WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- In what will probably be only the start of a post-election shakeup in the Democratic Party, House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., Thursday announced that he would not seek another term in his party's leadership. He will remain in Congress and could concentrate on a run for president in 2004, party officials said.
The contest to replace him will pit the centrist and liberal wings of the party against each other.
Gephardt's departure as top Democrat in the House -- a post that he has held since the GOP House takeover in 1994 -- comes on the heels of Tuesday's poor showing by his party in House and Senate midterm elections. He said that the time commitment required to run the party in the House made him reluctant to seek another term.
"I understand the enormous commitment that is required by the job and I've concluded that in fairness to my friends and colleagues in the House, they need a leader for the next two years who can devote his or her undivided attention to putting our party back in the majority," he said in a statement. "I will never stop fighting to make that happen. I will maintain the seat I am proud to hold representing the people of my district, the district where I was born in the city that I love."
Gephardt has been openly considering a run in 2004 for the Democratic nomination, and his statement contained rhetoric that indicated this was still a possibility. One way to have done this would have been as Speaker of the House, but Democrats managed to buck the midterm trend and lose at least three seats to the GOP, leaving Gephardt unlikely to be given a fifth chance to retake the House.
"I'm looking forward to the freedom to speak for myself and talk about my vision for America's future," he said. "Staying on in this post requires me to represent my Caucus and the wide diversity it represents. I believe in my colleagues and have been honored to work with them. It's time for me personally to take a different direction, look at the country's challenge from a different perspective and take on this president and the Republican Party from a different vantage point."
The race to replace Gephardt is set to become a battle over the direction Democrats will take in regrouping from the disastrous election results. A fight is already brewing between the conservative-moderate branch of the party -- often led by the so-called Blue Dog caucus of southern conservatives -- and its liberal wing -- which has argued that going along with President Bush's requests for tax cuts and a resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq was a mistake.
Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas, and a self-described Blue Dog Democrat, threw his Stetson into the ring Thursday morning and announced he would run to replace Gephardt.
At a Capitol Hill press conference, Frost unveiled a white paper -- a virtual manifesto for his brand of centrist Democratic politics.
"Now our party must make a choice, must decide whether we want to speak to the broad center of the country, or whether we want to speak to only a narrow spectrum of the country," he told reporters.
Frost argued that the party must define itself on economic, not national security, policy. He argued that only by opposing the administration on economic policy, rather than Iraq, could the party avoid permanent minority status.
"If (opposing a war with Iraq becomes) the position of the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party will not win the next election. The Democratic Party must speak to the economic concerns of working people, of middle-class people, of poor people in this country... and there is a broad spectrum of Democrats who agree on this issue."
Frost previously served as the chairman of the Democratic caucus, a key policy developing and fundraising post. He has been a fiscal conservative strongly opposed to allowing budget deficits in previous votes.
Although she has not officially announced her candidacy, Democratic Whip Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will oppose Frost and seek support from the more liberal members of the caucus. In a statement Thursday thanking Gephardt for his service, Pelosi revealed her intention to seek the top post.
"I look forward to building upon the strong foundation he has established and (Friday) will announce my candidacy for Democratic Leader," she said. "To win back the House in 2004, we need a unified party that will draw clear distinctions between our vision of the future and that espoused by the Republicans."
Pelosi is considered an adept fundraiser, has consistently taken positions more liberal than Frost -- or even Gephardt -- and strongly opposed the Iraq resolution.
Outside the House fight, observers expect more turn over among Democratic operatives -- including the heads of the campaign committees for the House and Senate -- but it remains unclear if the public faces of these committees will be forced to step down.
One indication of possible changes in the wind was this week's formation of three new political action committees charged with fundraising for the Democrats. The committees -- Democratic Issues Agenda PAC, the Democratic Senate Majority PAC, and the PAC for a Democratic House -- were registered by Perkins Coie, a Washington, D.C. law firm that represents the Democrats' national, House and Senate election operations.
In other key leadership roles, Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., will face the loss of his majority leader status, but seems likely to retain his job leading the Senate Democrats, according to Democratic aides.
One Senate staffer -- who insisted on anonymity -- said that the most powerful candidates to overthrow Daschle are looking at presidential runs in 2004 and would prefer not to be burdened with the duties of legislative leader.
"Plus, the Senate isn't as unhappy with Daschle's performance as the house guys were with Gephardt," he said.
Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, could face a challenge at next winter's annual meeting, according to Democratic sources, depending on whether strong candidates decide to make themselves available.
"Terry can raise money," said one source. "That could keep his job for him. The (chairmanship) is more about raising money than laying out strategy. That could work for him, if he wants to stay."
The DNC did not return calls about his future plans.
Gephardt was first elected to represent Missouri's third congressional district in 1976, and served on both the Ways and Means and Budget Committees. In 1984, he was elected Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, the fourth-ranking leadership post in the House.
In 1987, Gephardt became the first Democratic candidate to enter the 1988 presidential race. In 1989 he was elected as majority leader, the second ranking position in the Democratic hierarchy in the House.
