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Article published Sep 9, 2003
Gephardt takes issue with Dean ad

JENNIFER HOLLAND
Associated Press

COLUMBIA -- Democratic presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt took issue with rival Howard Dean's South Carolina radio ads Monday, saying the message misleads voters on a critical issue -- the fight for jobs.Dean, the former Vermont governor who became the front-runner after a summer surge in the polls and in fund raising, has become a target of his opponents in the race for the White House.Gephardt, who has not run any television or radio ads in South Carolina, says he wants to set the record straight when Dean's ads ask "has anyone really stood up against George Bush and his policies?""I believe that I am the one Democrat who has stood against unfair trade on NAFTA on China, while other candidates like Howard and John Kerry and others were favoring those treaties," Gephardt said. "They are Johnny-come-lately on this issue."The Missouri congressman said his fight for fair trade deals sets him apart from the eight other Democrats vying for the presidential nomination."I don't think it's accurate to say he's the only Democrat who stood up against President Bush on the jobs issue," Gephardt told The Associated Press.The latest polls show Gephardt trailing Dean in South Carolina and New Hampshire but tying him for the lead in Iowa. Dean holds a double-digit lead over Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry in New Hampshire.Dean's campaign launched the ads statewide Saturday to attract black voters, who could make up almost half the electorate in the state's first-in-the-South primary Feb. 3."If the Gephardt campaign would like to take out an ad to discuss how the congressman has stood up to the president on the issue of fair trade, they are more than welcome," said Tricia Enright, a Dean campaign spokeswoman.While Gephardt said he plans to hit South Carolina airwaves soon, a campaign spokeswoman said the former U.S. House minority leader also wanted to follow up on what his opponents said during last week's Democratic presidential debate in New Mexico."When it comes to trade, Dick wants to make sure South Carolina voters understand that he is the only candidate running for president who has a record on trade of standing up for American jobs," said campaign spokeswoman Kim Molstre. " The other candidates just don't and he wants to point out the discrepancies on that."