AFL-CIO delays its endorsement

By Globe Staff and Wires, 10/1/2003

John Sweeney, AFL-CIO president, called off plans for a mid-October endorsement meeting yesterday, dealing a blow to the Democratic presidential candidacy of Representative Richard A. Gephardt. After a meeting yesterday with an advisory committee of labor leaders, Sweeney acknowledged "broad support" for the Missouri lawmaker. But he said too many unions were undecided for Gephardt to reach the federation's high threshold of a two-thirds majority. The labor federation "will revisit" the endorsement question, Sweeney said. In response, Gephardt spokesman Erik Smith said: "Up to this point, 14 member unions have endorsed Dick Gephardt despite AFL-CIO's request to hold back any formal endorsement, and that number will grow. At this point, it's still 14-1-0-0-0-0-0-0," said Smith, referring to the fact that Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry is the only one of Gephardt's nine rivals to win a union's backing. The International Association of Fire Fighters has endorsed Kerry. Led by the Teamsters, the 14 affiliates backing Gephardt represent about one-quarter of the AFL-CIO's membership. -- BRIAN C. MOONEY

Hart says Kerry is `most qualified'

Former senator Gary Hart, the two-time Democratic presidential candidate in the 1980s, who found support on the Internet this year for a possible White House bid, yesterday endorsed Kerry. The Massachusetts Democrat yesterday trumpeted Hart's endorsement as a sign that nontraditional voters (i.e., Dean supporters) will give him a look, or a second look. "You understand insurgency in politics," Kerry told Hart yesterday, also complimenting Hart's recent work on homeland security issues. The endorsement was good news at a time when Kerry's fund-raising is lagging behind Dean's. -- PATRICK HEALY

Sharpton teamloses 2 members

NEW YORK -- The campaign manager for Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton's has left the campaign. Frank Watkins said yesterday that he and Sharpton's South Carolina coordinator, Kevin Gray, had resigned. Watkins will remain an unpaid adviser to the campaign, Sharpton said in a news statement yesterday. Watkins said he was stepping down for personal reasons and will vote for Sharpton. Watkins will be replaced by political operative Charles Halloran. (AP)

Bush plans visit to New Hampshire

President Bush is planning next week to make an official visit to New Hampshire, where the Democratic presidential contenders for months have been thrashing his administration's policies during frequent campaign stops. The president is scheduled to deliver an economic address to about 600 business leaders on Oct. 9 at The Armory in the Center of New Hampshire Holiday Inn. There were indications that additional stops in the Granite State may be added to the trip, but Bush spokesman Ken Lisaius would neither confirm nor deny that a New Hampshire visit is imminent. Bush's travel plans for next week will not be officially announced until Friday, Lisaius said. Sponsors of the Manchester event include the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and the New Hampshire High Technology Council. -- BRIAN C. MOONEY

Poll says Edwards leads rivals in S.C.

A new poll released yesterday suggests North Carolina Senator John Edwards is leading the Democratic field in the early primary state of South Carolina, with 42 percent of those surveyed undecided. The survey by the American Research Group of Manchester, N.H., showed Edwards at 16 percent, followed by Connecticut Senator Joseph I. Lieberman and the field's newest entrant, retired general Wesley K. Clark, tied at 7 percent. They were followed by Dean at 6 percent, with a three-way tie at 5 percent among Kerry, Gephardt, and the Reverend Al Sharpton. The poll of 600 likely Democratic primary voters has a 4-percent margin of error. South Carolina has scheduled its primary for Feb. 3, a week after the New Hampshire primary. -- BRIAN C. MOONEY