The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> I'LL FLY AWAY br> With it increasingly clear to his campaign that he will win the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. John Kerry is planning at least two trips overseas, most likely in April, so as to allow those visits to be integrated into his campaign propaganda. /p>

Kerry is putting out feelers to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as well as French President Jacques Chirac, about holding meetings with him during a European trip. As well, the Kerry campaign is examining his schedule to allow for a trip to Israel, and perhaps several Arab nations.

"There hasn't been talk of Iraq, though as a U.S. Senator and veteran of combat, it would certainly be appropriate for him to venture into Iraq," says a Kerry campaign staffer. "We have received indications from a number of young men and women in Iraq that they very much want Senator Kerry to visit them. His leadership just shines through."

The trips are one of a number of steps the Kerry campaign is taking as it rolls through the primary season. Another is continued opposition research on the President. According to a staffer on the blue-ribbon 9/11 commission, several Kerry Senate staffers, as well as associates of the Kerry campaign have reached out to longtime Democrats working on the commission about the work the group is taking.

"We're hearing Kerry is trying to pull all kinds of strings to find any damaging material on the Bush administration pre-9/11," says a Republican working with the commission. "We've been warning about this from the beginning. We've got men and women working here that cannot contain their hatred for this administration. Frankly, we don't have that much damaging material, but if there's stuff here, you can bet the Kerry campaign will get it."

p> GREEN WITHOUT ENVY br> Former Vermont Gov. Howie Dean and his advisers are looking into options that would allow him to run for president on the Green Party ticket should he fail in his bid to wrench the Democratic nomination away from Sen.

topics:
Iraq, Israel, NATO