The Truman Test

CBS News' Brian Goldsmith Interviews Former House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt

(CBS)  Political Players is a weekly conversation with the leaders, consultants, and activists who are shaping American politics. This week, CBS News' Brian Goldsmith talks with former Democratic House Leader, and presidential candidate, Dick Gephardt about the 2008 campaign.

CBSNews.com: By almost every measure, the Democrats are more optimistic about their political fortunes than they have been in decades. Are there any pitfalls the party as a whole should be concerned about, to avoid overconfidence?

Dick Gephardt: Well, I think overconfidence is always a pitfall. I think politics and political opinions change very rapidly in the information-driven world we're in. I think getting overly confident is a horrible mistake at any time, no matter what the polls say. Because things can change on a dime.

The government is a public service business, and the people want what they want out of it. And when it's not producing it, they look for a different product.

CBSNews.com: Many analysts have argued that Democrats prospered these last couple of years as much by not being the Republicans as anything else. What policy ideas, outside of ending the war, do you think would help the Democrats in 2008?

Dick Gephardt: Well, I think the Democratic majority in Congress is working on the right issues. It's always harder than it looks to get something concrete done. But I think they're trying to do the right things. I think the 100 hour agenda the House Democrats had was very positive, and they got a lot of that done.

So political reform. Trying to do something about health care costs. The cost of prescription drugs is a very important issue. Trying to do something about immigration, education, energy and the environment. These are all critical domestic issues. As well as trying to bring the war in Iraq to an end, and get our soldiers out of there as fast as they can. I think, if they stay on that track, that'll be an attractive message to voters who go to the polls in 2008.

CBSNews.com: It struck me last week, looking at the 'Take Back America’ conference, that both Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton -- who are normally thought of as pretty progressive politicians -- were booed to some extent by the activists there. Do you think there's a risk of a divide opening up in the Democratic Party, between the establishment in Washington and activists elsewhere in the country?

Dick Gephardt: Well, I think you always have to beware of categorizing people. There's a whole set of gradations of opinion about war, and about security in the Democratic Party. And there will always be some who will be dissatisfied with what the leaders are trying to do because it won't be fast enough or far enough for them.

But there are also a lot of other people who tend to be on the more aggressive side on getting more done that will understand that you're constrained when you're leading the caucus in the House or the Senate of getting things done very quickly. So I'm not worried about a split.

I think the vast majority of Democrats believe and understand that people like Nancy and Hillary and others are trying their best to bring the war to a conclusion, and get our people out. But they have to do it in a real, political environment. And you can't just push a button and make things happen.

CBSNews.com: In his memoirs, the consultant Bob Shrum, who worked on your 1988 presidential campaign, wrote that John Kerry, after he lost, said that he thought he should have gone with his gut and picked you as his running mate, rather than John Edwards. Do you have any regrets about the way 2004 played out?

Dick Gephardt: I really don’t. And I have a great relationship with John Kerry, and John Edwards, for that matter. I don’t look back. I've never been one to look back on what might have been or what could have been. It really isn't relevant. I'm always looking in the windshield and not the rear view mirror.

And I’m quite pleased with what I'm doing and having the chance to be in the private sector. I think John Edwards was a good pick, and they came very close to winning. And there are a lot of other reasons, I think, that contributed to their failure to get over the finish line. But I don’t really believe that was a major factor in the outcome.

[sjc_1]

Hope,

Get a life, no one gives a *** what you have to say.

[sjc_1]

I have not gone through the numbers, but as I recall, Edwards did not even carry his state that had less electoral votes than Missouri.

Gephardt would have easily carried Missouri and Kerry/Gephardt would be our President and Vice President.

That is a MUCH better outcome than the Katrina, surge, illegal wiretaps and torture time line that we are on now.

[roach9703]

*** Gephart is just the type of person we need for president. It is too bad he is not running.
He is the only candidate who has what is takes to get actions through congress, and he has some foreign policy ability and experience as well.

[realpatriot1]

RandalDS,

Your last post is the last word on 95% of everything said on here in the last month!

Well said!

[randalds]

"I think the vast majority of Democrats believe and understand that people like Nancy and Hillary and others are trying their best to bring the war to a conclusion, and get our people out. But they have to do it in a real, political environment. And you can't just push a button and make things happen."

Absolutely. I get so sick of right wingers coming on here and pretending to be angry democrats railing against the democratic congress. This administration took years to scr*ew our country up this badly, here, but even worse in the Middle-East. It's going to take longer then one session of congress to undo all of their fu*ck ups. Besides, even though we have a slim majority, we do not have the necessary votes to over-ride a veto or to impeach. REAL democrats know that and only the phony ones whine about it.

[bluestardad]

KEY DEMOCRATS LIKE CARL LEVIN AND STENY HOYER HAVE SOLD OUT TO AIPAC AN ISRAELI LOBBY GROUP!


CONTACT THEM AND CONFRONT THEM! THAT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THIS OUT IN THE OPEN AND CUT OFF FUNDING FOR THE WAR TO BRING OUR TROOPS HOME ONLY TO BE DEPLOYED FOR REAL AMERICAN NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST!

[pepperp1]

It is not the money; the American people can buy back their elected officials with an informed vote. Special interest groups only hold the power when the can cage votes for their cause. Ignore the stupid lying Ads, they are playing on your fear and your hate, read understand who and how your elected official votes, vote for a person not a propagandist party platform. Stop falling for one issue fish hooks, ex. the repugs where in complete control of the government for 6 years and did not legislate on Roe. Moral values mean ethics, integrity, competence, kindness, respect too....our tax bill for most of us will be the largest bill of our lives.

[lfitts1]

Gephardt hasn't changed, he's as useless now as he was when he was in office...Big Labour, Big Business...that's his heart and soul.

Notice that the first thing he is concerned about was not the unjust war in Iraq, not the fact that the sons and daughters of working Americans are dying for the lies of the servants of Big Oil and Israel...oh, no! It was prescription drug prices...he wants the taxapyer subsidized pharmaceuticals for everyone to fatten the bankrolls of Big Pharma--this was the heart and soul of the Clinton Health care plan.

These Fascists want even greater control by Big Pharma of the FDA and to crush alternative medicine so that only poisons like Vioxx will be 'approved' for the use of patients.

Posted by Prinzowhales

I agree with you Gephardt is ineffectual but the more I read your posts--everything is a conspiracy--it's big oil, business always with Israel and the Jews--you sound more and more like a Nazi brown shirt with each new post

[prinzowhales]

Gephardt hasn't changed, he's as useless now as he was when he was in office...Big Labour, Big Business...that's his heart and soul.

Notice that the first thing he is concerned about was not the unjust war in Iraq, not the fact that the sons and daughters of working Americans are dying for the lies of the servants of Big Oil and Israel...oh, no! It was prescription drug prices...he wants the taxapyer subsidized pharmaceuticals for everyone to fatten the bankrolls of Big Pharma--this was the heart and soul of the Clinton Health care plan.

These Fascists want even greater control by Big Pharma of the FDA and to crush alternative medicine so that only poisons like Vioxx will be 'approved' for the use of patients.