To the Point

Kerry Picks John Edwards as His Running Mate

Blue-blood John Kerry has chosen a blue-collar, self-made-millionaire as his vice presidential running mate. A former trial lawyer in his first term in the Senate, North Carolina-s John Edwards took only one primary state, but he demonstrated a common touch that wowed audiences all over the country. While the choice may have surprised some people, the Republican National Committee has already published a 28 page paper called, -Who is John Edwards?- Needless to say, the answers aren-t very flattering. Warren Olney discusses what he brings to the Democratic ticket, and what Republicans are doing to puncture the Edwards balloon, with journalists in Washington and North Carolina, a republican strategist and a former advisor to President Bill Clinton. Reporter's Notebook: The Struggle to Hold Elections in Afghanistan In Afghanistan, the mandate of President Hamid Karzai ran out in June. To establish legitimacy, he needs to hold an election as soon as possible, but he-s battling a tough insurgency. UN workers have not yet been able to count the eligible voters and they-re still struggling to set up the electoral machinery. We hear from the US ambassador, a spokesman for President Karzai, and others, about whether the Afghan President can get a vote of confidence in time to stabilize the country.