No word yet from Kerry

By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff, February 26, 1999

WASHINGTON -- While key advisers still expect Senator John F. Kerry to announce that he is not running for president, the Massachusetts Democrat played coy yesterday, saying through an aide that he was on the verge of making a decision.

Kerry plans to make his announcement in Boston as early as today and no later than Monday, said spokesman Jim Jordan.

In the last week, several of Kerry's most trusted advisers have said they expect Kerry to end months of speculation by saying he has decided not to run for president in 2000. But some of the advisers stressed that despite Kerry's widespread consultations, he is making up his mind on his own.

Jordan, while not providing any indication that Kerry would run, expressed frustration about widespread speculation that Kerry would not run.

"Obviously the senator is very close, within days of making an announcement of his decision about a presidential run," Jordan said. "Several weeks ago, he set the end of February as a self-imposed deadline, and he intends to meet that deadline."

If Kerry doesn't run, it would be because he has determined he has no chance of beating Vice President Al Gore for the Democratic nomination, advisers said. But it won't be because of a lack of money, which originally was one of Kerry's greatest concerns.

Robert B. Crowe, chairman of the Commonwealth Group, was one of several financial experts who met with Kerry earlier this week to discuss if the senator could raise enough money to run for president.

"I believe he could" raise the money, Crowe said in an interview, while declining to say whether he advised Kerry to run for president. "I do not know what his final decision is, and I don't think anybody knows but John Kerry."