Romney, Kerry make top 5 of presidential poll

Governor Mitt Romney and US Senator John F. Kerry each ranked fifth in a poll of Washington insiders that assessed the chances of the potential presidential candidates in 2008.

Participants in the poll, who included members of Congress, consultants, activists, and party officials, were asked by National Journal to predict the five candidates in the two major parties who have the best chance to be nominated. Five of the 85 Republican participants voted Romney as their top choice.

The governor, who has not announced whether he will run for president, finished well behind US Senator George Allen of Virginia, who picked up 19 first-place votes and was lauded by one voter as the ''dark horse" of the GOP field.

Among Democrats, Kerry, last year's Democratic presidential nominee, received two first-place votes among the 90 Democratic insiders.

The top Republican choices were Allen, followed closely by US Senator John McCain of Arizona, then Senate majority leader Bill Frist, former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Romney, and five other Republicans. Of possible Democratic nominees, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York led the group by a 202-point margin, followed by former US senator John Edwards, Virginia Governor Mark Warner, US Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, Kerry, and five others.

GLENN YODER