|
Seeking to consolidate his gains in the polls, Sen. John Kerry is reaching out to activists and strategists in other important campaign states and has had private talks with Rep. Dick Gephardt, whose departure from the Democratic presidential race left Missouri a key battleground. "This isn't the only place there is a race," Kerry said Thursday from New Hampshire.
<snip>
"Part of what I've been doing in the last few days is being on the phone to people in Missouri and elsewhere, talking to people and getting geared up," said Kerry. "There will be some things unfolding over the next couple of days that will reflect that."
Kerry declined to characterize his conversations with Gephardt, whose backing could be important not just for his status in Missouri but because of the significant support Gephardt was able to generate among labor unions. Those unions are now largely on the sidelines, and many are expected to sit there until the Democrats pick a nominee. Kerry and his strategists have been working overtime to reach out to those unions.
<snip>
Still, Kerry said he began laying the groundwork well before his surprising Iowa showing. "We did not wait to be surprised by Iowa," said Kerry. "We had teams in place, a specific strategy in place and that strategy is being executed."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/22/politics1255EST0568.DTL |
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
