Quotes of the Day

As John Edwards spoke in Georgia about how nobody predicted that “the two Johns” would remain this late in the Democratic race, Senator John Kerry, watching the speech on CNN in a room at the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington laughed and clapped as his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry hugged his left arm. Just four months after his presidential campaign was declared dead by many observers “The Comeback Kerry” — the nickname he gave himself after his momentum-changing win in Iowa — has sealed up the nomination, winning nine of the ten states that voted on Super Tuesday.

Edwards will drop out of the race tomorrow and Kerry’s next opponent called to congratulate him on his victory. Kerry told President Bush “I hope we have a great debate about the issues before the country." After taking more congratulatory calls, Kerry stepped up to the podium in front of a crowd of thousands waving signs and shouting, flanked by his wife, stepson, two daughters and Ted Kennedy, the senior Massachusetts senator who has enthusiastically stumped for Kerry around the country. The junior senator from Massachusetts complimented his former opponent, saying that “John and Elizabeth [Edwards] are our friends and he’s a valiant champion of the values for which this party stands.” Kerry also praised Howard Dean, who won his home state of Vermont.

The campaign isn’t wasting any time savoring its win. Kerry will travel to Orlando for a campaign event there, not wanting to skip a trip to a critical swing state, and then head to Louisiana and Texas this weekend. He faces an immediate challenge from Bush, who attacked in a speech last week: “The candidates are an interesting group with diverse opinions: for tax cuts and against them. For NAFTA, and against NAFTA. For the Patriot Act, and Against the Patriot Act. In favor of liberating Iraq, and opposed to it. And that’s just one senator from Massachusetts.” Now that the Democrats have a nominee, the Bush team will launch a $4.5 million ad buy on Thursday in 17 states, hoping to get Bush’s poll numbers back up. Kerry’s campaign is certainly worried. “Everyone is cognizant about the money that's going to be spent by the Bush campaign,” said Chris Heinz, Kerry’ s stepson.

While Kerry aides realize they probably won’t ever match Bush’s campaign war chest of more than $130 million, they’re hoping to beat him with their message. Bush’s ads will focus on his record as a “war president", and Kerry will likely tout his Vietnam record and his experience in the Senate even more over the next few months, when he’s not attending fundraisers. For months, he and his supporters have shouted that if Bush wants to make this campaign about national security, then “BRING IT ON.” Kerry starts out with a lead right now in head to head polls against Bush, but he’s had a host of other Democrats attacking the president. Now Kerry will have to bring it on all by himself.

• Perry Bacon Jr.
• The Senator wins 9 out of 10 Super Tuesday races, and virtually wraps up the Democratic nomination. Now for the hard part