By Tom Weber & Maria Hickey, KWMU
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwmu/local-kwmu-611819.mp3
St. Louis, MO – Four Democratic presidential contenders this morning endorsed a National Urban League agenda that calls for mandatory early childhood education and universal health care for children.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich each promised support for the Urban League's plan, which favors extending childhood education programs to children as young as age three and guaranteeing access for all to attend college.
Clinton and Obama have engaged in a weeklong feud precipitated by Monday's debate exchange over whether a president should meet with leaders of rogue nations without preconditions.
The two did not share the stage in St. Louis, and instead spoke one after the other. Neither mentioned the flap, but Edwards chastised them for the feud.
No Republicans spoke; only two had been scheduled but Mike Huckabee and Duncan Hunter both cancelled at the last minute.
The Urban League gathering ends Saturday.
Listen to each candidate's speech in its entirety