http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20040207/ap_on_el_pr/democratsMEMPHIS, Tenn. - As he canvasses the South, John Kerry (news - web sites) is staying out of the bickering between rivals Wesley Clark (news - web sites) and John Edwards (news - web sites), hoping that his front-runner momentum will be enough to eliminate them from the Democratic presidential race.
All three were to attend an annual gathering of Democrats on Saturday in Virginia and were campaigning in Tennessee through the weekend. Both states hold primaries Tuesday, and victory for Clark and Edwards is crucial as the two Southern natives try to emerge as the alternative to Kerry.
That won't be easy: Kerry's support grows daily.
He's in a strong position to put three states — delegate-rich Michigan, Washington and Maine — into his win column this weekend. His rivals have barely campaigned in those states, choosing instead to focus on future contests.
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