Is your democratic VP candidate. I will post the article as soon as I get it.

 

Sources: Kerry picks Edwards as running mate

Announcement Tuesday barring last-minute hitch, insiders say

 

Tuesday, July 6, 2004 Posted: 8:02 AM EDT (1202 GMT)

 

John Kerry and John Edwards are seen here in an April 20 photo taken in Miami, Florida.

 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After months of speculation and a highly secretive selection process, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry, has chosen his colleague Sen. John Edwards as his running mate for the 2004 presidential election, sources close to the campaign say.

 

Kerry is expected to make an official announcement at a rally in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 9 a.m. ET.

 

One source described Kerry, who has stressed secrecy throughout the vice presidential search process, as "adamant" that he deliver the news, rather than having it break through the media.

 

A Democratic official familiar with the planning, who spoke on condition of anonymity -- said the plan called for Kerry to call his choice, as well as the other finalists who were not picked, before the announcement

 

The plan calls for the vice presidential pick to be involved in campaign events later in the day, the source said, declining to be more specific. CNN.com Special Report: America Votes 2004 Veep Contenders

 

After the rally, Kerry's schedule calls for speeches to two groups that are critical players in Democratic presidential politics -- black ministers and the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union.

 

However, a source involved in the planning ruled out Kerry's running mate hooking up with him at the African Methodist Episcopal Church convention in Indianapolis.

Memo outlines 'recommended conduct'

 

In anticipation of a VP 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.

 

It was possible that the campaign's announced schedule would be changed Tuesday if the vice presidential pick is announced.

 

Throughout the process, aides have stressed that there would be a surprise or unique wrinkle to the announcement. It would be highly unusual for a presidential nominee to announce his choice to join the ticket without that choice at his side.

 

Kerry campaign officials announced last week he will use another unique tactic to get the word out on his No. 2 pick -- sending the news out via e-mail to campaign supporters and contributors.

 

Most of the speculation about Kerry's running mate has centered on Edwards, Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, though a handful of other potential candidates has also been approached by his campaign.

 

According to several Democratic sources, Edwards interrupted his family vacation at Walt Disney World last Thursday to come to Washington for a private meeting with Kerry, without even telling many members of his own staff. Sources said the meeting went extremely well and that Edwards' stock is rising with Kerry.

 

Some Democrats, including senior campaign aides not directly involved in the search process, consider this significant because it was at least his second face-to-face discussion with Kerry about the prospect of joining the Democratic ticket. Others, however, said it is possible Kerry had additional meetings with other candidates.

 

Asked if Edwards had left Florida last week, his spokeswoman, Kim Ruby, declined to comment.

 

Edwards, who finished second to Kerry in the Democratic presidential race, traveled to Boston to appear at two Kerry fund-raisers Monday and was returning to Washington after those events.

Vilsack campaigns with Kerry

 

Vilsack, who spent part of the weekend with Kerry during a campaign swing through the Midwest, arrived Monday in Ocean City, New Jersey -- a beach community Vilsack has been coming to for vacation since his childhood in Pittsburgh -- with his wife, Christie.

 

Two aides are traveling with Vilsack -- John Lapp, who ran his re-election campaign in 2002, and Jerry Crawford, a longtime friend and fellow lawyer who ran Kerry's Iowa campaign this year.

 

The aides say that the Kerry campaign knows how to reach Vilsack in Ocean City.

 

"Tom Vilsack looks forward to a strong Democratic ticket that's united against George Bush and Dick Cheney," Lapp said.

 

"John Kerry has a tremendous record, agenda, and set of issues to move this country forward on the economy, national security, and health care, and Tom Vilsack looks forward to the challenges ahead."

 

Gephardt told reporters Monday afternoon that neither he nor his staff has heard anything from Kerry about the vice presidential pick. Later, emerging from a Washington movie theater, he said he had "no idea" about Kerry's plans for announcing a running mate.

 

"I have great faith in Senator Kerry, and whoever he picks, I'm for it," he said.

