Free Republic

Senator John F. Kerry may have won the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination, but he still faces a fight for the hearts and minds of the party's antiwar wing. With violence surging in Iraq, voters who want a quick end to the US-led occupation are shaping up as a potentially critical constituency, and Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader is making a direct pitch for their support in November. Meanwhile, Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio, a vocal war critic, continues to campaign in the hope of exerting influence at the Democratic convention in July. Leaders of progressive groups who...

<p>Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader is appealing to young voters by emphasizing his antiwar stance as he works diligently to separate himself from President Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry.</p> <p>Mr. Nader, who polled at 13 percent in an Associated Press/Newsweek.com survey last month of voters aged 18 to 25, has released a three-step plan to remove U.S. forces from Iraq and continues to hammer Mr. Kerry for his allegiance to the war effort.</p>

<p>SACRAMENTO - With the nation on the brink of war, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer says she has no regrets about her vote last October against the use of military force in Iraq and suggested it might provide a re-election boost.</p>