Sen. Joe Biden tried on Saturday to stem the damage from the botched launch of his presidential campaign as underdog candidates in the Democratic field looked to gain momentum from the party faithful. The Democratic National Committee wrapped up a three-day meeting that featured speeches from all 10 candidates already in the race or considering a bid. The front-runners all appeared Friday before a packed ballroom. The crowd thinned to roughly half on Saturday, but those in attendance were no less enthusiastic. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson stirred them by calling for a primary without negative campaigning and saying he would bring troops home from Iraq by the end of the year. "Maybe I'm not up there in all these polls, but you are the deciders, not the man in the White House," Richardson said to cheers. "I say to you today, stay loose. We've got a year to go."
Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack positioned himself as a Washington outsider with a record of real change. He criticized senators in the race who refuse to cut the money that is paying for troops in Iraq. Front-running Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York are advocating a cap to the number of troops and their eventual withdrawal.