US: Democratic front-runner Senator John Kerry picked up the important endorsement of his former rival Mr Dick Gephardt yesterday, securing union money and blue-collar support for his presidential bid.
The move comes as a new AP poll shows President Bush's approval rating has fallen to 47 per cent from 56 per cent a month ago, the same point his father was at before his defeat by Bill Clinton 12 years ago.
"I'm here today adding my voice to all of yours to say that we want and need this man to be the next president of the United States," Mr Gephardt said at a joint rally with Mr Kerry in a suburb of Detroit.
Mr Gephardt, from Missouri, dropped out of the race after failing to win the January 19th caucus in Iowa, his neighbouring state. He said he backed Mr Kerry for his policies on healthcare and as the best prospect of defeating Mr Bush in November.
Mr Gephardt's endorsement will blunt criticism of Mr Kerry's support for free trade agreements which have seen many American jobs go overseas. An alliance of the Teamsters and another dozen industrial unions which supported Mr Gephardt is expected to endorse Mr Kerry next week.
Former front-runner Mr Howard Dean is now making the primary in Wisconsin on Tuesday week his last stand.
Senator John Edwards and retired general Wesley Clark are focusing their efforts on Virginia and Tennessee, which have primaries on Tuesday.