Dick Gephardt, Trying Not to Run

Gephardt: Trying Not to Run?

Rep. Dick Gephardt Friday, May 30th, 1997 -- House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt is trying hard not to run for president.

As a matter of fact, he's spent most of the past two weeks denying he will challenge Vice President Al Gore for the year 2000 Democratic nomination while at the same time taking critical aim at two important White House-backed issues: this year's budget, and granting China a continuation of Most Favored Nation (MFN) trading status.

Gephardt has a tough go here and pundits across the board opine that he is trying to create an early semantic differential between him and Mr. Gore. Yet, r. Gephardt knows that it's early days to begin creating his own platform and that the majority of House Democrats will stick with the President (and, indirectly, the Vice President) until such time as the backing the White House becomes an across-the-board liability.

To deny his candidacy and a perceived rift with the White House, Gephardt has made two important forays into the world of national television. He appeared Wednesday on NBC's Today where he claimed he had a terrific relationship with the President and that the two men "agree on most things." Then, last night, he was interviewed at length by Jim Lehrer on the PBS News Hour where he underscored his problems with the budget and China policies. But he also told Lehrer that he talks to the President "two or three times a week" -- which is a record for anyone in Washington!

Could it be that Mr. Gephardt really believes that the current "balanced" budget is a giveaway to the wealthy at the expense of the middle class and that offering trade opportunities to China is a violation of longstanding US policy -- often violated -- to avoid favoritism for nations engaged in human rights violations?

Mr. Gephardt, particularly on News Hour, took great pains to make his audience believe his opposition to MFN and the "balanced budget" was strictly a personal decision based on fairness.

He did a good job.

It will be interesting to watch this Missouri congressman during the next three years. Should he continue to take the high road, making enemies of only the rich and powerful, he may be well-positioned to take an "I told you so" spotlight as Democrats meet to decide whether it's time for a change.