Full Coverages>World>US Election>Photo
   
 

Kerry-Edwards meeting fuels VP mate talk
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-07-06 10:05

Speculation about a running mate for Sen. John Kerry was the talk of political circles Monday, but the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was saying little.

The political chatter soared when Kerry addressed supporters during a barbecue at his wife's farm near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"I'm heading out to Indianapolis to give a speech tomorrow, but before I go we're gonna do a little rally here in Pittsburgh at Market Square, so if any of you can make it, I'm told the gates open at 7 in the morning -- if you're up at that hour -- but at 9 o'clock tomorrow we're gonna have some fun, and then we'll head out to the Midwest again and back on the trail."

Kerry-Edwards meeting fuels VP mate talk
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, left, and Sen. John Edwards wave as they arrive at Miami International Airport, in Miami, in this April 20, 2004 file photo. Kerry's advisers have thoroughly checked the background of Sen. Edwards as the presumptive nominee considers his choice for the vice presidency. Kerry must select a vice presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention, which begins in Boston on July 26. Delegates will be asked to formally nominate his pick. [AP]
Democratic sources close to the campaign told CNN that barring a last-minute hitch, Kerry will use the rally to announce his choice.

They added that in an attempt to keep the name secret until Kerry makes the announcement, his choice is not scheduled to attend the rally.

But Kerry refused to be drawn into the speculation during an interview with a Pittsburgh television station.

"I have no comment at all on the public press. I don't know how people are reporting some of the things they are," he said. "But I'll just tell you that I've not made a 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."

In anticipation of an announcement, the Kerry campaign has distributed a memo to the Democratic National Committee and to Democratic governors and members of Congress outlining "recommended conduct" for the days after Kerry's revelation, according to Democratic officials.

The memo asks officials and officeholders to decline all interviews on the first day of the announcement so that the only Democratic voices heard will be those of Kerry and his running mate, the officials said.

The memo urges prominent Democrats to go out in force on the second day to rebut expected GOP attacks on his choice, according to the officials.

According to several Democratic sources, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina interrupted his family vacation at Walt Disney World last Thursday to visit Washington for a private meeting with Kerry, without even telling many members of his own staff.

Sources said the meeting went well and that Edwards' stock was rising with Kerry. Edwards was Kerry's strongest rival in the Democratic primaries but has since become a vocal and visible supporter of Kerry's candidacy.

Edwards, 51, traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, to appear at two Kerry fund-raisers Monday night, after which he was scheduled to return to Washington.

Sunday, Kerry campaigned in Iowa with Gov. Tom Vilsack, 53, another of the three men considered to be on his short list of possible choices.

At multiple events, both Kerry and Vilsack deflected reporters' questions about whether the two had discussed the Iowa governor's chances of getting on the ticket.

Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, 63, is also considered to be a top contender for the second slot.

Walking his dog outside his Washington-area home on Monday, Gephardt referred all questions about the vice presidential slot to the Kerry campaign.

"I don't know anything," he said.

Biden: 'Most unlikely'

Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, seen by some Democrats as a contender, told CNN on Monday that he was "the most unlikely vice presidential pick." Asked if he was taking himself out of the running, Biden replied in the affirmative.

"No one's done any vetting, any checking that I'm aware of," he said outside his home in Wilmington, Delaware. "There's not a single thing that's occurred relative to the vice presidency and me that I'm aware of."

Biden, 61, took a short-lived shot at the Democratic nomination in 1988.

Two other potential running mates whose names popped up in the swirl of speculation surrounding the process -- New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois -- have also ruled themselves out.

Kerry campaign aides have remained tight-lipped about when and how the second slot on the Democratic ticket will be filled.

The Democrats meet in Boston for their nominating convention at the end of this month. If Kerry names a running mate before July 19, the Democratic ticket would be set more than a week before the start of the convention -- a record for either party.

Kerry recently told consultants and fund-raisers that the choice was in his hands now, according to a Democratic source, and that he was "proud" of the confidentiality of his vice presidential selection process.

Kerry also said he needed to choose a running mate whom he was comfortable with, indicating that regional appeal and depth of experience were somewhat secondary.

At Monday's barbecue, Kerry and his wife, Teresa, were hosts to politicians from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia -- key states in the general election.

Later in the week, Kerry plans to campaign in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio, including speeches in Pittsburgh and Indiana on Tuesday outlining a "vision for responsible leadership."

Advertisement
       
主站蜘蛛池模板: jizzjizz中国护士第一次| 久久久久国产精品免费免费不卡| 精品久久久久久亚洲中文字幕 | taoju.tv| 我的巨ru麻麻奶水喷| 亚洲一区二区三区深夜天堂| 狼人总合狼人综合| 国产精品国产高清国产av| ww亚洲ww在线观看国产| 无码中文人妻在线一区二区三区| 亚洲精品高清国产麻豆专区| 精品欧美成人高清在线观看 | 大香大香伊人在钱线久久下载| 久久久婷婷五月亚洲97号色| 最近更新的2019免费国语电影 | 一本之道在线视频| 成年女人永久免费看片| 久久不见久久见免费影院www日本| 日韩精品无码一区二区视频| 亚洲av无码一区二区三区dv| 欧美国产综合欧美视频| 亚洲日韩精品欧美一区二区一| 特大巨黑人吊性xxx视频| 免费在线观看亚洲| 精品一区二区久久久久久久网精| 午夜福利一区二区三区在线观看| 蜜桃成熟之蜜桃仙子| 国产在线无码精品电影网| 97国产在线播放| 国产日韩欧美亚洲| 午夜影院小视频| 国产男女无遮挡猛进猛出| 中文天堂最新版www在线观看| 国产精品区免费视频| 18禁亚洲深夜福利人口| 水蜜桃亚洲一二三四在线| 免费人成在线观看网站| 精品久久久久久无码人妻蜜桃| 午夜看一级特黄a大片| 综合久久久久久中文字幕| 啊轻点灬大ji巴黑人太粗|