Press Action ::: From a Parallel Universe: President Gephardt Brings the Teamsters to D.C.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

From a Parallel Universe: President Gephardt Brings the Teamsters to D.C.

By Jordy Cummings

Dick Gephardt Ralph Nader just received the highest amount of votes of a third-party candidate since the days of Norman Thomas. Reached at his headquarters, Nader was enthusiastic but mentioned his dismay at the Electoral College as well as the lack of parliamentary and proportional representation. Meanwhile, President-elect Richard Gephardt, with running-mate Howard Dean, happily accepted George W. Bush and Richard Cheney’s concession. Gephardt, a third generation Teamster, offered to ship the Bush family gear out of the White House for cut-rates.

Nader’s running mate, Peter Camejo, a longtime critic of capitalism, says that Gephardt is the farthest left, economically, of any American president possibly since Roosevelt. With a plan for national health care and serious plans to change the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Gephardt looks to have a similar relationship with Ralph and Peter that Roosevelt had with the inventor of social security, Norman Thomas. Camejo claims that he and Nader helped get Gephardt elected.

“The thing is, once the organized liberal, progressive and antiwar left, Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky, The Nation, realized that Dean was not really antiwar, once they realized that this was truly the year for Nader, they came on board with us,” Camejo said. “In turn, the Democrats aren’t that stupid. They figured they’d put someone forward who hasn’t claimed anything but support for Bush’s war efforts; that could be a person who actually came forward with an alternate economic vision.”

Camejo also felt that while Gephardt, a supporter of the war for tactical purposes (his heart being with union power), would be far more likely to see the reality of the situation and bring the troops home from Iraq, especially since his running-mate Howard Dean has been apparently consulting with Chalmers Johnson and Benjamin Barber. Recently, Gephardt has made a statement that America’s first goal is to bring peace to Israel and Palestine.

Phillip Phillips of the left-leaning Economic Values Organization agrees with Camejo. “The left played its cards right this year, like in Brazil or Canada, they have a sort of dual power. They have their own party to put forward their values—and Nader does a great job—and the centre-left ruling party is kept on its toes and is given a cushion for any social justice projects it embarks upon.”

Michael Moore is effusive. “Imagine if we shut out Nader earlier this year, and alienated the left and the unions! Imagine if we nominated some stiffwad like John Kerry. We’d lose!” Asked why he endorsed Wesley Clark, Moore claimed that the Clinton operation conned him into doing so, which made him angry. “Lockhart said that they’d release some CIA file on me working with the Sandanistas.” He heartily endorsed Nader in April, who appeared with him at Cannes.

Noam Chomsky said he has a lot of respect for Dick Gephardt. “On an economic level, he is someone that actually seems to understand the truism of class conflict.” Asked if he regretted endorsing Nader, he seems to further what Camejo said. “Nader would of course be better for the American people, but Gephardt was an intelligent candidate. He reflects much of the negative Pro-Israel and Pro-War element of the Democrats to be sure, but he at least believes in economic justice.” Asked if he saw any opportunity of a change of course, Chomsky would not say except that he felt that at the very least, “social movements should hold Gephardt to his promise on Universal Health.”

Jordy Cummings, editor of Pure Polemics, lives in Toronto and can be reached at yorgos33ca@yahoo.ca.

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