Democrats begin dash through Missouri

Democrats John Kerry, John Edwards and Al Sharpton began campaigning Wednesday in Missouri, home of former rival Dick Gephardt, in hopes of winning the biggest prize in next Tuesday's primaries.

Front-runner Kerry appeared in St. Louis with former Missouri Sens. Jean Carnahan and Tom Eagleton, who both formally endorsed Kerry after he won the New Hampshire primary. A Missouri poll showed Kerry leading other Democrats, but more voters were undecided than supported Kerry.

Kerry was also joined at the St. Louis rally by former Missouri Gov. Warren Hearnes, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis County Executive Charles Dooley, Attorney General Jay Nixon, and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and his wife, Christie, a teacher and early Kerry supporter and campaigner.

Citing an erosion of jobs, environmental degradation, an addiction to foreign oil, an arrogant foreign policy, and health care most Americans can't afford, Kerry said President Bush is leading the country down the wrong path.

He said his stopover in St. Louis didn't mark the countdown to the Missouri Primary, but the "beginning of the end of the Bush presidency."

Carnahan said Kerry is the most electable of the Democrats because of his military background.

Edwards was visiting Springfield and St. Louis on Wednesday evening, while Sharpton arrived in St. Louis ahead of Kerry and Edwards and held a series of events.

Howard Dean and Wesley Clark also plan to campaign in Missouri, which, with 74 delegates, is Tuesday's biggest prize.

rules divide the delegates among strong finishers.

Kerry and Edwards each have collected important endorsements in Missouri, which became competitive when Gephardt left the race after last week's Iowa caucuses.

Several leading Democrats have also followed Gephardt's decision not to endorse anyone before next Tuesday. Gov. Bob Holden is among them.

"I want the people in this state to see these candidates and hear from these candidates and make up their own mind," Holden said in an interview.

One forum will be a 90-minute debate hosted by the state Democratic Party at 7 p.m. Monday on the University of Missouri-St. Louis campus.

The campaigns are also working behind the scenes to attract support from Democratic activists.

Edwards' campaign spent Tuesday and Wednesday reaching out to black and women state legislators in Jefferson City, labor leaders across the state and farmers' groups.

"There are efforts to go for all the different subgroups of the Democratic Party," said Mike Kelley, who is helping lead Edwards' campaign in Missouri.

Kerry is preparing to run campaign commercials in Missouri and the other six states with presidential contests on Tuesday. Edwards is looking at getting campaign commercials on the air by the weekend, Kelley said.

Sharpton was meeting with black elected leaders in St. Louis Wednesday and released a list of endorsements from 18 of them.

Kerry had the lead in a poll released Wednesday by The Kansas City Star and television station KMBC.

The Massachusetts senator had 25 percent support to Edwards' 9 percent and Dean's 6 percent. But more Missourians were undecided -- 35 percent -- than supported Kerry, according to the survey of 600 registered voters from Jan. 20 through Sunday. The error margin was 4 percent.

Clark had 3 percent support, as did Gephardt, even though he dropped out of the race last week, too late to remove his name from the ballot.

Beverly Bishop, a 61-year-old retiree from suburban St. Louis, was still assessing the Democratic field of candidates. She attended the Kerry rally and hoped to get a look at Edwards at St. Louis-area nightclub Blueberry Hill, where he was scheduled to appear Wednesday night.

She liked what Kerry said, but contends her "heart is with Edwards."

Carnahan served with Kerry, Edwards and Sen. Joe Lieberman during her two years in the Senate; she was appointed in place of her late husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, but lost her bid for a full term in 2002. She said it was difficult to choose among Kerry and the other senators.

"Any one of them would be better than what we have now," she said. "It was a difficult choice to make. They all bring excellent qualifications to the table."

Eagleton was briefly George McGovern's running mate in the 1972 campaign, before he was dropped from the ticket amid the disclosure he had been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment and treated for depression with electroshock therapy.

When Eagleton's appearance brought loud cheers at Kerry's rally, he said: "Hear that thunderous applause, John? I'd make a hell of a vice president."

Kerry's most recent endorsements also included former U.S. Rep. Alan Wheat of Kansas City and Jackson County Executive Kathryn Shields. Edwards picked up endorsements from Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell and former state Democratic Party chairman Joe Carmichael of Springfield.

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Editors: Associated Press writers Kelly Wiese and Rob Sandler in Jefferson City, Jim Suhr and Cheryl Wittenauer in St. Louis contributed to this report.

VOTING IN THE PRIMARY

Local voters may cast their punch-card ballots at polling places from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Registered voters may choose from Democratic, Republican or Libertarian party ballots. Candidates for the presidential primary are listed below:

Democratic Party

Joe Lieberman

Dennis J. Kucinich

Dick Gephardt

Wesley K. Clark

Lyndon H. LaRouche

John Edwards

John F. Kerry

Howard Dean

Fren Penna

Al Sharpton

Carol Moseley-Braun

Republican Party

George W. Bush

Bill Wyatt

Blake Ashby

Libertarian Party

Gary Nolan

N. Ruben Perez

Jeffrey H. Diket