Smart money on Kerry-Edwards

2004-07-06 07:36

Washington - Senator John Edwards interrupted his holiday last week to meet with Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, adding a new level of intrigue to the vice-presidential search. Democrats expect an announcement on Tuesday.

Kerry must select a vice-presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention, which begins in Boston on July 26. Delegates will then be asked to formally nominate his pick.

The Massachusetts senator said on Monday he had not settled on a running mate, but that didn't stop the rampant speculation in Democratic circles. Kerry planned to announce it first on the internet while he was in Pittsburgh for a rally before launching a multi-state tour with his running mate, beginning in Ohio and ending in the hometown of the newly minited vice-presidential candidate, officials said.

"I've made no decision at this point in time, and I'm going to continue to keep it a private and personal process until I announce it publicly," the senator said. Since the search began in March, Kerry's staff has disclosed almost nothing about his list of candidates, their interviews and his winnowing process.

Polished populist

Edwards, a polished populist from North Carolina, outlasted all but Kerry in the Democratic primary fight and is the favourite of many party regulars. Two officials close to the Kerry campaign, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Edwards interrupted a family holiday and flew from Florida to Washington on Thursday to meet secretly with Kerry.

They cautioned against reading too much into the session because he's not the only potential vice presidential candidate who has covertly met with the presidential candidate.

Kerry also has given serious consideration to Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa and Senator Bob Graham of Florida.

The Kerry campaign has a staff of more than a dozen standing ready to serve the vice presidential nominee.

The focus of last-minute speculation, Edwards is the favourite of many Democratic activists because of his youthful good looks, a self-assured manner and a message that focused on President George W Bush's "two Americas" - one for the wealthy and another for everybody else.

Others express concern that Edwards, whose only political credential is a single term in the Senate, lacks experience in international affairs, particularly in wartime, to be a credible candidate to assume the presidency in the case of death, resignation or removal.

- AP