Gephardt Toasts Bush as Friend, Signaling Truce in Political Feud

President Bush and House Democratic leader Richard A. Gephardt, whose political spat has been the talk of the town, buried the hatchet Thursday with cheerful banter at a St. Patrick’s Day lunch on Capitol Hill.

The tone was decidedly more friendly than that recently used by Bush when he slammed Gephardt for being “personal,” and when he told reporters: “I don’t want to knock the man; maybe he’ll come upon a good idea one of these days.”

The Missouri Democrat, for his part, kept quiet on his earlier accusations that Bush is running foreign policy “without vision, without imagination, without a guiding light save precious public opinion polls.”

In fact, the man GOP foes have accused of being a “Bush basher” made fun of the feud and himself before toasting Bush as a friend.

It remains to be seen whether the personal hostility between Bush and Gephardt will surface again, but many observers said the good-natured meeting was bound to reduce tensions. Most recently, the GOP has attacked Gephardt’s proposal to give aid to the Soviet Union. And Gephardt’s attacks on what he considers the President’s timid response to changes in the East Bloc have drawn scathing Republican rebuttals.

“I suspect the event smoothed a lot of troubled waters between them,” said Rep. Edward F. Feighan (D-Ohio), one of an estimated 60 guests at the affair hosted by Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.). The Speaker had lamented the personal nature of the attacks against Gephardt. Many suspect he arranged the opportunity for Gephardt to make up with the President.

Gephardt, one of the “adopted Irish” present, came prepared for the occasion. In a reference to Bush’s recent denial that Gephardt got under his skin, the lawmaker recited the classic Cole Porter song “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.”

Gephardt brought down the house with the lines: “Don’t you know, little friend, you never can win/Just the thought of you makes me stop before I begin.”

Then, recalling former Speaker Thomas P. (Tip) O’Neill’s admonition to then-President Ronald Reagan that they could be political enemies by day but remain friends by night, Gephardt turned to Bush and said:

“I raise my glass to you, my friend. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”

Bush, responding to his adversary’s overture, said: “We have so much to be grateful for--Dick Gephardt could have sung the lyrics.”

The President greeted Gephardt warmly, and the Missourian mockingly introduced Sen. Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.) as “my good friend.”

Simpson, the GOP whip in the Senate, recently accused Gephardt of having a “burning bosom” full of presidential ambitions and ridiculed his proposal to give food aid to the Soviet Union.

An Irish bagpiper and harpist added to the festive air at the lunch celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, which falls on Saturday.