 

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. (Interactive: CNN.com's Special Report: America Votes 2004 Election Calendar)

 

CNN's Kelly Wallace, Kevin Bohn, Paul Courson, Sasha Johnson, John Mercurio, Steve Turnham and Phil Hirschkorn contributed to this report.

Good choice for Kerry. Edwards seems like a pretty strong candidate.

I got the e-mail this morning! :thumbup

I got the e-mail this morning! :thumbup

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Awesome. This move is great because John Edwards is very popular in key southern states like the Carolinas. And now that butterfly ballots are gone, maybe the Florida Democratic voters won't get screwed over again.

well i guess kerry didnt really have a choice.

 

edwards is a douche, and edwards-lovers are, hands-down, the lowest IQ politics-followers ive ever met.

 

will edwards bring kerry votes? i dont think so.

 

in fact, kerry bringing that douche onto his ticket is enough to make me flip-flop on my presidential choice again.

I got the e-mail this morning!? :thumbup

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Awesome. This move is great because John Edwards is very popular in key southern states like the Carolinas. And now that butterfly ballots are gone, maybe the Florida Democratic voters won't get screwed over again.

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If they were screwed, it was by their own ineptitude. Honestly, if you cannot figure out a ballot, you have no business voting.

Looks like Cheney will be the next vice president.

If they were screwed, it was by their own ineptitude. Honestly, if you cannot figure out a ballot, you have no business voting.

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well, those are precisely the people who would fall under the "edwards lovers" category. kerry could use all of those inept votes this year.

I guess Phlub is happy...

 

I'm not crazy about Edwards, I would've preferred a Howard Dean...but I do believe John will play a key role in getting crucial votes in certain states.

Bush will still win North Carolina.

The race is over, Kerry by a landslide.

 

I'm a diehard conservative and something just draws me to Edwards. He has that type of presidential aura about him.

 

The only way for GWB to win is to drop Cheney and pick up someone like McCain or Guiliani as his veep.

The race is over, Kerry by a landslide.

 

I'm a diehard conservative and something just draws me to Edwards. He has that type of presidential aura about him.

 

The only way for GWB to win is to drop Cheney and pick up someone like McCain or Guiliani as his veep.

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Are you being sarcastic? If not then welcome to the light side of the force. :thumbup

Edwards is not very popular in N.C. He might get S.C but he wotn win North Carolina. He didnt accomplish anything in the senate.

I guess Phlub is happy...

 

I'm not crazy about Edwards, I would've preferred a Howard Dean...but I do believe John will play a key role in getting crucial votes in certain states.

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it would of been nearly impossible for kerry to choose dean...since they are practically neighbors *tears up* and i fully believe that this country would raise hell about two guys from new england on the ticket.

 

 

 

howard i still believe got the blacklist from the media...but thats ok....the goals were accomplished at least partially.

 

 

 

A Kerry/Edwards ticket has been projected to defeat Bush/Cheney. Good.

isnt Edwards a malpractice lawyer?

 

wonderful.... no chance Im voting for them anymore(like I was anyway)

The truth is that Edwards is not a bad pick at all for Kerry b/c you want to go moderate not even further left. The worst thing kerry could have done was pick a hitlery clinton type as VP, edwards was a good choice for kerry except in the fact that edwards is a better candidate, because although he does not please the hard left, he is much more charismatic and willing to do what has to be done to get the job done, which is to go down the middle (like slick willy tried to do often and succeeded) And Bush/Mccain is not a good idea b/c mccain has trashed bush too often, Bush/guiliani wouldnt be bad

isnt Edwards a malpractice lawyer?

 

wonderful.... no chance Im voting for them anymore(like I was anyway)

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shocker.

I don't think Edwards on the VP ticket is enough to make us Southerners vote out GWB.

 

We like our leadership. And we believe in George W. Bush's cause.

 

Al Gore didn't even carry his home state of Tennessee.

