The presidential candidate hopes to use Kennedy to get in touch with liberal democrats.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Looking to score with party liberals, John Kerry enlisted fellow Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy to join him here Saturday and join in a fiery call for broadened health care and an equally sharp attack on President Bush.

“We are violating a basic commitment that this government, Republicans and Democrats made to all the citizens of this country” by not providing universal health care, Kennedy told hundreds of cheering backers in a high school gymnasium.

Stealing a line from rival Howard Dean, Kerry described Kennedy as “the undisputed, absolute leader of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.”

“He is one of the most accomplished legislators in the entire history of the United States Senate,” Kerry said of Kennedy.

Dean frequently describes himself as “representing the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.” On Saturday, Kerry was targeting the liberals Dean is attracting.

Kennedy has been a fixture in Iowa since he appeared here in 1960 seeking support for his brother’s successful bid for the White House. He campaigned for himself in the 1980 caucus campaign against then-President Jimmy Carter.

That race was contested between party moderates and liberals and Kennedy maintains a loyal following among liberals who play an important role in caucus politics.

“I’ve been coming out here for 42 years,” said Kennedy.

Events in Des Moines, Waterloo and Dubuque on Saturday were aimed at pitching expanded health care. Kerry and Kennedy were introduced by nurses who are part of a heath care reform effort. In Des Moines, Carol Shores, a middle school nurse in Saydel, told of youngsters who come to school sick.

“It’s shocking that some parents are sending their kids to the school nurse because they can’t afford to send them to a doctor,” Shores said.

Kerry said Bush is taking the country in a radical direction that has cost jobs.

“I stand here as one of 10 people running for president of the United States, and those are the only 10 jobs George Bush has created.”

Kerry touted the health care plan he’s proposed, arguing it’s the only one offered that deals with spiraling health care costs.

Kerry’s proposal calls for the government to pay for the most catastrophic and expensive cases, avoiding driving up costs for others.

He argued the issue was deeply personal to him because of a bout with prostate cancer he had earlier this year.

“When I woke up in that hospital bed after that operation … I had the best care in the world, and I vowed to myself that as part of this race I will make it a principle core value of being president that every family’s health care in America is as important as any politician’s,” Kerry said.

Kennedy can give Kerry a boost with a key group in the Democratic Party where Kerry has faced challenges.

Dean scored points with party liberals early with his opposition to the war, and he’s also calling for expanded health care.

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich has a fiery stump speech where he sounds core themes that appeal to organized labor.

Kerry was hoping to counter those efforts by bringing in Kennedy, one of the longtime heroes of the Democratic left, focusing on health care as an issue that energizes that wing of the party.

AP-ES-09-27-03 1636EDT