Fight to continue

Press, 7 June 1980, Page 9

Fight to continue

NZPA-Reuter Washington Senator. Edward Kennedy has told President Carter he plans to press ahead with ! his. campaign for the Demo- ; cratic. . Presidential nomination even though Mr Carter commands an enormous lead in 'delegates to the party convention. Mr Carter said after Mr Kennedy left the White House yesterday; after more than an hour of talks between the two, that he had warned Mr Kennedy that he stood no charice of winning the nomination, although he respected his right to continue the campaign. The Republican camp scored a/ big success yesterday when a former Presi-dent,-.Mr Gerald Ford, promised to. campaign for Mr Ronald Reagan, who is now assured of the Republican Presidential nomination. Only three months ago Mr

Ford had said that Mr Reagan was not capable of being elected. But, "I will campaign wholeheartedly for Mr Reagan. I firmly believe he can be elected president,” Mr Ford said yesterday. A beaming Mr Kennedy said after his meeting with Mr Carter that he had challenged the president to take part in a televised debate with him. Mr Carter later told reporters that he did not. intend to accept the offer. . . “I welcomed the opportunity to tell the President that I have every, intention of continuing in this campaign as a candidate,”’ said Mr Kennedy; who won five of the eight final state primary elections this week. . Mr Carter has tried to portray his continuing struggle against Mr Kennedy as a typical and even healthy exercise in the Demo-

cratic Party, which has a tradition of bruising public battles for the nomination followea by displays of unity. ■ Despite Mr Kennedy’s refusal to 'concede, President Carter has moved to pull the Democrats together at the convention. The Democratic National Committee chairman, Mr John White, a Carter appointee and supporter, has announced that a liberal congressman, ’ Mr Morris Udall, has accepted the President’s invitation to deliver the convention’s keynote speech. Mr Udall, a Kennedy supporter who lost the nomination to Mr Carter in 1976, said that he would emphasise party unity in his address.

He aiso predicted that Mr Kennedy would fail to get the nomination.