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Kerry, Edwards Begin First Campaign Swing
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Jul 7, 1:34 PM (ET)
By LIZ SIDOTI
(AP) Democratic presidential canidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., hands the microphone to his running mate...
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CLEVELAND (AP) - An upbeat John Kerry campaigned for the first time with running mate John Edwards on Wednesday and boasted that the Democratic team has a "better vision, better ideas" than its Republican counterpart - and joked, "we've got better hair."
In Raleigh, N.C., President Bush dismissed Edwards' credentials to be vice president, curtly telling reporters, "Dick Cheney can be president."
One day after Kerry chose Edwards as the vice presidential candidate, the two senators offered glowing critiques of each other at a downtown plaza in Ohio, a critical battleground state.
Introducing Edwards in Cleveland, the first city to get electricity, Kerry welcomed "a different kind of electricity called John Edwards." The Massachusetts senator called his running mate a man with "passion, conviction and strength."
"He represents the best of the hope of our country, the best of opportunity," Kerry said.
Kerry also poked fun at himself as well as his running mate for something the two often are teased about.
"We've got better vision, better ideas, real plans. We've got a better sense of what's happening to America - and we've got better hair," Kerry said, laughing.
In turn, Edwards praised Kerry for showing "strength and courage and determination" during the Democratic primary. "And the truth is, it's the same strength, courage and leadership that he showed his whole life," he said.
Kerry and Edwards sought to dispel any notion of ill-will from the primary campaign by embracing and laughing together like old friends. The two - both millionaires - promised that together they would fight for the middle class. And, they criticized Bush.
Still, the entire day had a celebratory feel - all part of the campaign's plan to introduce the Democratic ticket before the convention in Boston July 26-29 - and it was definitely a family affair.
Earlier, the candidates, their wives and children appeared on the Kerry family's suburban Pittsburgh estate for family photographs before heading to Ohio and then to Florida to kick off four days of campaigning that will end Saturday with a rally in Edwards' home state of North Carolina.
Edwards, a constant grin on his face, said he had assumed when Kerry called him on Tuesday morning that it was another reporter calling. "I was very pleased to have gotten the news," he said.
"This is a great privilege for me - a great opportunity to serve my country, which I love so dearly," Edwards said.
Kerry said the two families spent last night talking about the announcement and having fun getting to know each other better. He joked that the ticket was announcing a new campaign manager.
"Jack Edwards is taking over everything," Kerry quipped, referring to Edwards' 4-year-old son. "He does a wild cannonball."
Amid questions about the depth of Edwards' experience after less than six years in the Senate, the Kerry campaign on Wednesday defended the selection by pointing to his service on the Senate Intelligence Committee and his participation in an inquiry into the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"He brings a great deal to the table and actually more than the current president did when he was elected in 2000," Mary Beth Cahill, the Kerry-Edwards campaign manager, told "Good Morning America" on ABC.
Polling conducted the night after the choice of Edwards was announced indicated a favorable impression among voters toward Kerry's choice. Sixty-four percent in a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll taken Wednesday night said the choice of Edwards was excellent or good.
In 2000, just over half said they felt that way about the choices of Republican Dick Cheney and Democrat Joe Lieberman. Nine in 10 Democrats, and seven in 10 of all voters, said they were satisfied or enthusiastic about the Edwards pick, according to a CBS News poll.
On Capitol Hill, House Republican leaders dismissed Edwards as another liberal Democrat and doubted he would gain the party serious support in Southern states.
"It's not a very balanced ticket," House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., told reporters. "Senator Kerry is the No. 1 liberal in the Senate and Senator Edwards is the No. 4 liberal in the Senate."
"There has been a trend over the years that has rejected those liberals that come home and talk conservative," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. "That's why Republicans are the overwhelming majority party all across the South."
Although Hastert said Edwards "didn't even carry his own state against Kerry," Edwards won both his native South Carolina during the competitive phase of the primary race and then North Carolina, which gave Edwards a victory even after he had dropped from the race.
Originally posted by gop_jeff
John Kerry's haricut looks like a bad toupee! What the hell his he talking about??
Originally posted by Conserv4143
We've got better hair....
Nice to know that the two Js aren't flaunting their elitist background and really rolling their sleeves up on the big working class issues.
Now we GOPs REALLY need to worry!
Originally posted by Avatar4321
Yeah but i say Flush the Johns in 2004!
Originally posted by William Joyce
Edwards has hair like that ubiquitous little boy with the bowl cut on the sitcoms in the 80s.
Originally posted by gop_jeff
I need to make a bumper sticker of that one!!!
