The Truman Test

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

(CBS) 

CBSNews.com: And speaking of the private sector, two of your kids are now working for you, I see, at the Gephardt Group. What lessons do you think you could offer to other politicians about being successful in a political career, as well as maintaining a strong family life?

Dick Gephardt: Well, family is always the most important thing, so you've got to really pay attention to that. I always tried to do that in part because it's such a demanding career in terms of time.

But, like anything in life, if you make it a priority and try your best, you can do that. And it's a great thrill to have two of my three children working with me in our little Gephardt Group. I always hoped that I could, at the end of my career, work with my kids.

CBSNews.com: Back to the campaign, the changes in the primary calendar this year have sparked a lot of debate about the continuing importance of the traditional early states. Do you think Iowa and New Hampshire are now less vital to winning the nomination this cycle than big states on February 5th?

Dick Gephardt: That's a really hard question because we've never lived through a schedule like this. So it's really hard to predict. In a way it makes Iowa and New Hampshire more important because of momentum. But it may also make them a little bit less important.

And what I mean by that is this: that if you're only able to win in Iowa or New Hampshire, or do well in Iowa or New Hampshire -- but don’t have the financial resources to then carry the campaign into 15 or 20 States very quickly then I'm not sure that having succeeded there is going to have the effect that it's had in the past.

And so, as usual, they make it a little tougher every four years for people to transit through this.

CBSNews.com: Are you surprised by the amount of money that's required this time?

Dick Gephardt: It's shocking. And I don’t have any brilliant solutions for it. As long as the Supreme Court says that money equals speech, there's nothing you can do to change this in the end. You're always going to have an unlimited need for unlimited money.

But it does raise a new specter, and that is the ability of someone like Mayor Bloomberg who can spend his own money at a very high level to be able to credibly enter this race, and to be able to do well. That would be the case not only for somebody like him, but for any Republican or Democrat who could put $100 million, $200 million, $500 million dollars into the campaign. That would really be a game changer.

CBSNews.com: My last question is about Missouri. Missouri has voted for the winner in every presidential election except one, 1956, since 1904. So it's a pretty good barometer of where the country, as a whole, seems to be every election cycle. What do you think voters in Missouri want to hear from the next president of the United States?

Dick Gephardt: Well, Missouri is a bellweather state, and I think it is because the people have a common sense approach to politics and the issues. They're kind of dubious, or they're skeptical. They want to be convinced. The 'Show Me' tag is well put.

And they take a very human look at candidates. They want somebody, in the end, that they can like as a human being. And more importantly, someone they can trust to do the right things. They know that nobody is supernatural. They know that everybody is just a human being and puts on their shoes and socks like everybody else.

And I guess Harry Truman is the great example of the kind of public servant that they like, that they want to vote for. So that's kind of the test I think they'll be putting everybody through as we move through 2007, and 2008.

---

Dick Gephardt ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 and 2004. He served as Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the US House while representing the Third District of Missouri. Gephardt is currently president of the Gephardt Group, a consulting firm whose strategic partners include Goldman Sachs, DLA Piper, FTI, Financial Dynamics, and others. He is also chairman of the Gephardt Institute for Public Service at Washington University in St. Louis.

[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.