WASHINGTON — Back in March, when Sen. John F. Kerry met with the big-money trial attorneys who had been Sen. John Edwards' largest financial backers in the presidential primaries, the lawyers told the presumptive Democratic nominee that he had their "unflinching" support.
But there was a caveat. "They made it clear they would be happiest if Edwards was on the ticket," said a Democratic Party official.
Now that Kerry has chosen the former trial attorney as his running mate, Democrats are hoping that some of the millions that so easily flowed to Edwards will now flow to the Democratic National Committee.
Kerry's campaign has raised more than $182 million, the most ever by a non-incumbent presidential candidate. Michael Meehan, a senior campaign advisor, noted that no one thought raising that kind of money was even possible.
"We were in the Wild West territory before Edwards joined the ticket," Meehan said. "It's hard to imagine what this will bring."
But with Edwards on the ticket -- and his former national finance chairman raising money for Kerry and the Democratic National Committee -- some political observers think it certainly means even more money for Kerry in the short term and the party in the months ahead.
"Trial attorneys are jumping the moon to see one of their finest on a national ticket and in position to run for the White House as the nominee in eight years," said University of Virginia political scientist Larry J. Sabato. "This is big for them, it will get their adrenaline pumping, and it will open up their checkbooks to a degree never seen before."
Edwards was a wealthy personal injury attorney in 1997 when he decided to run for the U.S. Senate.
He lent his campaign more than $6 million of his own money and defeated incumbent Lauch Faircloth in 1998.
During his presidential bid, Edwards raised $33 million, including $22 million in individual contributions. More than $9.3 million came from lawyers, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And many of those contributors were trial attorneys.
The money came from throughout the United States. He raised $2.7 million in California, more than anywhere else. California also is the top source of Kerry's money -- he has raised $16.1 million in the state.
Edwards' ability to raise big money fast in the primaries made him an early contender.
