Gephardt: "Dems wont take House in 2006."

[DKW 86 7,426]

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheH...2406/news4.html

Gephardt expresses Nov. doubt

By Bob Cusack

During a private meeting in San Francisco last week, former Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) expressed doubt that Democrats will win control of the House this fall, according to knowledgeable sources.

Gephardt’s remarks about the upcoming election, delivered to a group of investment analysts last Tuesday in the district of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), run counter to the predictions of some of his former colleagues who now occupy powerful positions in the Democratic leadership.

During a lunch sponsored by the Gerson Lehrman investment-consulting firm at the Omni Hotel, the 2004 presidential candidate and House minority leader from 1995 to 2003 said the lack of competitive races and gerrymandered districts could help House Republicans retain a narrower majority in the next Congress, the sources said.

But when asked about his comments, Gephardt suggested that people might have misconstrued what he said because they had expected him to predict a resounding victory this fall.

[Tigermike 3,037]

But when asked about his comments, Gephardt suggested that people might have misconstrued what he said because they had expected him to predict a resounding victory this fall

So is he craw fishing and saying the dims will win but it will not be a resounding victory?

[WinCrimson 61]

They'll pick up about 5 seats or so, but not enough to take over the House. The way that incumbents are almost guaranteed of being reelected today... it'd be very tough for them to reclaim that many seats thanks to gerrymandering done by the GOP majority.