Kerry scores a knockout on ‘Super Tuesday’

Kerry Cements Democratic Nomination

John Kerry cemented the Democratic presidential nomination, driving rival John Edwards from the race with a string of Super Tuesday triumphs that catapulted the Massachusetts senator into an eight-month struggle to oust President Bush.

"Change is coming to America," Kerry said, capping a remarkable comeback that began this year with his candidacy on the brink of extinction in Iowa and New Hampshire. ...


"I am a fighter, and for more than 30 years I have been on the battle lines, on the front lines, for fairness and mainstream American values," Kerry told cheering supporters in Washington, D.C., promising to close tax loopholes, offer new incentives for manufacturers, protect the environment, raise the minimum wage and cut health care costs.

The crowd shouted along with him as Kerry delivered his signature line: "If George Bush wants to make national security the central issue of 2004, I have three words that I know he understands — Bring. It. On."