Kerry steps closer to nomination

The Massachusetts senator, looking to challenge President Bush in a region that has not been friendly to Democrats in recent elections, swept to easy wins in Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana.

Kerry effectively locked up the right to face Bush last week when he drove his last major rival from the race and the victories put him on the verge of making it official by capturing a majority of the delegates to July's nominating convention.

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"This nation is demanding more than ever before leadership that takes us in a new direction," Kerry told supporters in Chicago, Illinois, which holds the primary next week that could put him over the top.

"George Bush will not take us in that direction," he said. "I will."

Kerry rolled up more than 75 percent of the votes in Florida and Mississippi over rivals who have dropped out of the race but remained on the ballots and over two remaining minor challengers, civil rights activist Al Sharpton and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Kerry, already locked in an escalating general election struggle with Bush, slammed the president's economic and foreign policies and ridiculed Bush's claim to "steady leadership," describing him as a "stubborn" leader.

"After four years of the same old failed policies, what we've seen is stubborn leadership," Kerry said.

Earlier in the day Bush, without mentioning Kerry by name, decried "economic isolationists" who would weaken the US economy.

"There are economic isolationists in our country who believe we should separate ourselves from the rest of the world by raising up barriers and closing off markets. They're wrong," Bush said in a clear jab at Kerry.