Gephardt supporters

I am a socially liberal, fiscally conservative college educated financial professional. I am anti-Iraq war and believe the IWR was a travesty. I believe in a social safety net, but also believe in balanced budgets through responsible progressive taxation and effective government social programs. I am against a medicare prescription drug benefit until we first have universal health care coverage for all people under 18. That should be the priority in my book.

I'm in favor of labor, but think the southern california grocery workers strike was stupid, because it can't be won. Labor, like the DNC, needs to get into the 21st century and be smarter about when and how to fight.

I believe in pragmatic, bold, wise leadership. When I look at Dick, I keep thinking of his support for the IWR and the continuing loss of seats in the house while he was house minority leader.

If Dick wins Iowa, and gets the nomination, please list some affirmative reasons someone like me would vote for Dick. I know the ABB arguement, but I actually like being excited about a candidate I would support.

Thanks.

1) Matt's Plan, his plan to cover everyone with healthcare, regardless of their employment status. http://www.dickgephardt2004.com/plugin/template/gephardt/33/*

2) His Teacher Corps plan modelled after the ROTC. If you're willing to teach for five years, your college loans will be paid: http://www.dickgephardt2004.com/plugin/template/gephardt/37/*

3) Apollo 21, which will eliminate the need for foreign oil: http://www.dickgephardt2004.com/plugin/template/gephardt/40/*

I really like #3, #2 is a reinstatement of Teach for America, which was a good program.

I don't like the tax credit methodology of healthcare providing, and the part about children was a bit vague, so I'm not sold on #1.

Thanks for the input, though.

Garden next to * in that "happy moment" when * was basically given the green light to do whatever the hell he wanted, at whatever price he thought fit.

I like some of the things he says but I am one of "those democrats" who is trying to hard to be forgiving, but when I think of that Rose Garden image, it really pisses me off. Especially when Iraq is the mess it is now.

Sorry I couldn't give you any advice, I am a person like you, I can't, at this point get excited about Gep. If he should win the nomination, I would find a way to do it but with all of the other choices we have...

He was ensuring that the institution of the presidency had the tools to deal flexibly with complicated overseas matters in a dangerous world. His authorship was an (ultimately ineffective) attempt to corral the Bush administration within some workable parameters. I think he simply misunderstood the PNACers iron will to carry us into a war with Iraq no matter what.

I'm not a Gephardt supporter or a war supporter. I'm half a hair away from supporting Kucinich's "pull the fuck out now, damn where the chips fall" policy. But I think we can get overly virginal about demanding perfect antiwarism from our people. Dick knows the war was the wrong fight and would not have done the same were he the president. That's really all I ask. Only Lieberman, who still supports this destructive idiocy, bothers me on this issue. Everyone else I trust to do the right thing.

Listen to one of his speeches, he gets the message across pretty well.

Regarding loss of seats in the House, he talks about that in his speech. He relates how he helped Clinton pass his first budget, how not a single republican voted for it, how they one it by one vote. Then tells how many dems lost their seats for their courage on that vote. Which is what we're always asking for, right? Doing the right thing despite the risk to their own political futures.\

Regarding the strike, do any of the candidates agree with you on this? I'd be very surprised if anyone, even Lieberman, opposes this strike, though I have no info on this.