WASHINGTON -- After nearly a week on the ski slopes of Idaho, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry resumes active campaigning today, picks up endorsements from a major union and a former rival, and celebrates his status as head of the Democratic Party.
The Massachusetts senator has been largely out of public view for the better part of a week as he and his wife, Teresa Heinz, vacationed at their home in Ketchum, Idaho. He arrived in Washington late Wednesday and told reporters traveling with him that he felt rejuvenated.
"No more long answers," Kerry said. "It doesn't take me long to recharge my batteries."
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said he would stay focused on jobs and the economy and was unlikely to comment on the past two days of testimony about intelligence failures before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was set to endorse Kerry after a meeting of the union's executive council. With 1.3 million members, AFSCME is the second-largest union in the AFL-CIO and boasts one of organized labor's largest and most savvy political operations.
