NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. --Cathy Weigel probably never thought she'd hit a jackpot of sorts when she donated $50 to Democrat John Kerry's presidential campaign. Weigel turned out to be his 1 millionth online supporter, and that campaign milestone came with the promise of a telephone call from the candidate himself.
Weigel nervously awaited Kerry's call on Tuesday. But once they were connected, a broad smile crept across her face and calm set in as they discussed his effort to unseat President Bush.
"International security is a big thing, and we have trashed our reputation really bad," she told Kerry, who telephoned from his new campaign plane en route from Washington, D.C., to Portland, Ore. "That's important to me."
Weigel said Kerry asked her to attend his inauguration.
"If he wins, by God yes, I'm going," she said, before adding: "When he wins."
Before the call, Weigel said she had never given money to a political campaign before this year, but that Bush's handling of the war in Iraq motivated her to log on to Kerry's campaign Web site on Monday night. She was the 1 millionth person to register at the site as a supporter.
"If George Bush wins in November, I've got to move to Canada or something," Weigel said while she waited for Kerry to call. "I just cannot stand the way things are going."
A Bush spokesman dubbed Missouri, a swing state, "Bush country" and noted the president's narrow victory in 2000 and expressed confidence in a repeat performance in November.
"The president has received tremendous support from Missouri, both in terms of money and manpower, and he's very warmly received every time he comes here," said Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo.
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Sen. Evan Bayh knows his math. With so many people under consideration as possible running mates for Democrat John Kerry, the Indiana senator said Tuesday that likely reduces the odds that he'll be chosen.
"I'm flattered by the speculation, but I doubt that is going to happen," Bayh said during a visit to the AM General plant in Mishwaka, Ind., where Army Humvees are built. "I don't anticipate it happening, so I don't stay up late at night worrying about it. But I wouldn't be human if it wasn't a little flattering.
"I think all of the speculation is good for my ego, but little else," he said.
Bayh, who is running this year for a second term in the Senate, said his assessment was based on the number of people who've been mentioned as possible choices for the vice presidential nomination.
"I just think it's a mathematical fact if you have six, eight, 10 quality good people, the chances of any one of them being selected is less than 50-50," Bayh said.
Among those being mentioned as possible Kerry running mates are Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, retired Gen. Wesley Clark, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona. McCain has said several times that he is not interested.
Kerry does not discuss his search for a vice presidential candidate. Bayh declined to comment on whether he has talked with Kerry campaign officials.
Bayh said he is focused on his work as a senator and his re-election campaign, but that he doesn't think the job of vice president is "the kind of thing you say no to."
"If someone asks me to serve in a different capacity, I think I'd probably say yes to that kind of thing," Bayh said. "I don't think that's going to happen."
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Associated Press
Weigel nervously awaited Kerry's call on Tuesday. But once they were connected, a broad smile crept across her face and calm set in as they discussed his effort to unseat President Bush.
"International security is a big thing, and we have trashed our reputation really bad," she told Kerry, who telephoned from his new campaign plane en route from Washington, D.C., to Portland, Ore. "That's important to me."
Weigel said Kerry asked her to attend his inauguration.
"If he wins, by God yes, I'm going," she said, before adding: "When he wins."
Before the call, Weigel said she had never given money to a political campaign before this year, but that Bush's handling of the war in Iraq motivated her to log on to Kerry's campaign Web site on Monday night. She was the 1 millionth person to register at the site as a supporter.
"If George Bush wins in November, I've got to move to Canada or something," Weigel said while she waited for Kerry to call. "I just cannot stand the way things are going."
A Bush spokesman dubbed Missouri, a swing state, "Bush country" and noted the president's narrow victory in 2000 and expressed confidence in a repeat performance in November.
"The president has received tremendous support from Missouri, both in terms of money and manpower, and he's very warmly received every time he comes here," said Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo.
------
Sen. Evan Bayh knows his math. With so many people under consideration as possible running mates for Democrat John Kerry, the Indiana senator said Tuesday that likely reduces the odds that he'll be chosen.
"I'm flattered by the speculation, but I doubt that is going to happen," Bayh said during a visit to the AM General plant in Mishwaka, Ind., where Army Humvees are built. "I don't anticipate it happening, so I don't stay up late at night worrying about it. But I wouldn't be human if it wasn't a little flattering.
"I think all of the speculation is good for my ego, but little else," he said.
Bayh, who is running this year for a second term in the Senate, said his assessment was based on the number of people who've been mentioned as possible choices for the vice presidential nomination.
"I just think it's a mathematical fact if you have six, eight, 10 quality good people, the chances of any one of them being selected is less than 50-50," Bayh said.
Among those being mentioned as possible Kerry running mates are Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, retired Gen. Wesley Clark, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona. McCain has said several times that he is not interested.
Kerry does not discuss his search for a vice presidential candidate. Bayh declined to comment on whether he has talked with Kerry campaign officials.
Bayh said he is focused on his work as a senator and his re-election campaign, but that he doesn't think the job of vice president is "the kind of thing you say no to."
"If someone asks me to serve in a different capacity, I think I'd probably say yes to that kind of thing," Bayh said. "I don't think that's going to happen."
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Associated Press
