For Kerry, N.H. visit brings back reminders

HAMPTON, N.H. -- It certainly wasn't the oath Senator John F. Kerry imagined himself taking when he crisscrossed New Hampshire in pursuit of the presidency two years ago.

But there was Kerry yesterday, raising his right hand and standing proudly beside his wife as he vowed his allegiance to the ''Royal Society Bridge Club." Based at the Widow Fletcher's Tavern in Hampton, the group has an unofficial motto: ''No hanging around -- only buying a round."

''I . . . pledge to my comrades that I will never use my membership to influence Supreme Court judges, restaurant maitre d's, or voters whose IQ nearly equals their age," Kerry said with a smile as he partook of the political rite of passage.

The Massachusetts Democrat was back in the home of the nation's first presidential primary for the most extensive political trip he has made to the Granite State since he lost the 2004 election.

It marked a public reemergence on the presidential scene for Kerry, who is considering another run in 2008. The intimate settings and quaint political rituals were a reminder of the difficulties he'll face if he runs again.

The day triggered fond memories for Kerry -- he said being back got his ''juices flowing," and he greeted old supporters with bear hugs -- and he expressed a touch of nostalgia for the close race he lost.

''You did absolutely everything you could do, except move to Ohio," Kerry told about 75 supporters in Hampton.

Kerry didn't shy away from partisan swipes.

At two fund-raising events for state senators, he accused Republicans of making Washington ''dysfunctional" and blasted the Bush administration for its handling of Hurricane Katrina and the Dubai ports deal, and for failing to capture Osama bin Laden.

Last night, at a dinner for local Democratic committees in Nashua, Kerry accused President Bush of ''cluelessness" and ''incompetence," and said Democrats are proud to lead on issues such as energy independence, bringing home troops from Iraq, and cleaning up government.

''It's the Katrina administration," Kerry said, saying that the botched response to the hurricane removed the ''veneer" of competent leadership. ''It is time to say we're fed up with the incompetence. We're tired of the lies."

Kerry was greeted warmly in New Hampshire, if not by overwhelming crowds.

The fund-raisers he held for state Senate candidates brought out Democratic loyalists who said they were happy to pay tribute to the party's 2004 standard-bearer.

State Senator Marcia Fuller Clark, for whom Kerry raised money at the tavern event, said many Democrats are thankful to Kerry for helping New Hampshire become the only state that voted for Bush in 2000 to switch to the Democratic column in 2004.

''People in New Hampshire really like Kerry, and they continue to see him as presidential," said Clark, of Portsmouth.

Kerry faces a steep climb if he attempts to capture the Democratic nomination for a second time. Several people who attended yesterday's events said they are intrigued by the potential candidacy of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and some said they want to see a different Kerry who is more direct in discussing issues.

''He has to become more dynamic," said Linda Tatarczuch, an adjunct education professor at the University of New Hampshire who lives in Durham. ''He's a bright man. But as a policy wonk, he got caught up in all of the details."

For now, Kerry said, his efforts are focused on the 2006 elections, where Democrats hope to gain seats in the House and the Senate as well as in state houses across the country.

''We are going to lay the groundwork for what we need to do as we go forward," Kerry told about 50 supporters in Newmarket. ''It isn't going to happen starting in Washington."

But 2008 wasn't far from Kerry's mind, either.

''I'm younger and stronger than I was," he told reporters with a smile.

''I'm not making a decision today," Kerry said. ''I do know that I learned a lot. I do know that there's a great value to going through that experience [of a presidential campaign]. I do know that I'm a better candidate and a better public person for that experience."

Kerry's visit occurred on a day when the Democratic Party rules committee in Washington endorsed a proposal to add up to two presidential nominating caucuses between the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary. Kerry said he supports the current calendar to avoid a cluttered process, but said he would abide by the party's decision.