War hero Kerry leaves Dean bloodied

DEMOCRATIC presidential candidates opened their sprint to the New Hampshire primary yesterday with newly minted front-runner John Kerry pitching his experience and John Edwards laying claim to electricity in a contest thrown wide open by the leadoff Iowa caucuses.

Dick Gephardt went home to Missouri to drop out of the race later in the day. Officials close to the congressman said he will not endorse any of his rivals any time soon.

In the first blush after Mr Kerry's comeback victory in Iowa, when he joined Mr Edwards in burying the nationally-favoured Howard Dean in third place, the candidates avoided going after each other by name.