Dean ends campaign

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Howard Dean ended his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination yesterday, but he also vowed to channel his legion of grass-roots supporters toward future political causes, as the two leading contenders, John F. Kerry and John Edwards, girded for a head-to-head showdown in the upcoming "Super Tuesday" contests.

His voice hoarse, his speech interrupted several times by a hacking cough, his eyes glistening as he delivered the trademark closing to his stump speech a final time, Dean stood defeated but unbowed. He addressed several hundred supporters who crammed into a hotel ballroom a day after he finished a distant third in what Dean previously labeled a do-or-die primary in Wisconsin. It was his 17th consecutive loss.

"I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency. We will, however, continue to build a new organization, using our enormous grass-roots network, to continue the effort to transform the Democratic Party and to change our country," the former Vermont governor declared. "Let me be clear: I will not run as an independent or third-party candidate, and I urge my supporters not to be tempted to support any effort by another candidate," Dean said in an apparent reference to a Green Party or Ralph Nader presidential bid. "The bottom line is that we must beat George W. Bush in November, whatever it takes."

As Dean spoke, Edwards was holding private meetings in New York and Washington, D.C., to plan and finance the huge effort to compete with Kerry in the 10 far-flung states that vote on March 2. Kerry, who held off a surge by Edwards in Wisconsin Tuesday, was in Ohio -- one of the March 2 primary states -- campaigning on economic issues.

Though Representative Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio and the Rev. Al Sharpton remain in the race, Kerry and Edwards are far and away the leading remaining candidates in delegates won and opinion poll standings. Yesterday, Dean made clear his number one goal is to see that a Democrat unseats Bush.

With the crowd cheering, he declared: "I will support the nominee of our party. I will do everything I can to beat George W. Bush. I urge you to do the same. But we will not be above in this organization letting our nominee know that we expect them to adhere to the standards that this organization has set for decency, honesty, integrity, and standing up for ordinary American working people."

Neither Dean nor his top aides could immediately define the exact nature or name of his new organization, but the former candidate pledged to use his popular website, deanforamerica.com, as the foundation. As he had throughout his campaign, he also pledged to poll his supporters for their suggestions about how best to transform the organization.

Dean said he would direct the organization to support like-minded political candidates, from local office to Congress. He also noted that he will remain on the ballot in upcoming primaries and caucuses, asking his supporters to keep voting for him so he can continue accumulating delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Boston in July.

Having delegates would allow him to have a say in the drafting of the Democratic Party platform at the convention and would be a signal to the party that he continues to wield political clout.

True to form, the 55-year-old physician-turned-politician exited the race with blunt words for his opponents and critics.

To those who questioned why his press-shy wife, who practices medicine in Burlington as Dr. Judith Steinberg, was not a more visible presence on the campaign trail, he offered a public rebuttal as she took a rare afternoon off from work to stand at his side. "I also want to thank Judy for at least promoting the debate that's needed to happen in this country for a long time, about whether a woman needs to gaze adoringly at her husband or follow her own career," Dean said.

And to those in Congress who publicly questioned the wisdom of a continued campaign as the losses piled up, Dean offered a retort. "There are people in Washington who are going to do the right thing in this party: stand up and be recognized and stand up for what's right with America, instead of being poll-driven. And believe me, we are going to support those people in September. And in November," he said, referring to congressional primaries and the general election.

Close aides said Dean ultimately decided to end his campaign because he did not want to be responsible for the downfall of the nominee by providing fodder for the GOP -- and because he wanted to retain credibility for his cause. Political circles swirled with speculation about whether Dean would endorse Edwards or Kerry, but the aides, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said any endorsement before a nominee is chosen was unlikely.

Both men praised Dean yesterday. "He has done an extraordinary job of invigorating a whole group of people who were divorced from the political process, and bringing them in and being innovative and creative in the way in which he's done it," Kerry told reporters.

Edwards, a North Carolina senator, said in a statement: "Howard Dean has brought so much to this race -- not just his ideas and passion for change, but hundreds of thousands of Americans who had never participated in a campaign before."

Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com.