(2004-01-02) -- Rep. Richard Gephardt, the Democrat president contender, needs to be "more like Howard Dean" in his attacks on President George Bush, according to Democrat National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe.

"I've been coaching Dick," said Mr. McAuliffe, "and when he said Bush was a 'miserable failure', I though he was getting the hang of it. But now he's starting to sound like Senator Daschle again."

Mr. Gephardt told the Washington Post this week that he was "worried" about Mr. Bush. While he acknowledged that the president is "not dumb" he went on to claim that Mr. Bush is "not informed" and "not experienced."

"That's pathetic," said Mr. McAuliffe. "I've been telling Dick he's got to get angry like Howard. Dean calls Bush "callous," "meanspirited," "reckless," "dangerous." He's even mocking the way Bush mispronounces words. Meanwhile, Gephardt's out there getting worried."

A spokesman for the Gephardt campaign said the candidate was "concerned that Mr. McAuliffe and Mr. Dean don't understand that statesmen express their anger, disdain and hatred in veiled language that can be more effective than direct insults."

"Yeah, right," Mr. McAuliffe responded. "That's the kind of talk Dick used to lead us into the minority in Congress. He sounds like Tom 'saddened' Daschle."

"Reuters news agency calls Bush a 'gun-toting cowboy,' and Reuters isn't even running for president, as far as I know," Mr. McAuliffe said. "Meanwhile, Gephardt says Bush operates with 'a cowboy kind of belief'. Dick just doesn't understand how to use words as blunt-force weapons. That's what appeals to journalists. Dick needs to get a clue."