Notes and quotes from campaign 2004
By (Agencies)
Updated: 2004-03-02 09:55

Vanessa Kerry, daughter of U.S. presidential hopeful John Kerry got louder cheers than her father from an enthusiastic crowd at a political rally in Baltimore on Monday.

Some of the guys in the Morgan State University band cheered long and loud when Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry introduced his daughter, a tall, blond, 27-year-old medical student.

Kerry tolerated the hoots and hollers for a few moments before interjecting as a protective father.

"Hey guys, you got to talk to me first," he teased.

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Kerry, who stayed up late Sunday night watching the 11-Oscar sweep by "Lord of the Rings," praised the movie's director for creating thousands of jobs while filming J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy.

"Peter Jackson said that he used 25,000 extras in 'Lord of the Rings,'" Kerry said at Ohio State on Monday, referring to the director's comments during his Oscar acceptance speech. "Did you know that? He has created 25,000 more jobs than George Bush has, ladies and gentleman. We ought to give him more than an Oscar."

Only thing is, most of those jobs were in Jackson's native New Zealand where filming took place.

The director is also building a new movie production center in the capital of Wellington, which is sure to create many more jobs ... for Kiwis.

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John Edwards' optimism jumped the gun Monday when his campaign prematurely issues a news release claiming "large crowds" at his rallies in Toledo, Dayton and Cleveland, Ohio.

The campaign sent the e-mail before the latter two rallies, neither of which drew big numbers.

Around 300 showed up at the University of Toledo, while Dayton and Cleveland each had crowds of 100 or so.

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BY THE NUMBERS:

1,151 — Delegates up for grabs on Tuesday in 10 state contests for the Democratic nomination.

888 — Delegates from 20 previous nominating contests this year.

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VOTER'S VOICE:

"I like what he has to say about jobs and I don't like John Kerry. I know the polls show he's down here, but he's going to surprise a lot of people. There are going to be a lot of Dean supporters who will vote for him." — Former Howard Dean supporter Julie Armstrong, 49, among about 100 people at an Edwards rally in Dayton, Ohio, on Monday.

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THIS DATE FOUR YEARS AGO:

U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Democratic rival Bill Bradley debated in Los Angeles. Following his enormous loss in Washington state's nonbinding Democratic primary, Bradley insisted that next round, 15 contests in all, was just the "starting point" for his campaign, even as some of his prominent supporters predicted that would be the end of his effort.

Texas Gov. George W. Bush noted "a little spring in my step" the day after sweeping Republican contests in Virginia, Washington state and North Dakota to recapture the lead in the fight for the GOP nomination. A defiant Sen. John McCain said he would press on even though "the establishment is intent on breaking me."

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MONDAY ROUNDUP:

On the eve of a 10-state Democratic showdown, front-runner Kerry continued taking on U.S. President Bush while challenger Edwards faced signs of a waning campaign.

Kerry, ahead in pre-election polls in every competitive Super Tuesday state, began his day with a rally at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He later traveled to Ohio State University in Columbus, and Atlanta.

As the Bush campaign prepared to launch a multimillion-dollar TV ad blitz on Thursday, Kerry pledged to wage a tough fight against the president on taxes, education, health care and terrorism.

Edwards held three events around Ohio, later traveling to Macon, Ga., the state where he appeared most competitive.

Dennis Kucinich campaigned in his home state of Ohio.

Bush met with the Senate Republican fund-raising committee's biggest donors at a reception at Majority Leader Bill Frist's home.

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TUESDAY TRAIL:

Both Edwards and Kerry begin in Atlanta, but are to return to Washington for Senate votes on reauthorizing the federal assault weapons ban. Kerry watches election returns in Washington; Edwards returns to Atlanta.

Kucinich is in Ohio, and Sharpton watches the returns from New York's Harlem neighborhood.

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