Democratic presidential hopeful and Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt would support gay and lesbian civil rights and propose legislation to raise the minimum wage to $8 per hour if elected president, he told Harvard University students and faculty at a live broadcast of MSNBC’s ‘Hardball with Chris Matthews’ Monday night.

Gephardt also slammed President George W. Bush’s foreign policy, following the lead of his Democratic opponents in a series of Harvard-sponsored forums at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He said it was essential to invade Iraq for American safety, but proposed other options Bush failed to explore, including asking for support from the United Nations.

‘[Bush] is hard to help,’ Gephardt said. ‘He doesn’t listen to people … doesn’t hear them out. Germany is our friend. France is our friend. Russia is our friend. I would have told them our worries.’

An issue Gephardt spoke about from personal experience was same sex marriage his daughter Chrissy separated from her husband and announced that she was gay in June 2003. Gephardt said he is standing behind his daughter and will fight for gay and lesbian civil rights.

‘We have to conform civil rights to gays and lesbians the way we have for all other minority groups,’ Gephardt said.

Gephardt said he would be better for the average family than Bush, proposing legislation to grant $2,000 to $3,000 per year for each American family. The act would raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to at least $8 per hour, which Gephardt maintained is barely enough to support a family.

While Gephardt said he and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean disagree on many issues, Matthews focused on the candidates’ differing stances on the war in Iraq. Gephardt voted to pass the resolution allowing an American invasion of Iraq in October 2002, but Dean has spoken out against it. Gephardt defended his own vote on the resolution, but called Bush’s decisions concerning Iraq a failure.

‘He didn’t get it done,’ Gephardt said. ‘Five months after he landed on an aircraft carrier with the white suits, there’s still fighting.’

Gephardt added that Bush is an ‘anti-intellectual’ and only listens to Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, ignoring Secretary of State Colin Powell and other high-ranking political figures when making decisions.

Gephardt also blasted Attorney General John Ashcroft, saying his interpretation of the USA PATRIOT Act, which Gephardt voted for, denies civil liberties to Americans.

‘In my first five seconds as president, I’d get rid of John Ashcroft as attorney general,’ Gephardt said.

Matthews called Gephardt ‘the worker’s candidate,’ alluding to Gephardt’s support of middle-class and union workers.

‘The reason we have a middle class is because we have unions,’ Gephardt said. ‘We’ve got to appeal to workers in this country. We’ve had a president for big business. We need a president for workers.’

According to national Gallup Polls released last week, Gephardt and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman trail closely behind Dean and retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who are tied for first in the Democratic primary race. Gephardt said he has experience over Dean, along with ‘big, bold ideas.’

Gephardt is the only democratic candidate not planning to attend Tuesday’s ‘CNN: America Rocks the Vote’ at Fanueil Hall, an event geared toward college-aged voters. Gephardt apologized for being unable to attend and said college students are still important to his campaign.

‘I talk to young people everywhere I am,’ Gephardt said.

‘Hardball’ with Gephardt was the fourth in a series of interviews with top Democratic presidential candidates. Previous shows featured North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and the Rev. Al Sharpton.Democratic presidential hopeful and Missouri Rep. Richard Gephardt would support gay and lesbian civil rights and propose legislation to raise the minimum wage to $8 per hour if elected president, he told Harvard University students and faculty at a live broadcast of MSNBC’s ‘Hardball with Chris Matthews’ Monday night.

Gephardt also slammed President George W. Bush’s foreign policy, following the lead of his Democratic opponents in a series of Harvard-sponsored forums at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He said it was essential to invade Iraq for American safety, but proposed other options Bush failed to explore, including asking for support from the United Nations.

‘[Bush] is hard to help,’ Gephardt said. ‘He doesn’t listen to people … doesn’t hear them out. Germany is our friend. France is our friend. Russia is our friend. I would have told them our worries.’

An issue Gephardt spoke about from personal experience was same sex marriage his daughter Chrissy separated from her husband and announced that she was gay in June 2003. Gephardt said he is standing behind his daughter and will fight for gay and lesbian civil rights.

‘We have to conform civil rights to gays and lesbians the way we have for all other minority groups,’ Gephardt said.

Gephardt said he would be better for the average family than Bush, proposing legislation to grant $2,000 to $3,000 per year for each American family. The act would raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to at least $8 per hour, which Gephardt maintained is barely enough to support a family.

While Gephardt said he and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean disagree on many issues, Matthews focused on the candidates’ differing stances on the war in Iraq. Gephardt voted to pass the resolution allowing an American invasion of Iraq in October 2002, but Dean has spoken out against it. Gephardt defended his own vote on the resolution, but called Bush’s decisions concerning Iraq a failure.

‘He didn’t get it done,’ Gephardt said. ‘Five months after he landed on an aircraft carrier with the white suits, there’s still fighting.’

Gephardt added that Bush is an ‘anti-intellectual’ and only listens to Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, ignoring Secretary of State Colin Powell and other high-ranking political figures when making decisions.

Gephardt also blasted Attorney General John Ashcroft, saying his interpretation of the USA PATRIOT Act, which Gephardt voted for, denies civil liberties to Americans.

‘In my first five seconds as president, I’d get rid of John Ashcroft as attorney general,’ Gephardt said.

Matthews called Gephardt ‘the worker’s candidate,’ alluding to Gephardt’s support of middle-class and union workers.

‘The reason we have a middle class is because we have unions,’ Gephardt said. ‘We’ve got to appeal to workers in this country. We’ve had a president for big business. We need a president for workers.’

According to national Gallup Polls released last week, Gephardt and Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman trail closely behind Dean and retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who are tied for first in the Democratic primary race. Gephardt said he has experience over Dean, along with ‘big, bold ideas.’

Gephardt is the only democratic candidate not planning to attend Tuesday’s ‘CNN: America Rocks the Vote’ at Fanueil Hall, an event geared toward college-aged voters. Gephardt apologized for being unable to attend and said college students are still important to his campaign.

‘I talk to young people everywhere I am,’ Gephardt said.

‘Hardball’ with Gephardt was the fourth in a series of interviews with top Democratic presidential candidates. Previous shows featured North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and the Rev. Al Sharpton.