Kerry Says He's Not Ruling Out Another Run

[vinnieponte]

I know all of you (well 99%) will make fun of this article and post your republican anticts yet I'm posting it anyhow. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]



By MARY DALRYMPLE, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), who has $45 million left from his record-breaking Democratic campaign, hinted on Tuesday that he may try again for the presidency.

On his first workday back in the Senate since losing his White House bid, Kerry remained far from the spotlight, granting interviews to hometown reporters and joining the depleted corps of Democrats as they elected the party's new Senate leaders.


In his first extensive interview since his Nov. 2 defeat, Kerry was asked by the Fox News affiliate in Boston about running again in 2008 and reminded the questioner that Ohio is still counting votes from 2004.


He then said, "It is so premature to be thinking about something that far down the road. What I've said is I'm not opening any doors, I'm not shutting any doors." Kerry added, "If there's a next time, we'll do a better job. We'll see."


Reflecting on his loss, Kerry said he was not sitting around thinking about it. "You've got to go on," he said. "Do I find it some mark of failure or distress, the answer is no."


The former presidential nominee described himself as a "fighter," and added, "I can envision a lot of years of fight ahead of me."


In an interview with WCVB-TV, Kerry said, "Fifty-thousand votes — we'd be in a different place, having a different conversation," a reference to Ohio, which decided the race.


The Democrats have no clear front-runner for the 2008 nomination. Kerry has a distinct financial advantage over any rival based on his fund raising.


Kerry had roughly $45 million left in his primary campaign fund as of mid-October and could use that as seed money for another presidential bid. In addition, he had about $7 million on hand in a legal and accounting compliance fund that he could use for legal expenses in a 2008 campaign.


Because Kerry accepted full public financing for the general election phase of this year's race, he will have to give any of that money that remains back to the government.


During his day in the Senate, Kerry's colleagues thanked him, congratulated him and wished him well.


"Every time his name was mentioned, there was enthusiastic applause. Literally, every time his name was mentioned," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich.


Democrats met in a closed-door session to choose their leadership team for next year in what is certain to be an uphill struggle for the party. Not only did Democrats lose their second straight presidential election on Nov. 2, but the Republicans increased their numbers in the Senate and the House.


In January, the GOP will control 55 Senate seats to 44 for the Democrats with one Democratic-leaning independent.


Sen. Joe Lieberman (news - web sites), D-Conn., a former vice presidential candidate who lost in 2000 and a one-time presidential aspirant who fell short in the 2004 primaries, spoke from experience in offering Kerry words of support.


"He has a lot to be proud of, and I hope he'll find what I did — that it was great to have the U.S. Senate to come back to," Lieberman said.


Senators predicted that Kerry would find an expanded role as he eased back into his old job.

"Obviously, he brings some experience, and people are interested in what he has to say," said Sen. Ben Nelson (news, bio, voting record), D-Neb., pointing out that nearly half the country, if not quite enough to elect him president, voted for Kerry. President Bush (news - web sites) received 60.5 million votes to Kerry's 57.1 million.

Kerry didn't make any remarks on the Senate's pending legislation nor did he deliver any speeches at the Democrats' meetings. He met privately with Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., the former Minority leader who, like Kerry, lost on Nov. 2. Kerry also thanked other Democrats one-by-one for their support.

Kerry got a two-minute standing ovation from his staff, whom he thanked for giving "your heart, your soul and even your vacation time," one aide said.

The day belonged to another Democrat, Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) of Nevada, the party's newly elected leader. Questioned on a range of issues as he assumed the job, Reid predicted that Kerry will find a role, pointing to the four-term senator's past work on banking and foreign policy issues.

"Senator Kerry is not a shrinking violet," Reid said. "We are looking for John Kerry to find what he wants to do. We are sorry that he's not in the White House, but we're glad that he's back on Capitol Hill."

Kerry also met with his policy staff to talk about health care, energy and other legislation that might build on themes from his campaign.

Not since George McGovern lost a bid for the presidency in 1972 has a senator returned to the Senate as a defeated presidential candidate, according to the Senate Historical Office.

[madape]

Don't need to say anything here. Kerry seems to be writing the jokes himself.

