ST. LOUIS, Feb 19: Democrat Richard Gephardt formally launched his 2004 presidential campaign on Wednesday, blasting the Bush administration’s economic policies and promising to lead a crusade to “put hard-working Americans first.”

In the packed gymnasium of his former elementary school in south St. Louis, the Missouri congressman stressed his working-class Midwestern roots and said the nation could not afford four more years of President George W. Bush.

“I’m going to fight for you, and I’m going to win,” Gephardt told a crowd jammed with family, friends and longtime supporters. “I’m running for president because I’m tired of leadership that’s left us isolated in the world and stranded here at home.”

Gephardt brings an established political and fund-raising network to the Democratic race, which now has eight declared candidates with several more considering jumping in.

But he faces doubts about his political viability after failing to lead Democrats back to House control in four consecutive elections since 1994 and his quarter century as a Washington insider. He stepped down as House Democratic leader after November’s elections.

Gephardt blasted Bush’s record on the environment, energy, economy and foreign affairs, saying, “Bush has taken us right back to the broken policies of the past, the economics of debt and regret — unaffordable tax cuts for the few, zero new jobs, surging unemployment.”

“Never has so much been done in so little time to help so few,” Gephardt said.

HEALTH CARE: Gephardt, whose father was a milk truck driver and a member of the Teamsters, said he would scrap most of the remaining Bush tax cuts and institute health care coverage for every working American. He also would push an aggressive “Apollo Project” for energy independence, press the World Trade Organization for an international minimum wage, create a Teacher Corps to recruit new teachers and seek an expansion of after-school care.