The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

that he reaching a point where, as one staffer put it, "he will have to either fish or cut the line altogether." This after Rep. Dick Gephardt identified South Carolina as a critical state for his own political future, as well as that for gaining the full endorsement of the AFL-CIO membership. /p>

Gephardt, who received an endorsement from the Teamsters late last week, is trolling for further union support in South Carolina, a state whose industrial base has been hammered for decades by free trade initiatives and the like. Edwards had been focusing much his attention on South Carolina, expecting that as a Southerner, and a native son, an early win here would propel him deep into the abbreviated Democratic primary season.

But Gephardt's need to get as much union backing as he can to ensure his campaign's survival has seen him turn his attention to the South. "Iowa is in decent shape," says a Gephardt adviser. "Dean and Kerry will be a handful, but we have the organization there. Now we focus on South Carolina."

Some Democrats are encouraging Edwards to pull back and to prepare his Senate re-election campaign in North Carolina, where he is expected to face a strong challenged from Republicans.

"It's getting to the point where the Senate races are looking pretty grim," says a Democratic Senate staffer. "We've lost Miller, Hollings, we may lose Edwards and maybe even Graham [in Florida]. That's getting close to giving the Republicans a real shot at 60 if everything breaks right. We know it won't, but still. If Edwards wants a future in this party, he may have to swallow his pride and think about the bigger picture."

topics:
Trade, NATO, Alaska