WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democrats' losing presidential candidate in 2004, said Wednesday that he won't run for the White House again in 2008. "Two years ago, I sought the presidency to lead us on a different course," he said on the Senate floor. "We came close ... certainly close enough to be tempted to try again. There are powerful reasons to want to continue that fight now. But I have concluded this isn't the time for me to mount a presidential campaign."
Instead, Kerry said he will continue to try to change the Bush administration's Iraq policy. Officials said he would run for a fifth term in 2008.
"We have to find a way to end this misguided war and bring our troops home," said the decorated Vietnam War veteran.
Kerry, 64, who lost the White House when Ohio voted for President Bush by 118,601 votes on election night in November 2004, made the announcement at the end of a lengthy speech on Iraq.
His decision to opt out of the presidential race leaves a field of nine Democrats running or signaling their intention to do so, including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, and Kerry's 2004 running mate John Edwards.
The Republican field has a similar number with Bush constitutionally barred from seeking a third term.
