Dean ends presidential campaign

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean ended his presidential bid today, vowing to create an organization to carry on the message of his campaign and urging his supporters to stay involved.

In an announcement on his website and then in remarks delivered to a boisterous group of supporters assembled at a Burlington hotel, he said that while his quest for the White House was over, he remained dedicated to ousting President Bush, by whatever means necessary.

With his wife, Judy, standing behind him and supporters waving U.S. flags and his distinctive blue campaign signs in front, Dean declared: "I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency."

He finished a distant third in the Wisconsin primary Tuesday, the flameout of a candidacy that had flared through the political universe fueled by the burning enthusiasm of supporters across the country, only to crash into the reality of weekly failures at the primary polls and caucuses.

Dean said he would not run as an independent or third-party candidate, and sought to focus the energy of his supporters on one goal: "The bottom line is we must beat George W. Bush in November, whatever it takes." The audience burst into applause.

Dean -- whose campaign took him from unknown to phenomenon and now to an uncertain political future -- told the supporters who joined him in what they characterized as a political movement: "We are not going away. We are staying together, unified, all of us."

But after finishing third in the Wisconsin primary and no victories in any of the primaries or caucuses, he said that his campaign organization, Dean for America, would be converted into a grass-roots organization that would -- repeating his campaign mantra -- pursue his goal to "take back America."

And, he said, he would encourage others to seek office to create a "government that will not be bought and sold."

Dean said the campaign had "exposed the dangerous, radical nature of George W. Bush's agenda, and had taught other Democrats it is better to stand up to Bush's agenda "than to cooperate with it."

The campaign managed to initiate several dramatic shifts in the political landscape -- at least temporarily. Dean pioneered in the use of the Internet, both in presidential campaign fund-raising and in communicating his message to potential supporters.

He said he had drawn contributions from 300,000 small donors, and that one-quarter of his donors were under the age of 30.

Encouraging continued activism, he wrote on his web log: "The fight that we began can and must continue. Although my candidacy for president may end today, the most important goal remains defeating George W. Bush in November, and I hope that you will join me in doing everything we can to support the Democrats this fall.

"From the earliest days of our campaign, I have said that the power to change Washington rests not in my hands, but in yours," he added. "Always remember, you have the power to take our country back."

Left up in the air was what role Dean would play in the coming weeks and months of the presidential campaign, and whether he would endorse Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts or Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, the two major candidates remaining in the contest for the Democratic nomination.

A Democratic source said Dean approached Edwards after a debate Sunday night in Milwaukee and the two candidates agreed to confer today. The subject of their conversation was not clear, but there was speculation that Dean, who has recently called Edwards a stronger general election candidate than Kerry, might try to support the North Carolina senator in some way. On Tuesday night, Dean called Edwards to congratulate him on his showing.

Although Dean was halting his campaign, he was leaving his name on the ballot to allow supporters to vote for him in upcoming primaries and to have a say at the Democratic National Convention in July.

In his message to supporters, the former governor said he would announce a new initiative in the next few weeks aimed at defeating Bush. Advisors have said that Dean was considering creating a group to mobilize his thousands of supporters for Democratic causes. The details remain to be worked out.

Within minutes, Dean's web log was filled with dozens of messages from supporters who expressed their gratitude for his candidacy and their bitter disappointment that his presidential bid was coming to an end.

Dean's decision comes after he insisted for days that he would not drop out if he lost in Wisconsin. But his top advisors agreed that it would be futile for him to stay in the race after suffering a slew of defeats.

The mood was already nostalgic among members of Dean's staff, who greeted him when he arrived in Burlington early today with chants of "Dean! Dean! Dean!" and calls of "Welcome home!" They embraced the former governor, who appeared relaxed and at peace with his decision.

"You guys are the best," he said.

As he stood on the airport tarmac in the frosty early morning air, Dean did not let on that he had made the decision to withdraw, at one point joking that he was going to campaign next in Hawaii.

He was also vague Tuesday night when he thanked a few hundred supporters assembled in a hotel ballroom in Madison, Wis.

But he struck a reflective tone in a 20-minute speech to supporters, reminding them of what they have accomplished.

"I know that some of you are disappointed because we didn't do as well as we had hoped we would do in Wisconsin, but I also want you to think for a moment about how far we have come," Dean said.

"The truth is, change is tough," he added. "You have already started to change the Democratic Party, and we will not stop."