May 13, 2003
MEET DICK GEPHARDT, SCAPEGOAT
Gephardt finds a lack of 'intense loyalty' in House (Hans Nichols, The Hill, 5/13/2003)A grievance against Gephardt that has gradually been coming to the boil is his role in pressing campaign finance reform. Some Democratic lawmakers are now blaming their party’s growing soft money disadvantage on him, claiming he convinced wavering members to accept mutual disarmament as the best way to achieve fundraising parity with Republicans.
The strategy is now seen as a deep self-inflicted wound among Democrats ...
Democratic lawmakers have developed a case of buyer’s remorse, leading them to question Gephardt’s political astuteness.
"Dick Gephardt did a lot of arm-twisting to get campaign finance [legislation] passed," said another member of the CBC....
But Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) ... continued: "Most members didn’t want to be bothered with the detail, they didn’t want to be perceived as anti-reform."
Of course Gephardt was responsible for the votes these Democratic lawmakers cast in favor of Shays-Meehan. After all, they're not supposed to think for themselves, right?
The Democrats are, once again, the victim of their own prejudices and the prejudices of their unreflective base. They deserve the long spell in the political wilderness that is soon to be theirs.