Flashtraffic: Kerry leads among Democrat candidates

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) appears to be emerging as the early front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president. He's rising in recent polls and, aides say, in the first quarter Sen. Kerry raised $7 million. He carried over nearly $3 million from his reelection campaign last fall. After expenses, his cash on hand is now about $8 million. Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) lags in recent polls, but aides say he raised $7.4 million in the first quarter. Other major candidates have not released their numbers yet, though Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) is expected to bring in about $4 million. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean should report about $1.5 million.

But he earned a rebuke from Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, after the former governor attacked Sen. Edwards for not being sufficiently anti-war. He apologized in a handwritten letter.