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To: altair19 who wrote (20083)	12/18/2002 11:51:23 AM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 104181

<<...The last thing we need is a military operation run separately by the Administration without any checks and balances fundamental to a democracy...>> A19: I couldn't agree more. -s2

To: altair19 who wrote (20083)	12/18/2002 11:57:18 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 104181

Gore's departure puts Kerry at front of the pack by Joe Battenfeld The Boston Herald Tuesday, December 17, 2002 Al Gore's absence from the 2004 presidential landscape intensified interest in U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry's candidacy yesterday as he and other Democrats jockeyed to emerge as the party's front-runner. The Massachusetts Democrat is now viewed as presumed leader in New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation contest and is likely to get a closer look from voters in other early primary states such as South Carolina, officials said. ``He has done well here and I think he's going to be a formidable candidate,'' South Carolina Democratic chairman Dick Harpootlian said. ``His military record sells very well in the South and in South Carolina. Kerry yesterday insisted that Gore's surprise move to take himself out of the 2004 race would not change his campaign plans. But the Massachusetts Democrat sounded very much like a declared candidate - even though he has only filed an exploratory committee. ``I said all along that whatever Al Gore did or did not decide to do was not going to affect my personal decision,'' Kerry said at a press conference outside his Boston office. ``I feel very strongly as if the early efforts of my campaign are taking hold. But we're a long ways away.'' Kerry said he was ``not surprised'' at Gore's move and sympathized with his wrenching decision. He said he had not changed his ``timetable'' for making a final decision, but admitted he is not likely to bow out of the race now. ``I'm doing everything possible to put this together,'' he said. An emotional Gore yesterday acknowledged that his decision would likely end his presidential ambitions for good, but said he was ``at peace'' with himself. Gore's move came after a number of Democrats expressed concerns that his candidacy would focus more on his 2000 loss than President Bush's economic record. ``Because I have run for president twice before and because a race this time around will focus on a Bush-Gore rematch, I felt that the focus on that race would inevitably have been more on the past than it should've been when all races should be focused on the future,'' he said at a press conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. ``I thought for all those reasons it was right thing for me to decide not be a candidate this time. And I made the decision in the full awareness that probably means that I will never again have an opportunity to run for president and I'm at peace with that decision,'' he said. The former vice president, who announced his decision on ``60 Minutes'' Sunday night, also said he expected to endorse one of his fellow Democrats, at some point in the race. ``I have not ruled anyone in or ruled anyone out,'' he said. ``I probably will endorse someone.'' Many believe the Democrat who gained the most from Gore's decision was U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), Gore's running mate two years ago. Lieberman made clear yesterday he intends to run but said he won't make a formal decision for at least several weeks. Another New Englander, outgoing Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, also could benefit by siphoning off votes in New Hampshire and Iowa, where he has already spent weeks campaigning. U.S. Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) are also expected to enter the race soon, while Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle could launch a candidacy in the wake of Gore's departure. Kerry has made a major effort to organize in South Carolina, where the primary follows New Hampshire's by one week. Gore, who is from Tennessee, had ``strong support'' in South Carolina and his supporters are now expected to look at Kerry and others such as Edwards. A recent poll showed Kerry leading Edwards with Gore absent from the field. ``It opens things up dramatically,'' Harpootlian said of Gore's move. ``With him out of the race, the South Carolina primary is wide open.'' Gore's decision to take a pass in 2004 has also reshaped the landscape in Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two contests in the campaign. Gore was especially strong in Iowa, where he trounced challenger Bill Bradley by nearly a 2-1 margin in the 2000 Democratic caucus. ``It's anybody's game at this point,'' said Iowa Democratic Party spokesman Mark Daley. ``Kerry's in good enough position to take Iowa as anyone else in it.'' In New Hampshire, Kerry may actually be hurt by high expectations. He is currently favored because of his high name recognition in the Granite State. Democratic Party chair Kathy Sullivan, however, said with two other New Englanders in the race, New Hampshire will not be a slam-dunk for Kerry. ``There's going to be a lot of ebb and flow between now and the primary,'' Sullivan said. ``To a great extent I think Sen. Kerry's going to be subjected to some unfair expectations.'' www2.bostonherald.com