Posted on 08/09/2004 3:15:47 PM PDT by Graybeard58
After the Democratic rally Thursday on the grounds of the state Capitol, presidential nominee John Kerry was seen putting his arm around defeated Gov. Bob Holden and whispering to him.
At the same event, Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill was overheard thanking Holden chief of staff Jane Dueker.
According to Kerry spokesman Bill Burton, the candidate and his top aide were simply "thanking Holden for showing up so soon after the primary," in which he lost to a fellow Democrat, state Auditor Claire McCaskill. Holden's presence helped signal party unity behind Kerry.
Burton discounted the interpretation of some Holden allies who say that Kerry and Cahill were acknowledging the governor's greatest campaign gift to the presidential ticket: putting the proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on the August ballot.
That decision forced Holden to engage in a high-profile battle with social conservatives, who wanted the measure on the November ballot instead. It also likely led to Tuesday's record primary turnout, where the amendment captured 71 percent of the vote.
Holden and McCaskill both opposed the amendment, so most analysts question how much of a role the measure played in her 54,000-vote margin of victory. Still, his allies say it certainly didn't help the governor's chances.
But keeping the amendment off the November ballot does help Kerry and running mate John Edwards sidestep the gay marriage issue in Missouri, one of a handful of crucial swing states in the tight presidential contest.
In an interview last week, for example, Edwards emphasized that he and Kerry had no quarrel with last week's overwhelming vote in favor of the gay marriage ban. He said the action underscored the ticket's contention that gay marriage was a state issue, not a federal one.
Missouri Republicans still plan to bring up the issue, but arguably
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
and isn't Holden going to feel like the dumass he is, when Kerry loses Mo. anyway?
Yeah the two losers deserve each other.
Even though they oppose the Defense of Marriage Act .... whatever.
Kerry was at the Capitol? Working? WOW!! that must be like the 5th time this year!!
And they would have voted for the FMA before they voted against it - if it had come up for a vote in the U.S Senate! (laughing)
missouri ping....
They don't see a contradiction, they are democrats.
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