Gephardt is trying to save overtime [View All]

[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.