
| 2002-11-06 |
| Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt intends to announce Thursday that he is stepping down as House Democratic leader after eight years, senior aides said, one day after his party suffered historic losses in midterm elections. Having the party get trounced in an election is bad enough. Getting trounced and still having to read Babs' faxes is just too much... The expected announcement would clear the way for a succession struggle between Reps. Nancy Pelosi of California and Martin Frost of Texas, who rank second and third in the party leadership. That way the Dems can push left and lose still more seats next time... Gephardt, 61, has long signaled his interest in running for president in 2004, but it was not clear whether he would address that race when he announces his plans Thursday. Guess somebody has to do it. I don't expect to ever have to refer to President Gephardt... The Missouri Democrat was majority leader when the 1994 landslide swept the GOP into power in the House. He was elected minority leader in the weeks that followed and spent the next eight years attempting unsuccessfully to return his party to power. If he's spent that time proposing and considering legislation on its merits, the Dems might not be in the position they're in now. It would be nice to be able to listen to a discussion of issues, maybe even an exchange of ideas, rather than slogans, accusations, and cant. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 I am afraid you will have to wait for the democratic Messiah to include Frank and Ernest in the discussion. Right now they are off in Nu York dealing with the Frogs...... Dorf |
| Posted by: Dorf 2002-11-06 20:03:46 |