Gephardt is trying to save overtime

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

I've read the threads about Gephardt withholding his vote on the overtime bill. I've never seen so much disinformation. Let's get the facts straight.

Here's what the AFL-CIO said about the bill:

http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/overtimepay/ns07142003.cfm

"The 213–210 House vote killed an amendment authored by Reps. David Obey (D-Wis.) and George Miller (D-Calif.) that would have blocked changes proposed by the Bush administration to take away overtime pay rights for millions of American workers. The amendment was attached to the fiscal year 2004 Labor and Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill (H.R. 2660), which President George W. Bush on July 9 threatened to veto if it included the Obey-Miller amendment."

Here's a roll-call of how everyone voted:

http://www.nbc4.com/news/2325847/detail.html

If Gephardt and the other Democrats like Harman had voted yes on the amendment, and it passed, Bush would have vetoed. So, they played some insider baseball and withheld their votes - it shows that the Democrats can pick up enough votes on this issue to block attempts by Bush and the Republicans to kill overtime. Gephardt didn't vote no, he withheld his vote. Everyone knows how he would have voted. By letting him and other pro-worker Representatives withhold their vote, it technically allowed the amendment to fail, while showing we had the votes to pass it.

Saying Gephardt just couldn't be bothered is, well, total crap, and anyone who is familiar with Gephardt's record knows this. He doesn't have solid union support for not caring about worker's rights.

Gephardt has a solid record voting for workers on job issues. There are many things you can criticize him for, but this isn't it.

Compared to Lieberman, Dean, Kerry, and Graham, Gephardt and Kucinich have solid records for workers, against firing American workers and replacing them with third world labor, and against NAFTA. Gephardt and Kucinich, are part of the pro-worker, anti-corporate wing of the party, and they are the ones I'm supporting in the primaries.

DU likes to think that Gephardt's poor showing on internet polls and meetups matter all that much - they don't. Gephardt will have strong union support, and he will be a strong candidate.

Gephardt can beat Bush easily.

[aquart]

1. I'm so sorry, but how did that benefit the workers?

The amendment to block the new overtime rules was "allowed to fail" and that was a GOOD thing?

Really? Because it avoided a Bush veto?

And why is a Bush veto something a Democrat would avoid?

Sorry, your argument doesn't wash. It especially doesn't wash because you believe that Gephardt can win the Presidency.

No, not if he doesn't understand that showing up to vote matters more than being Machiavelli behind the scenes. In secret.

HE'S SAVING BUSH'S FACE.

And I can't think of a single decent reason to do it.

[liberalnurse]

6. I piggy-back that one!

No one can talk themselves out of this one.....Gep should of been at work doing his job......

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[WhoCountsTheVotes]

4. The maybe you don't understand politics

The Democrats showed force here, and they didn't let the entire Labor and Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill get vetoed by Bush.

Missing the vote does not mean that Bush can get rid of overtime, it meant that this specific admenment failed. It also showed that Bush will have an uphill battle trying to cut overtime for workers. The Senate has yet to vote on the amendement, if they pass it, and the House agrees with the new version, it might be very difficult for Bush to follow through with his veto.

Do you really think Gephardt is against overtime? Do you really think he just didn't bother to vote? That's just silly. Gephardt has won a lot of elections, and he's done that by understand how the system works. He also understands how to negotiate and compromise, unlike let's say Nader voters in Florida.

Gephardt is a strong candidate, with a lot of support, and better on this issues than most of the other candidates. I'd vote for him.

[Cocoa]

3. run that by me again, please

I'm leaning toward Gep, and I'm one of the people saying let's not lose our heads over this before we know why, and that like you said, Gep is definitely on the workers' side.

But, I just didn't follow your explanation. I don't see a reason not to pass the bill and force Bush to veto it. And I don't see the benefit of showing they can pass the bill. Who are they showing this to, and why?

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

5. It was an amendment to another bill

People are acting like this was a bill to cut overtime, and Gephardt voted against it. That's not true. No one missed any votes to cut overtime.

Instead of spending all our political capital on one amendment to one approprations bill, we sent a clear message to Bush that we will fight him trying to kill overtime, as well as saving the bill from a veto.

Let's not forget that the Senate still has to vote, and they could very well put the amendment back in. Another amendment can be put in another bill as well.

Gephardt and Harman saved the appropriations bill and proved we had enough votes to fight Bush on cutting overtime.

Gephardt's record is clear, and he can beat Bush.

[Sagan]

7. Maybe he should have shown up for the vote, then...

You know.. exert some LEADERSHIP. Since he wants to be President.

[MercutioATC]

8. He didn't "withhold" his vote, he MISSED the vote...

like he's done with 80-some percent of the votes this year. Spin it how you like, but he has the worst voting recore of any of the candidates.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

9. Gephardt has the best voting record of all the candidates

except for Kucinich, on the issues that matter most to me.

The only reason this is even being brought up is to trash Gephardt in favor of other candidates, and everyone is misrepresenting what happened. People are posting that Gephardt missed a "no" vote against cutting overtime, which is not what the bill was about at all.

Which unions have complained? They understand how the game is played, and Gephardt is playing it.

If the amendment had passed, Bush would have vetoed the whole bill. Did anyone really want that?