I'm sorry, but the Gephardt campaign would be the last group of people to call someone a 'faggot'. Gephardt's own daughter is a homosexual, and Gephardt strongly supports her and the rest of his family. On top of this, I know a lot of Gephardt's staffers now, and I can tell you, these are some of the nicest people you'll meet in any campaign.
On top of this, one has to wonder why the Dean campaign would make something like this public, without giving any real evidence!
From ABC News' Gephardt campaign reporter Sally Hawkins:
In the middle of Gephardt's speech at an Iowa senior center, Hunter Allen, the Dean tracker, began talking loudly on his cell phone and reporting what Gephardt had just said about Dean in his speech.
John Lapp, Gephardt's Iowa campaign director, asked him to leave telling him he was being rude since the speech was still going on. Allen left, but returned after the speech was over. During the Gephardt Q&A, Allen tried to get in on the media scrum and he walked around the periphery of the group, trying to find a spot. He finally went right behind Gephardt and tried to stick his arm in the pack to record. Both Lapp and [Gephardt body man] Mike Kelley appeared behind Gephardt and begin talking to Allen. Lapp held Allen's arm in an effort to guide him toward the door. Kelley was looking on. They exchanged words and their body language was heated.
The argument got louder and louder. Allen argued back that he should be allowed to stay and denied doing anything wrong.
After presser, Lapp and Hunter had a heated exchange (transcript below).
Lapp: "You have ... got to behave yourself at these meetings or you're not going to be able to come. OK?"
Hunter: (Inaudible) "But ... "
Lapp: "No. You can not take the spot of a reporter. (inaudible) ... tracker. Do not cut in front of the reporters. If you can not behave yourself at these forums, then don't come. OK? You have got to ... .I'm going to call Jeannie -- and if you can't behave yourself, then you can't come back. You have got to behave yourself."
Hunter: "You have to understand something, I was not taking anyone's spot ... ."
Lapp: "You were."
More from Hawkins: Just last weekend, Lapp told me that recently, Gephardt trackers were routinely thrown out of Dean events and, if Hunter was going to be disrespectful to Gephardt, then he was not welcome. Then, after Hunter began showing up at Gephardt events, Lapp said he called the Dean campaign to work out a truce. They would let Hunter stay and, in return, the Gephardt trackers would be able to do their thing tracking Dean.
Statement From Gephardt campaign:
Gephardt's Iowa press secretary, Bill Burton, said, "There were 100 people in the room, at least 20 media members, seven video cameras, and various recorders. He was even carrying a recorder. Show us the evidence. This comes on a day when Dean is hurting because of attacks on his Medicare and affirmative action positions so it seems like an act to divert attention."
