Kerry Finds His Running Mate

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry selected former rival John Edwards to be his running mate Tuesday, picking the smooth-talking Southern populist over more seasoned politicians in hopes of injecting vigor and blue-collar appeal to the Democratic ticket.

Publicly announcing his selection at a rally in Pittsburgh, Kerry called Edwards a man "who has shown guts and determination and political skills in his own race for the presidency of the United States."

Edwards arrived in Pittsburgh Tuesday afternoon for a dinner between the Edwards and Kerry families at Kerry's Pittsburgh estate. The candidates launch a multistate campaign tour in Ohio on Wednesday, ending in Edwards' home state Saturday.

Earlier Tuesday, Kerry told supporters in an e-mail about his decision that he couldn't wait to see the North Carolina senator going "toe-to-toe with Dick Cheney."

The two men will be formally nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, which begins July 26, to run against U.S. President George W. Bush and Vice President Cheney in the November election. Polls show the race is tight.

Edwards, a 51 year-old wealthy former trial lawyer, was the last major candidate standing against Kerry in the Democratic primaries to choose a challenger to the Republicans.

He emerged as a favorite second choice of Democratic voters, thanks to his youthful good looks, a self-assured manner and an upbeat, optimistic style. Edwards, who was elected to the Senate in 1998, saved his harshest criticism for President Bush, whom he accused of creating "two Americas" — one for the privileged, another for everyone else.

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran whom critics call aloof, calculated that his ticket didn't need foreign policy heft as much as a flash of pizazz.

"I was humbled by his offer," Edwards said in a statement, "and thrilled to accept it."

Edwards is a self-made multimillionaire who turned his up-from-the-bootstraps biography into a compelling story during his nomination fight against Kerry and several others.

During that campaign, Edwards did better than Kerry among Republicans and nearly as well among independents, according to exit polls conducted by The Associated Press. By comparison, among all voters in those primaries, Kerry beat Edwards 2-to-1. Edwards' voters frequently said the top candidate quality in their choice was that "he has a positive message."

When Kerry made his announcement in Pittsburgh, a huge crowd of supporters burst into applause, waving handmade signs that mixed with professionally printed "Kerry-Edwards" signs kept under wraps until the last minute.

"I trust that met with your approval," Kerry said as a banner unfurled behind him that read, "Kerry-Edwards. A stronger America."

"I have chosen a man who understands and defends the values of America, a man who has shown courage and conviction as a champion for middle-class Americans," Kerry said.

CBS News has learned that Kerry told some of his closest advisers his choice late Monday night. He called Edwards at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday and the men spoke for 15 to 20 minutes. Then Kerry called some of the other Democrats who were considered for the post.

The two will make their first joint appearance Ohio on Wednesday.

Other top contenders for the No. 2 slot were Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and Sen. Bob Graham of Florida.

In an e-mail to supporters obtained by The Associated Press, Kerry said that he and Edwards "will be fighting for the America we love."

"We'll be fighting to give the middle class a voice by providing good paying jobs and affordable health care. We'll be fighting to make America energy independent. We'll be fighting to build a strong military and lead strong alliances, so young Americans are never put in harm's way because we insisted on going it alone."

Bush's allies at the Republican National Committee immediately labeled Edwards a "disingenuous, unaccomplished liberal" trial lawyer — even as Cheney called to congratulate him. Spokeswoman Nicolle Devenish said Cheney told Edwards that he looked forward to the vice presidential debate and "a spirited campaign."

Later, Bush used similar language to welcome Edwards to the race.

In the Senate as well as on the campaign trail, Edwards tended to take a moderate stand on issues. Outside of North Carolina, he gained more public attention from media-coined nicknames like "Golden Boy" and as People magazine's "sexiest politician."

Edwards and Kerry had few major policy disagreements — both supported the decision to go to war in Iraq, for example, and both voted against the US$87 billion package for Iraq and Afghanistan.

One division was over the North American Free Trade Agreement: Kerry voted for it, but Edwards campaigned against NAFTA, which the Senate approved before he was elected. Edwards made trade, jobs and the economy the centerpiece of his campaign, questioning Kerry's vote on NAFTA but not pledging to seek its repeal.

They also differed in some ways on how to approach some issues. Both called for rolling back the Bush tax cuts, but Kerry proposed eliminating the tax cuts for those who make more than US$200,000 a year while Edwards set the ceiling at US$240,000.

Kerry voted against the ban on so-called "partial birth" abortion passed by Congress, but Edwards did not vote. A more clear-cut difference was Kerry's opposition to the death penalty and Edwards' support of it.

Kerry finished first and Edwards second in the Iowa caucuses in January, the first contest in the primary, surprising front-runner Howard Dean and driving regional favorite Gephardt out of the race. Dean finished second to Kerry in the New Hampshire primary, and as Dean lost the next dozen delegate contests, the race became a contest between Kerry and Edwards.

Yet Edwards could never muster enough momentum to overtake his Senate colleague. He won only a single state during the competitive phase of the primary, his native South Carolina, and ended his bid following the 10-state Super Tuesday elections on March 2.

After pulling out of the race, Edwards campaigned aggressively on Kerry's behalf and urged his contributors, mostly trial lawyers, to donate to his former rival's campaign.

Edwards was born in Seneca, South Carolina, and grew up in Robbins, North Carolina. His father was a mill worker, and he announced his presidential campaign from the factory, then closed, where his father had worked and where he had swept floors to earn money for college. He earned a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University in 1974 and a law degree from the University of North Carolina in 1977.

A Methodist, Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children: Cate, Emma Claire and Jack. Their son Wade died in a traffic accident at age 16 in 1996.