Kerry Chooses Edwards as Running Mate

[hamilton]

From the Washington Post:

Kerry Taps Edwards for Running Mate

By Dan Balz and Jim VandeHei

Washington Post Staff Writers

Tuesday, July 6, 2004; 9:08 AM

Sen. John F. Kerry said today that he has selected Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina as his vice presidential running mate.

Kerry informed Edwards of the decision in a brief telephone call this morning then made the public announcement at a rally in downtown Pittsburgh. The news also was announced to Kerry supporters through an e-mail and will be posted on Kerry's Web site. The two will campaign together later today and this week.

Kerry and Edwards will team up against President Bush and Vice President Cheney in an election that already is one of the most intensive and negative in recent memory. Polls show Kerry and Bush running roughly even at this stage.

Edwards, 51, a wealthy former trial lawyer and first-term senator, was the last candidate standing against Kerry in the battle for the Democratic nomination earlier this year after igniting his candidacy with a surprise second-place finish to the Massachusetts senator in the Iowa caucuses.

His lone victory in the primaries came in his home state of South Carolina, but he made a lasting impression on many Democrats with his powerful message decrying the "two Americas," divided between the wealthy and the rest of the population, prompting some in the party to compare his campaign skills with those of former president Bill Clinton.

Democratic strategists said Edwards would add energy and excitement to the Democratic campaign, bring southern regional appeal to a ticket headed by a Bostonian and help Kerry woo suburban and swing voters in battleground states in the Midwest and elsewhere.

Edwards lacks extensive foreign policy experience at a time when national security is one of the central issues in the presidential campaign, and his years as a trial lawyer drew criticism from the White House and other Republicans during the Democratic primaries.

Even before the choice was announced, the Bush-Cheney campaign sought to diminish the choice. Spokeswoman Nicolle Devenish said in an early morning email that Kerry's selection would be the candidate's second choice, a reference to the fact that Kerry initially sought to recruit Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who is supporting Bush for reelection. The Bush campaign announced it would begin airing a new television ad featuring McCain's support of Bush.

Kerry and Edwards agree on many major issues in the campaign. Both supported the congressional resolution authorizing President Bush to go to war in Iraq and both voted against last year's $87 billion appropriation for Iraq and Afghanistan. Both support rolling back Bush's tax cuts aimed at the wealthiest Americans but support other tax cuts for middle-class Americans.

Despite those agreements, some Democrats questioned whether Kerry would choose Edwards because of reports during the primaries that the Massachusetts senator felt Edwards did not have all the qualifications needed to be president. Friends of both men said over the past few days that their relationship was stronger than generally suggested. Whatever qualms Kerry may have had, they said, Edwards' performance in the primaries had helped erase them.

Kerry's early morning email today said: "In just a few minutes, I will announce that Senator John Edwards will join me as my running mate on the Democratic ticket as a candidate for vice president of the United States. Teresa and I could not be more excited that John and Elizabeth Edwards will be our partners in our journey to make America stronger at home and respected in the world."

Kerry's decision came after one of the most secretive vice presidential searches in recent history. Headed by Washington businessman and Democratic Party veteran James Johnson, the effort reflected Kerry's determination to shield the contenders from too much public exposure and possible embarrassment if they were not chosen. Campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill was also one of the few Kerry advisers directly involved.

Throughout the process, the Kerry campaign offered no information on who was under consideration and while some of Kerry's meetings with those on his short list became public, others never did. Among those who were also believed to be in the running were Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Sen. Bob Graham (Fla.).

According to information provided by Kerry's campaign, the candidate began with a list of about 25 people and after conducting some background research on each, eventually winnowed down the list to his final choice. More than 300 people were consulted along the way.

Kerry set out five criteria for Johnson and Cahill to look for in a potential running mate, according to the campaign. They included someone with a distinguished record of leadership, someone committed to Kerry's core agenda, someone with the ability to campaign in all parts of the country, someone compatible with Kerry "on every level" and someone immediately ready to assume the presidency at any moment.

As the search got underway, there was a consensus among Kerry advisers to make an early selection to help raise money and fend off attacks from Bush's campaign. Over time, as polls continued to show the race close and as money poured into the campaign, the view shifted to waiting until a time closer to the Democratic National Convention, which begins on July 26.

Kerry was a finalist four years ago (as was Edwards) when then vice president Al Gore was the Democratic nominee and was bruised by the sense of public rejection. In keeping with his desire to do it differently, Kerry called the other finalists personally to tell them of his choice.

Edwards was born in South Carolina in 1953 and spent most of his childhood in the small town of Robbins, N.C., where his father worked as a supervisor in a textile mill. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1974 and the University of North Carolina law school in 1977.

Over the next 20 years, the boyishly handsome Edwards became a successful and wealthy trial lawyer, amassing a small fortune from the judgments won on behalf of his clients. One of his most celebrated cases involved a 5-year-old girl who was badly injured when she was caught in a swimming pool drain, a case in which the jury returned a $25 million verdict in 1997.

The following year Edwards jumped into politics, despite having had little involvement in political activity up to that point. He challenged incumbent Republican senator Lauch Faircloth, a conservative ally of the state's best-known politician at the time, Sen. Jesse Helms.

Despite his inexperience in politics, Edwards proved to be an attractive and skillful candidate in that race, winning by 51 percent to 47 percent in a state that was growing more and more difficult for Democrats.

Edwards has a relatively thin legislative record in the Senate but gained a reputation as a quick study, a tough questioner in hearings and an effective spokesman for the party's positions in floor debates. He serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Small Business Committee and the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

With Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), he played a central role in the Senate passage of legislation giving patients the right to sue their Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). The bill never became law after the House passed a competing version that has not been reconciled.

During the presidential campaign, Edwards announced that he would not seek a second term in the Senate.

Edwards is married to Elizabeth Edwards, whom he met in law school, and the couple has had four children. Catharine, their oldest, is a recent graduate of Princeton University. One son, Wade, died in an automobile accident in 1996. After his death, the couple had two more children, Emma Claire, 6, and Jack, 4.

[Hux]

AWESOME!!!!!

The dream team!! Good-bye Dubya!

[Guest Low Roller]

Sounds good to me. Now go show the world what democracy really is all about.

Howard Dean must be pissed. From top Democrat to a third banana one "yeehaw" later.

[TimmyB]

Though I liked Howard Dean I feel that it is good that John Kerry has picked John Edwards. I say this as Kerry is from Massachusetts and Dean is from Vermont which would have had the two both from the northern states.

While Edwards is from North Carolina spliting them in the north and the south. Which makes a difference to a lot of the voters in the south.

With Michael Moore making over $42 million in two weeks with his film Fahrenheit 9/11 hopefully we will be saying goodbye to Bush in November.

[hamilton]

Plus, Edwards is young enough to be groomed into the top job for the Dems somewhere down the line...

[AdamH]

Good choice on kerry's part. Now hopefully they'll make a strong enough case to keep Nader strapped down long enough to boot GW out.