The Associated PressNorth Carolina Republicans who attended their party's national convention this week got marching orders from White House aides who urged them to talk down Sen. John Edwards, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee.
"North Carolina, you've got a very special responsibility," said Ruben Barales, a White House advisor to President Bush, at a delegation meeting Thursday. "You need to tell the rest of the world about John Edwards. Tell them what he's like as a politician, and let them know about John Edwards." ..
A spokeswoman defended Edwards' record, saying that he has been an effective representative since his election in 1998.
"John Edwards has fought for the people of North Carolina and has been talking about issues that affect the voters of North Carolina every day," said Kathleen Connery, a Kerry-Edwards campaign spokesperson. "He will be valuable to the people of North Carolina as a voice in the White House."
Edwards' presence on the Democratic ticket has brought the national campaign to North Carolina - a sharp contrast to four years ago, when Democratic candidate Al Gore did not contest the state and Bush won by 13 percentage points. ..
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