(Pelosi's in trouble) Kaptur enters Democratic leadership race (to fend off votes for Ford)

CNN ^ | November 13, 2002 Posted: 10:21 AM EST

[jerod]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Marcy Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat, entered the race Wednesday for House minority leader -- one day before her colleagues are to vote on whom they want to lead them in next year's Congress.

Kaptur, 56, joins California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 62, who says she has the race wrapped up, and Rep. Harold Ford Jr., 32, of Tennessee, who says he represents the kind of change needed in the Democratic Party -- especially after the midterm elections in which Democrats lost House seats.

[jerod]

He was the weakist. The Repubs just happen to find somebody who was even weaker to run against him.

[Gophack]

Actually, I disagreed with this strategy because I thought he was the strongest candidate in 1998. I though either Harman or Checci would have been easier for Lungren to beat. But, Lungren was an awful candidate.

[Burlem]

Kaptur sounds like she may be afraid of Ford, who wants to take the party away from the far leftists, interesting she is getting into the race so late...her comments about raising money rings a bit hollow, Pelosi is worth 67 million dollars. these folks always seems to alude to the fact that repubs. are rich....

[Burlem]

I found it curious he quit so soon, perhaps he would be better in the fight, sounds like he has no backbone!, or perhaps he was paid off.

[webstersII]

Marcy Kaptur

Darn. At first I thought they were talking about MITZI Kaptur, who was on Baywatch. Now, that would have been more interesting.

And, yes, I only watched the show for the engaging dialog, intriguing plot, and high standards of drama.

[Robert A Cook PE]

She wants to promote the "reform wing" of the democrat party?

Is that more left than Pelosi's "socialist wing" of the democratic party?

[scouse]

and create populist symbols to convey our message."

Watch out for the future: We are in for lots of symbolism over substance

[RooRoobird14]

Girl fight!!! Girl fight!!!! Girl fight!!!

ROTFLOL, I love Democrat circular firing squads. Pass the popcorn amd Mike's Hard Lemonade, please!!!

[Hellwege]

she is pro-life

[slimer]

"To win, our party must adopt a reform paradigm,"

Translation: We must find new words to BS them with.

[Freakazoid]

Will the good news never end?

November 5th...the gift that keeps on giving!

[Nick Danger]

Kaptur named prescription drug programs, a federal national health insurance plan for small businesses and a new energy policy as items that should be priorities for Democrats.

I dunno, everybody thinks that Lefty Pelosi will be good for the GOP, but how can she compete with this?

Here's a woman so dumb that she thinks that "prescription drug programs" are some sort of Big Idea, when the exit polls say even the seniors didn't care about it. How dumb is she? She thinks that small business is a likely constituency for socialized medicine. That's not out-of-touch, that's living on Pluto. Energy policy? Americans do not want to hear from Democrats on the subject of energy policy. Every time they do, it sounds like Jimmy Carter sitting by the fire in his sweater, telling everybody to freeze in their house for the good of The Planet. Just imagine the sort of hare-brained schemes that would come out of any serious attempt by the Democrats to fashion an energy policy. You think Al Gore's wanting to ban the internal combustion engine is nuts? Just wait.

Even if Pelosi wins, I hope they give this woman a leadership slot. She has a lot to contribute to furthering the GOP cause.

[aristeides]

Is a majority or only a plurality of the caucus needed to win this contest?

[kcvl]

11/13/2002

KAPTUR TO RUN FOR HOUSE MINORITY LEADER

[kcvl]

MARCY KAPTUR is an outspoken advocate of workers’ rights in international trade agreements. Out of the 75 women who number among Congress’ 535 members, she is the senior Democratic woman and is the ranking Democrat on the Agricultural Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.

Co-sponsored by

The United Steelworkers of America and
The Higgins Labor Research Center

[canadiancapitalist]

I believe a majority but I'm not American and don't know for sure.

[kcvl]

we should champion an energy independence plan that would liberate our foreign policy and help solve our balance of payment problem

DRILL IN ALASKA!

[copycat]

I believe Kaptur is a fellow member of the Progressive Socialist Democrat Caucus.

Ford is not. We have a battle for the Democrat Party between the Communists and the Americans.

[CIBvet]

She also spoke out long and clear against NAFTA, GATT, WTO and all the rest of the greedy '90's stampede toward glo-baloneyism.

Those treasonous Trade Agreements destroyed America's manufacturing base, along with all the decent paying, family-supportive jobs that used to provide a secure foundation for liberty and democracy in little towns throughout our country.

[Theodore R.]

Some people thought that HHH was so liberal in 1964 that he would cause the defeat of LBJ. Never underestimate the capacity of the American people to accept a "new face" liberal like Pelosi. Actually, she is one of the few lawmakers "tough" on Communist China, isn't she?