[dude1394]

Goody...

[u2sarajevo]

In an interview with WCVB-TV, Kerry said, "Fifty-thousand votes — we'd be in a different place, having a different conversation," a reference to Ohio, which decided the race.

Not to git nit-picky John, but it was 140,000+ votes. Stop trying to minimize the defeat. Ohio was not another Florida.

[Evilmav2]

Hahaha... Just for it's comedic value, I heartily hope that J. Forbes does everything in his power to gain the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. As I told someone in a conversation yesterday, I think I am actually going to send his senate office some emails asking him not to let down the '67 million', and to please run again in 2008. He is a fighter after all, and I see no reason why he should give up his presidential dreams just because of anything so inconsequential as his 2004 drubbing at the hands of the evil hitler/cowboy chimp...

[Drbio]

I hope he does run and I hope he gets the dim nomination. That would ensure yet another four year block of a well run country.

[Usually Lurkin]

Well, he squirreled away $15 million from the last campaign rather than spending it to help some dems get elected. No word on whether the money is for Kerry 2008, botox, or more SUV's.

Democrats question Kerry's campaign nest egg
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Party leaders said Wednesday they want to know why Sen. John Kerry ended his presidential campaign with more than $15 million in the bank, money that could have helped Democratic candidates across the country.
Some said he will be pressured to give the money to Democratic campaign committees rather than save it for a potential White House bid in 2008.

"Democrats are questioning why he sat on so much money that could have helped him defeat George Bush or helped down-ballot races, many of which could have gone our way with a few more million dollars," said Donna Brazile, campaign manager for Al Gore's 2000 presidential race.
Brazile is a member of the 400-plus member Democratic National Committee, which meets early next year to pick a new party chairman. One high-ranking member of the DNC, speaking on condition of anonymity, said word of Kerry's nest egg has stirred anger on the committee and could hurt his chances of putting an ally in the chairmanship.

Congressional Democrats and labor leaders also privately questioned Kerry's motives. One said he would personally ask the Massachusetts senator to donate some of the money to the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees.
Three former Kerry campaign aides, also demanding anonymity out of concerns about alienating their former boss, said they were surprised and disappointed to learn that he left so much money in the bank.

Kerry had roughly $45 million left in his primary campaign fund as of mid-October, according to his Federal Election Commission report, and could use that as seed money for another presidential bid.
His final report is not due until next month, but officials close to Kerry said he has $15 million to $17 million in that account, with no outstanding debts, after giving the DNC about $23 million and state parties about $9 million since the mid-October report.
In addition, the report showed that Kerry had about $7 million on hand in a legal and accounting compliance fund that he could use for legal expenses in a 2008 campaign. Officials said he raised several million more for that account since the filing.
Last summer, Kerry donated $3 million each to the House and Senate campaign committees and $2 million to the Democratic Governors Association.
While Kerry has likely given more money to state committees than any other nominee, no other Democrat has raised as much as he did. And second-guessing Democrats said Wednesday they couldn't recall a candidate leaving so much money on the table after a campaign.

"He's going to have to give some of it up for 2005 and beyond," Brazile said. "The party will demand it."

[MavKikiNYC]

Wonder if he has any IOUs to settle with Terry Kerry.

Kerry has been such a fun loser to kick around, but Republicans can take a breather on him for a couple of years now. Brazile and the other Dem party flacks/hacks will descend on his prissy hide like a bad batch of Botox flesh-eating bacteria.

Let the cannibalization begin.

[dalmations202]

His final report is not due until next month, but officials close to Kerry said he has $15 million to $17 million in that account, <u>with no outstanding debts, after giving the DNC about $23 million and state parties about $9 million since the mid-October report.</u>

The real reason for anyone wanting to run for President. A job making less than 1/2 M a year. Massive headaches, massive pressure, massive stress, but you can get rich from just running, and then more from the payoffs, and then more from writing the books about the experience afterward, and a little more on the speaking tour. Man, what a scam........................

This is the reason that I still believe most politics in America from all parties is crooked.

[mavsman55]

The former presidential nominee described himself as a "fighter," and added, "I can envision a lot of years of fight ahead of me."

lol. Haha.