 

I've read that only 25% of white males describe themselves as Democrats.

 

Bush will win a second term folks.

I don't think Edwards on the VP ticket is enough to make us Southerners vote out GWB.

 

We like our leadership. And we believe in George W. Bush's cause.

 

Al Gore didn't even carry his home state of Tennessee.

 

I've read that only 25% of white males describe themselves as Democrats.

 

Bush will win a second term folks.

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so only us white males count?

 

 

This is going to be about so much more than geographic vote-pulling.

First off, I like Edwards, and think that he has the potential to win the presidency some day. But with that being said, I think the Dems have some very, very large obstacles to overcome with Edwards, especially when the GW/Cheney campaign machine starts hammering away at him. Some of these obstacles include:

 

1) His 4.5 years in the Senate amount really to no experience whatsoever in politics.

 

2) He's a trial lawyer who make millions in the courtroom. Know a rich trial lawyer who hasn't taken distastful and morally ambigious cases for money? Me niether.

 

3) He's a flaming liberal. The National Journal (Non-partisan) ranked Edwards the 5th most liberal voter in the Senate in 2003.

 

4) He's voted with Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton 90 percent of the time in the Senate.

 

 

Definitely gonna be must-see TV when the VP debate is held on 10/5.

Definitely gonna be must-see TV when the VP debate is held on 10/5.

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Agreed! :thumbup Must see TV! I can't wait for Kerry and Edwards to mop the floor with Bush and Cheney.

The race is over, Kerry by a landslide.

 

I'm a diehard conservative and something just draws me to Edwards. He has that type of presidential aura about him.

 

The only way for GWB to win is to drop Cheney and pick up someone like McCain or Guiliani as his veep.

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Are you being sarcastic? If not then welcome to the light side of the force. :thumbup

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No sarcasm.

An email I just received from my Republican Jewish Coalition newsletter:

 

Dem VP Hopeful Edwards Lacks Experience, Leadership

 

Washington, DC - July 6, 2004 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - Democrat vice presidential hopeful Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) lacks national security and foreign policy experience and, like the man who picked him - presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) - is a follower, not a leader, on issues of greatest concern to the American Jewish community, says the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC).

 

"John Edwards lacks the national security and foreign policy experience necessary for leadership in a time of war," says RJC Executive Director Matthew Brooks. "Like Sen. Kerry, Sen. Edwards is not a leader in the Senate on Israel and the Middle East. Neither Edwards nor Kerry have ever been the lead sponsor of legislation dealing with Israel and its security or about peace in the Middle East. They never have taken the lead on circulating a letter in support of Israel. Clearly their priorities are elsewhere. Neither holds a candle to President Bush and his unprecedented support for Israel as a Jewish state."

 

Brooks points out that during the recent Democrat presidential primary process, Kerry was often critical of Edwards' lack of experience. For example, Kerry told the Los Angeles Times on Feb. 3, 2004, "I think the American people want an experienced hand at the helm of state. This is not a time for on-the-job training in the White House on national security issues."

 

Later that month (2/23/04), the Boston Globe reported that Kerry took aim at Edwards' lack of military and foreign policy experience. "I think the world is looking for leadership that is tested and sure," Kerry said. On Jan. 19, 2004, Kerry talked to The New York Times about Edwards, saying: "In the Senate four years - and that is the full extent of his public life - no international experience, no military experience, you can imagine what the advertising is going to be..."

 

Neither Kerry nor Edwards has been a Senate legislative leader, Brooks said. "Like Sen. Kerry, Sen. Edwards has never been the lead sponsor of major legislation that has become law," Brooks said. "In fact, of the 74 bills Edwards has sponsored since becoming a senator in 1999, none has emerged from committee for a floor vote - and none of them mentioned Israel or the Jewish community. In fact, rather than always being a vote in support of Israel, Edwards voted twice against bills funding U.S. aid to Israel for Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001."

