The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> ROUND 'EM UP br> With it now appearing that an ostensibly recuperating Sen. John Kerry will take a pass on speaking at the DNC's winter meeting in Washington next week, chairman Terry McAuliffe is looking to slot in former Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun , who will officially become a presidential candidate next week when she files papers with the Federal Election Commission. /p>

"With Kerry out, we probably have to take her," says a DNC staffer helping to organize the two-day event. "We have an opening now."

Kerry was scheduled to be the highlight speaker on the second day of the event. Other speakers for the day included Sen. John Edwards and Al Sharpton. And while Edwards is probably relieved that Kerry is off the program, it doesn't mean he'll get center stage for the day.

"We'll probably move Lieberman or Gephardt into the second day to balance things out a bit," says the DNCer. "We can't give our attendees a day of Moseley-Braun, Edwards and Sharpton. No one would stay for that kind of lineup."

When the speaking slots were announced earlier this month, Edwards people were worried about being bunched with the party's early presidential frontrunner and Sharpton, a fiery public speaker. Now, Edwards will most likely have to deal with audience favorite Joe Lieberman or Dick Gephardt on the second-day agenda.

"This is why they call these things a cattle call," says the DNC staffer. "Everyone gets a shot, but we're not giving anyone a better slot over someone else. The slots are what each candidate makes of them."