INDEPENDENCE, Iowa, July 5 (UPI) -- Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Kohn Kerry spent the weekend wooing middle class voters in the Midwest, the New York Times reported.
His 3-day bus tour concluded Sunday with a barbecue in Dubuque, Iowa, with Gov. Tom Vilsack and his wife. Vilsack is considered to be on the list of Kerry's potential running mates, although both men dodged questions about sharing a ticket.
Before attending Mass, Kerry reiterated he is personally opposed to abortion, but wants to preserve the separation of church and state and allow citizens to exercise their rights.
The Bush campaign reacted promptly to Kerry's statements.
"John Kerry's efforts to mislead voters in the heartland are offensive," said Kevin Madden, a Bush campaign spokesman. "His rhetoric is at odds with a long record of opposing common-sense measures like the ban on partial-birth abortion."
Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, another potential Kerry vice-presidential choice, was scheduled to be in Boston Monday for two fund-raising events, an aide told the Times.
