WASHINGTON, April 14 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., has been given the keynote slot at the Democratic Leadership Council's May meeting in Phoenix, the DLC said Wednesday.
The Democrat's probable presidential nominee, Kerry is from the party's liberal wing while the DLC represents the more moderate bloc. Kerry's appearance is seen in political circles as a sign the Massachusetts Democrat is attempt to reach out and broaden his political base within the party prior to its nominating convention in July.
The DLC is an important bloc within the Democratic Party and was originally formed as a reaction to the leftward positions taken by national Democrats on many social, economic and foreign policy matters. In 1992, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton used his position as chairman of the DLC as the jumping off point for his run for president of the United States.
The May 7-8 event, which the DLC calls a "National Conversation," is an annual gathering at which moderate party leaders and perceived rising-stars come together to argue politics and debate policy.
