The writing on the wall is getting clearer for Kerry and an '08 run.

[WilliamPitt]

Kerry and Kennedy have been political partners for approximately ten billion years. For Kerry, this statement below is pretty much the political equivalent of finding three flat tires on his car right before a trans-continental road trip.

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Kennedy drops support for a Kerry presidential run in '08
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff | December 11, 2006

WASHINGTON --Senator Edward M. Kennedy Monday dropped his public commitment to support Senator John F. Kerry in a 2008 presidential race, saying that he won't wait "indefinitely" for Kerry to declare his intentions while the Democratic primary field takes shape.

Kennedy said he doesn't currently plan to endorse another candidate and still might support Kerry if Kerry decides to run. But in an hourlong interview with the Globe's Washington bureau, Kennedy offered strong praise for two of Kerry's possible presidential rivals: senators Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, calling them "formidable figures" who are connecting with rank-and-file Democrats.

Kennedy said his oft-stated commitment to support Kerry again was based on the assumption that Kerry would state his intentions by early 2007. Since Kerry pushed back his decision in the wake of following an election-eve "botched joke" that damaged his public standing, however, Kennedy said he has informed Kerry that he may get behind another Democrat for president.

"I was under more of the impression before that he was going to run and was waiting in time (to declare his candidacy), but now he's deferred that decision," Kennedy said. "I have no plans of supporting anyone else at this juncture. I'm also not going to just wait indefinitely until he's made a judgment or a decision."

(snip)

Kennedy's comments come at a difficult time for Kerry. Early polls show him far behind the leading Democrats in potential presidential fields, and many party activists want Democrats to look for a fresh face in 2008.

Aides and associates said Kerry has been assessing the political fallout from his comment _ eight days before midterm elections _ suggesting that poor students "get stuck in Iraq." When Republicans blasted him for insulting the troops, Kerry apologized, calling it a "botched joke" meant for President Bush.

More: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/12/11/kennedy_drops_support_for_a_kerry_presidential_run_in_08/