Gephardt tries to mobilize El Paso unions, Demos

[Judi Lynn]

Tuesday, September 7, 2004




Victor Calzada / El Paso Times
Rep. Dick Gephardt spoke Monday at El Paso's annual Labor Day breakfast.

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Gephardt tries to mobilize El Paso unions, Demos

Erica Molina
El Paso Times

U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination earlier this year, threw his support behind presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry on Monday morning as he spoke to more than 500 El Pasoans at the 29th annual Labor Day breakfast sponsored by the El Paso Central Labor Union.

"In 60 days, probably even a little less than 60 days now, we will have the most important election in our lifetime. I believe I've never seen America headed in so many wrong directions in so many areas as I see today," Gephardt, of Missouri, said to the crowd of union members and Democrat supporters. "We must turn this country in a new direction, defeating President Bush and putting Senator John Kerry in the White House in November."

He continued to touch on issues he said were important to the labor movement and all Democrats, including jobs, unions, health care, education and war.

"The most important thing in your life is your family, but you can't support your family if you don't have a job," Gephardt said. "Under this president, we've lost over 2 million jobs in the last four years, and 3 million people have fallen into poverty, many in this community, because they don't have jobs."
(snip/...)

http://www.borderlandnews.com/stories/borderland/20040907-165697.shtml

[Rhiannon12866]

1. If anyone can galvanize labor support, Gephardt can

Kerry and Edwards need him in this campaign and so do we. He was excellent, this weekend, faced with a grilling by Wolf Blitzer. He remained calm and reasonable. Thanks for this post.:-)

[Judi Lynn]

2. Welcome! He has earned steadfast friends in labor over the years.

Highly regarded in many quarters, too. I've NEVER heard anyone speak poorly of him, but had he been our candidate, he would have been assaulted as viciously as Keary has been by our underhanded, sub-human right-wing.

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Gephardt received the most support from labor, which made me believe

that he was our most likely candidate. I would have enthusiastically supported him, as I have listened, closely, to what the man has had to say and believe that he is completely sincere and agree with his vision for this country. Many on DU cannot, because he supported IWR, and this upsets me. He was duped by this lying president on this, as Ted Kennedy was on No Child Left Behind. Both men were political veterans who have, unfortunately, learned their lessons about Bush*s lies, on a personal level. I would like to see him appointed as Secretary of Labor, by our next president. I think that he is more than qualified and deserves this, because of his 27-year career in service to our country, which he gave up to seek the presidency, one last time.:shrug:

[Sugarbleus]

3. Thank You Dick Gep.!! I was wondering when the other dems

would show up for class. I know Dean has been out there...and now we have peeps from Clinton's camp helping, so it's good to see more reps. from our party on the stump.

Come out come out whereever you are Dems...North,South,East, and West...come on out the bell has sounded!

[duhneece]

5. El Paso Times has a forum I use my DU education to post

I imagine there are hundreds (thousands?) of free newspaper forums where we DUers can use the information we have learned to enlighten/educate others on issues.
These forums enable us to reach the public in ways we might not be able to otherwise.
I encourage others to take the time to find forums to post on...and I'd love to hear more DU voices at the El Paso Times forum.