Making up... ________________ Kerry and Dean, All Forgiven, Plot to Unseat a Common Foe By JODI WILGOREN and DAVID M. HALBFINGER ASHINGTON, March 10 — The so-called "handmaiden of special interests" and the man whose "judgment and sense of responsibility" he frequently had denounced raised their hands in unison on Wednesday, two formerly bitter Democratic rivals meeting for the first time to plot the path to their mutual goal: ousting President Bush from the White House. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, welcomed Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont who once seemed his chief political roadblock, to his headquarters here on Wednesday with an ovation by scores of staff members. The two men talked for an hour behind closed doors, guarded by a phalanx of Secret Service agents — but not before Mr. Kerry hugged Dr. Dean and shook his hand for the cameras. Dr. Dean made no official endorsement of Mr. Kerry but Democrats close to both men said they expect it to come before the end of the month, quashing any concerns in the party that Dr. Dean would not help the ticket. "During the campaign, we often focused on what divided us, but the truth is we have much more in common, beginning with our fervent desire to send George Bush back to Crawford, Tex., in November," Dr. Dean said in a statement after the session. "I will work closely with John Kerry to make sure we beat George Bush in November and turn our country around." The meeting was quickly followed by a session between Mr. Kerry and Terry McAuliffe, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, another part of a new campaign by the senator to forge alliances with vanquished opponents, cement control over the party apparatus and deploy Congressional colleagues as surrogates using the same script. On Thursday, Senator John Edwards of North Carolina is expected to bring his fund-raising network to meet with Mr. Kerry, in what Kerry aides say is a sign both of teamwork and Mr. Edwards's desire to be as useful as possible, particularly while Mr. Kerry is shopping for a running mate. Mr. Kerry is also scheduled to return to Capitol Hill to meet with the Democratic House and Senate delegations as well as the Congressional black and Hispanic caucuses. The unity tour began on a day when Mr. Kerry denounced his Republican critics in unusually harsh terms during a conversation with supporters in Chicago when he apparently did not realize he was still wearing a live microphone. "These are the most crooked, you know, lying group I've ever seen, it's scary," Mr. Kerry said as his supporters urged him to "tell it like it is" and "keep smiling." Mr. Kerry did not take questions from reporters but David Wade, his spokesman, said the senator was referring to what he called the "Republican attack machine," not to the Bush administration. Marc Racicot, the chairman of Mr. Bush's campaign, said in a statement that Mr. Kerry's comments were "unbecoming of a presidential candidate," and asked him to "apologize for this negative attack." Kerry campaign officials say a key element of their effort to combat President Bush's huge edge in money and television advertising through the conventions this summer is to have local officials assail Mr. Bush or respond on Mr. Kerry's behalf in their home media markets, particularly in battleground states. The effort is being run by George Abar, Mr. Kerry's Senate legislative director. "Putting the party on alert that we don't have a single voice to spare is critical," a senior Kerry adviser said on the condition of anonymity, saying that the use of surrogates is seen as more crucial this year because of the financial advantage Mr. Bush's campaign holds over Mr. Kerry's. Kerry campaign officials said they plan to use surrogates more aggressively this year than the 2000 Democratic nominee, Al Gore, had. One Kerry campaign official said that members of Congress were dismissive of the threat Mr. Bush posed to Mr. Gore at the comparable point in the 2000 campaign. The Kerry official said that Mr. Gore's campaign did not work closely with the Congressional Black Caucus until October of that year. By contrast, Mr. Kerry has already handed several of them prominent roles in his operation. Still unclear is what the Kerry campaign will do with Dr. Dean, who might be able to deliver his legions of loyalists and their small but substantial donations, but who has spent months trading harsh insults with Mr. Kerry. Just last month, as he made his last stand in Wisconsin, Dr. Dean said that Mr. Kerry was indistinguishable from Mr. Bush, incapable of changing Washington, and had supported "politically corrupt fund-raising mechanisms." When Dr. Dean accidentally referred to his rival as "President Kerry" at one point, he scoffed while correcting himself. "Please, spare us." Since Dr. Dean dropped out of the race Feb. 17, though, Mr. Kerry has courted him with solicitous telephone calls, and even used some of his signature statements. Wednesday in Chicago, Mr. Kerry adopted Dr. Dean's language by discussing "the Bush tax." Dr. Dean had often used the phrase to describe the increased costs for health care and college tuition that he argued were caused by Mr. Bush's tax cuts and reduced federal aid. On Monday, Mr. Kerry told fund-raisers that he planned to find 2 million people to donate $100 each — the staple of Dr. Dean's strategy. "Governor Dean's been enormously complimentary of John Kerry for weeks now," said Mr. Wade, the Kerry spokesman. Aides to both men said Dr. Dean's formal endorsement was delayed partly because Dr. Dean planned to introduce a new political action group with a six-city tour starting next Thursday in Seattle, and partly because Dr. Dean needed more time to lay the groundwork with his supporters who remain hostile toward Mr. Kerry. "He's got to have a dialogue with his people," said Steve Elmendorf, Mr. Kerry's deputy campaign manager, who sat in on part of the session with Dr. Dean. "We're not interested in endorsements in name only. We want endorsements that come with real support, and his does." Several Democrats said they expect the pair to campaign together as soon as March 25, when all the former Democratic candidates, along with former Democratic Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, gather in Washington for a Democratic National Committee gala. A top concern for both Mr. Kerry and Dr. Dean is Dr. Dean's ability to redirect the votes of supporters who might otherwise be attracted to Ralph Nader's campaign as an independent. "Governor Dean wants to make sure every single one of his supporters votes for the Democratic nominee," Jay Carson, a spokesman for Dr. Dean, said. Asked about Dr. Dean's 600,000-name e-mail address database, the backbone of his record-setting fundraising, Mr. Carson said: "We're going to use the list in the most effective way possible to help Senator Kerry, and help Democrats." If Wednesday was about bringing these two very different politicians together after a year of enmity, it was also a reminder of the changes in their relative stations. Dr. Dean seemed stunned at the outpouring from the Kerry staff as Mr. Kerry, hand on his shoulder, led him before the cameras. After their meeting, Mr. Kerry was whisked out a side door, passersby and journalists held at bay by Secret Service agents. Dr. Dean came out the front door to face 20 reporters. As he shut the door to a black sedan, he ignored their shouted questions about what role he would play in the campaign.
