VOTE 2004 JOHN EDWARDS IN ST. PAUL: Edwards gains Dean faction - (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards returned to St. Paul on Friday for another rally, saying he has a "great chance" to win the Minnesota precinct caucuses on Tuesday.
Edwards believes his chances improved considerably when a group of former candidate Howard Dean's Minnesota campaign leaders threw their support to him shortly before his arrival.
Making his second campaign appearance here in six days, Edwards told an enthusiastic crowd of several hundred people at Hamline University's Hutton Arena that he was "very excited" Dean's leading volunteers recommended that like-minded activists vote for him at the caucuses. He thanked them profusely.
At a news conference after the rally, Edwards said of the Dean supporters, "They're still a powerful force. It's a really important event."
At the rally, Dean's Minnesota campaign director, Laura Nevitt of St. Paul, said the former Vermont governor has a list of 8,000 supporters in Minnesota. She said the Dean organizers launched a campaign Friday to call them all and urge them to caucus for Edwards.
With just 15,000 to 20,000 Democrats expected to attend the caucuses, Edwards said, "We've got a huge percentage of them we've touched personally (at his two campaign rallies here), and the addition of the Dean supporters is a huge thing."
The Dean forces made their decision at a meeting Thursday night, at which they heard pitches from representatives of the Edwards, John Kerry and Dennis Kucinich campaigns. Edwards also made a personal appeal by phone.
"I told them they believe in so many of the same things that I believe in that I was the natural choice for them," Edwards told reporters. "I also believe, as they do, if we're going to bring real change to the country, it needs to come from out here in the real world at the grassroots level on up, instead of coming out of Washington."
An Edwards spokesman said about two-thirds of the 100-plus Dean supporters at the meeting voted for the senator. ...
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