Secret kept, up to the last minute

John Kerry demanded that his search for a running mate remain private. He succeeded so well that workers on his jet knew the choice before John Edwards did.

INDIANAPOLIS - John Kerry placed the call Monday evening: He had chosen John Edwards as his running mate. But that first call went to an employee of the company that would add Edwards' name to the side of his campaign plane.

To meet a deadline for the job, Kerry had to make up his mind by 6 p.m. Monday if he wanted to fly from Pittsburgh to Indianapolis sporting his running mate's name on the fuselage.

Nearly everyone else, including Edwards, had to wait until Tuesday morning to find out who would be asked to join the ticket.

Kerry placed a phone call at 7:30 a.m. to Edwards from the suburban Pittsburgh estate of his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. His request was simple enough: "John, Teresa and I would like to ask you and Elizabeth to join us on our ticket to take back our country."

From his home in Washington's Georgetown district, Edwards told Kerry that he was "honored and excited" about the opportunity - and then called his wife, Elizabeth, who was in North Carolina.

At nearly the same time, news media began reporting that sources were telling them Kerry had chosen Edwards.

The secretive, four-month search began March 2 when Kerry handed Jim Johnson, his search director, and Mary Beth Cahill, his campaign manager, a list of 25 potential running mates. That was just hours after Kerry had staked claim to the Democratic nomination by knocking Edwards out of the race after the Super Tuesday primaries.

After a series of thorough background checks, Kerry began meeting privately with top prospects in mid June, including Edwards, Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Sen. Bob Graham of Florida. He summoned Edwards to Washington on Thursday, interrupting the Edwards family's vacation to Walt Disney World for a secret meeting.

The vetting process ended that afternoon when Johnson and Cahill handed over all the information Kerry needed to make a decision and answered final questions in a conference call.

"Then, the decision was in his hands," Cahill said.

As Kerry embarked Friday on a three-day bus tour of the Midwest, vendors of signs, banners, T-shirts and buttons - all had signed nondisclosure agreements with the campaign - were given the names of five candidates. They produced three to five versions of Kerry-Edwards campaign trinkets.

Over the weekend, according to advisers, Kerry shared his thoughts about the decision with only one person: his wife. As speculation mounted that a decision was near, Kerry joined his wife Monday at her estate to host their annual holiday barbecue. In interviews with local reporters just before 5 p.m., he denied that he had made up his mind.

An hour later, Kerry personally ordered that a decal with Edwards' name be added to the campaign plane.

At the estate about 10 p.m. that night, the Kerrys sat down to a dinner of salad and a fish soup with a tomato base. Joining them were Cahill, Johnson and Terry Edmonds, his speech writer. Kerry thanked Cahill and Johnson for their work, according to Cahill, and then informed them of his choice before the food was served.

"I've decided," he said. "My choice is Sen. John Edwards." The three cheered.

Around midnight, three other senior advisers were told, but much of the staff didn't find out until Tuesday morning.

Four years ago, Kerry was on Al Gore's much-publicized short list. Kerry found out from the Associated Press, not Gore, that he didn't get the job, and the Massachusetts senator tried to avoid that disservice to his also-rans.

Advisers say Kerry was in the middle of calling prospects who were not chosen when campaign advisers got word that the news had broken.

Four members of Edwards' new campaign staff, including campaign manager Peter Scher, arrived at Edwards' house after the call, and Edwards watched Kerry's official announcement in Pittsburgh on television with them.

The staffers briefed Edwards on the campaign schedule, and then he took a congratulatory phone call from former President Bill Clinton. Edwards' wife returned to Washington about 11:15 a.m., as Edwards continued to make and take calls from friends, relatives and national leaders.

MARCH 2: Kerry gives list of 25 potential running mates to search director Jim Johnson and campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill.

MID JUNE: Kerry begins meeting privately with candidates.

Thursday: Edwards flies to Washington to meet with Kerry.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Johnson and Cahill give Kerry their final notes.

FRIDAY: Vendors, sworn to secrecy, are given five names and begin designing campaign logos.

5 P.M. MONDAY: Kerry tells reporters he hasn't made a decision.

6 P.M. MONDAY: Kerry orders Edwards decal added to campaign plane.

10 P.M. MONDAY: At dinner, Kerry tells Johnson, Cahill and speech writer Terry Edmonds he has picked Edwards.

MIDNIGHT MONDAY: Three senior Kerry advisers told of the decision.

7:30 A.M. TUESDAY: Kerry calls Edwards, invites him to join the ticket. At roughly the same time, NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports the decision, believed to be the first reporter to do so.

9 A.M. TUESDAY: Kerry announces choice at Pittsburgh rally.

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