 

Further evidence of Edwards' lack of foreign policy experience and his limited knowledge of the subject was revealed by the Washington Monthly, which reported on June 1, 2003: "One evening when he was campaigning for the Senate in North Carolina, Edwards was faced with a choice of several events he might attend. An advance man suggested, 'Maybe we ought to go to the reception for Leah Rabin.' Edwards responded, 'Who's she?' 'Yitzhak Rabin's widow,' replied the aide. 'Who was he?' asked Edwards."

 

In this post 9/11 era, Brooks says he hopes the American Jewish community looks closely at the records of the Democrat ticket. "They both have the rhetoric down now, but they have never taken a leadership role," Brooks said. "This is in sharp contrast to President Bush, who is a real leader against terrorism and the strongest supporter of Israel in the White House we have ever seen."

Kinda like how Gore and Lieberman were supposed to mop the floor 4 years ago....

 

Uh, oops.

 

I can see markotsay's attraction to Edwards. The man is so shiny and clean....why, I have half a mind to go pick him up and put him in my pocket!

An email I just received from my Republican Jewish Coalition newsletter:

 

Dem VP Hopeful Edwards Lacks Experience, Leadership

 

Washington, DC - July 6, 2004 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - Democrat vice presidential hopeful Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) lacks national security and foreign policy experience and, like the man who picked him - presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) - is a follower, not a leader, on issues of greatest concern to the American Jewish community, says the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC).?

 

"John Edwards lacks the national security and foreign policy experience necessary for leadership in a time of war," says RJC Executive Director Matthew Brooks. "Like Sen. Kerry, Sen. Edwards is not a leader in the Senate on Israel and the Middle East. Neither Edwards nor Kerry have ever been the lead sponsor of legislation dealing with Israel and its security or about peace in the Middle East. They never have taken the lead on circulating a letter in support of Israel. Clearly their priorities are elsewhere. Neither holds a candle to President Bush and his unprecedented support for Israel as a Jewish state."

 

Brooks points out that during the recent Democrat presidential primary process, Kerry was often critical of Edwards' lack of experience. For example, Kerry told the Los Angeles Times on Feb. 3, 2004, "I think the American people want an experienced hand at the helm of state. This is not a time for on-the-job training in the White House on national security issues."

 

Later that month (2/23/04), the Boston Globe reported that Kerry took aim at Edwards' lack of military and foreign policy experience. "I think the world is looking for leadership that is tested and sure," Kerry said. On Jan. 19, 2004, Kerry talked to The New York Times about Edwards, saying: "In the Senate four years - and that is the full extent of his public life - no international experience, no military experience, you can imagine what the advertising is going to be..."

 

Neither Kerry nor Edwards has been a Senate legislative leader, Brooks said. "Like Sen. Kerry, Sen. Edwards has never been the lead sponsor of major legislation that has become law," Brooks said. "In fact, of the 74 bills Edwards has sponsored since becoming a senator in 1999, none has emerged from committee for a floor vote - and none of them mentioned Israel or the Jewish community. In fact, rather than always being a vote in support of Israel, Edwards voted twice against bills funding U.S. aid to Israel for Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001."

 

Further evidence of Edwards' lack of foreign policy experience and his limited knowledge of the subject was revealed by the Washington Monthly, which reported on June 1, 2003: "One evening when he was campaigning for the Senate in North Carolina, Edwards was faced with a choice of several events he might attend. An advance man suggested, 'Maybe we ought to go to the reception for Leah Rabin.' Edwards responded, 'Who's she?' 'Yitzhak Rabin's widow,' replied the aide. 'Who was he?' asked Edwards."

 

In this post 9/11 era, Brooks says he hopes the American Jewish community looks closely at the records of the Democrat ticket. "They both have the rhetoric down now, but they have never taken a leadership role," Brooks said. "This is in sharp contrast to President Bush, who is a real leader against terrorism and the strongest supporter of Israel in the White House we have ever seen."

 

 

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In other words... Please vote Bush/Cheney :sweating ... Pretty Please! :tissue