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Kerry Picks Edwards to Be Running Mate

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Times Staff Writer

Democratic presidential hopeful John F. Kerry today chose John Edwards, a fellow senator who was his strongest opponent during the primaries, as his running mate.

In picking the 51-year-old senator from North Carolina, Kerry chose someone whose high-wattage personality, down-home rhetorical style and message of “two Americas” divided between haves and have-nots won fervent supporters in the primaries — and a loyal following that had been openly advocating his selection as the vice presidential candidate since he withdrew from the presidential race in March.

Kerry announced his choice in an e-mail to supporters and then at an energized rally of hundreds of supporters jammed into the red-brick Market Square in Pittsburgh, a battleground city in a battleground state. A large banner read “KERRY EDWARDS--A Stronger America.”

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The presidential candidate declared:

“I have chosen a man who understands and defends the values of America, a man who has shown courage and conviction as a champion of middle-class Americans, and for those struggling to reach the middle class, a man who has shown guts and determination and political skill in his own race for the presidency of the united states; a man whose life has prepared him for leadership and whose character brings him to exercise it.”

The crowd broke into cheers as Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts, then said: “I am pleased to announce that, with your help, the next vice president of the United States of America will be Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.”

The presumed presidential candidate, who was joined at the announcement by his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, pointed to members of the crowd, flashed a thumbs-up signal with his right hand, and displayed a broad grin.

He said that Edwards would join him later in the day, and they were expected to campaign together Wednesday in Ohio, one of the most hotly contested states in the presidential election. At the time of the announcement, Edwards was in Washington; his family was in North Carolina. While the two candidates are in Ohio on Wednesday, President Bush is scheduled to be campaigning in North Carolina, which Edwards has represented in the Senate for six years.

As Kerry announced his decision, signs promoting the Kerry-Edwards ticket appeared. But among the hundreds of people holding aloft new dark blue “Kerry Edwards” signs, a few held signs that read “Kerry Graham” on one side and “Kerry Edwards” on the other. Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said the campaign printed up campaign paraphernalia with three to five names, among them that of Sen. Bob Graham of Florida, in anticipation of Kerry’s pick.

Just as Kerry announced that the Edwards family would visit Teresa Heinz Kerry’s farm outside Pittsburgh tonight, the campaign distributed by e-mail a revised campaign travel schedule taking that meeting into account.

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Throughout much of their primary campaign contest for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Kerry derided Edwards’ youth. The North Carolinian is but nine years younger — but has held elective office for only six years compared with Kerry’s three decades, and his youthful appearance and demeanor are in sharp contrast with Kerry’s gray visage.

The primary differences notwithstanding, Kerry declared: “John Edwards is ready for this job.”

Edwards said in a written statement distributed by the campaign: “I was honored this morning to receive a call from Sen. Kerry asking me to join his ticket. I was humbled by his offer-and thrilled to accept it.”

President Bush, speaking with reporters in the Oval Office during a photo session after he met with the prime minister of Iceland, said that he looked forward “to a good, spirited contest.” He also said that Vice President Dick Cheney had called Edwards “to say that he welcomes him to the race, and as do I.”

In the e-mail, Kerry said he was proud to select Edwards, praising his optimistic approach to politics and his focus on the pressures facing middle-class workers.

“John reaches across party lines and speaks to the heart of America — hope and optimism,” he said.

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With his choice, Kerry apparently overcame the irritation he felt when the men were competing for the nomination. He went so far as to suggest that the one-term senator was not qualified to be president. At another moment, Kerry said he didn’t know if Edwards was even “out of diapers” when Kerry came back from the Vietnam War.

The putative Democratic nominee closely held the selection process and managed to keep his running mate a secret until about 30 minutes before he announced it over e-mail.

As soon as it leaked out, Republicans were quick to weigh in on his choice, launching a website called www.kerrypicksedwards.com that featured some of Kerry’s more choice comments about his running mate. The Republican National Committee dubbed the North Carolina senator “a disingenuous, unaccomplished liberal.” Within minutes of Kerry’s announcement, it had distributed a 30-page report on Edwards’ Senate record and said: “Edwards professes to be (a) Southern moderate, but votes like (a) Northeastern liberal.”

Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill told reporters that Kerry told her and Jim Johnson, who headed the running mate search, of his decision at some point after 10:30 p.m. Monday, at his wife’s farm.

He called Edwards, who was at his home in Washington, around 7:30 a.m. today, and asked him to join the ticket.

“John, Teresa and I would like to ask you and Elizabeth to join our ticket with the hope to change our country,” Kerry said, according to Cahill.

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Kerry then called several other people he had been considering for the post, she said. Cahill would not identify them.

“All of the conversations were extremely positive,” she said. “Everyone who was in this process indicated immediately that they’ll do everything possible to support the ticket, and that they want to see John Kerry and John Edwards win the presidency in November.”

Cahill said that the campaign was confident that Edwards would be a strong addition to the ticket, despite his relative inexperience.

“Sen. Kerry is very comfortable with Sen. Edwards, and looks forward to campaigning with him; knows that his optimistic nature, that his can-do spirit is going to add a lot,” she said.

Cahill and Johnson gave Kerry their final research Thursday afternoon during his most recent trip to Pittsburgh, hours before he met with Edwards in Washington that night.

“The moments for consultations and answering questions were over with, and it was up to him to take all of this information and decide who was the best nominee,” she said.

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“He spent a lot of time talking to his wife about this, his family,” Cahill added. “I’m sure he did some consultation with some of his closest advisors, mentors, you know, people in his life. But this was, again, not at all a public process, and very much centered on his family and his own thinking about all of the stuff that’s been delivered to him.”

After the Pittsburgh rally, Kerry was flying to Indianapolis, where he was scheduled to address a conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His plane chartered campaign plane was already detailed with a “Kerry Edwards” logo.

Spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said that Kerry called the airplane company around 6:30 p.m. Monday-four hours before informing Cahill and Johnson of his choice — to tell them of his selection so that Edwards’ name could be placed on the fuselage

The campaign was also launching a new ad featuring Kerry and Edwards today, Cutter said.

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