Senator denies claims he got woman to leave US
Right-wing news web site The Drudge Report which broke the Monica Lewinsky scandal claimed yesterday that a woman close to Mr Kerry recently left America at his behest.
However, when asked about the issue on MSNBC radio show, Imus in the Morning, Mr Kerry said: "There is nothing to report, nothing to talk about. There's nothing there. There's no story."
The woman in question is reported to be an intern who worked for the married father-of-two after previously working as a journalist for the Associated Press in New York.
Her parents are believed to live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and she is thought to have gone to Africa.
The allegations were explained away by democratic sources as Republican dirty tricks. But internet columnist Matt Drudge claimed Kerry's former rival for the Democratic nomination, General Wesley Clark, told reporters in an off-the-record conversation last week: "Kerry will implode over an intern issue."
In a separate twist, Mr Clark is to endorse Mr Kerry.
Mr Drudge claimed that Time magazine, ABC News, The Washington Post and The Associated Press had been investigating her relationship with Mr Kerry in recent days.
Decorated Vietnam veteran Mr Kerry is married to Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wealthy heiress to the food empire.
Born on December 11, 1943, in Denver, Colorado he has two children from his first marriage and three step-children with his current wife.
Mr Drudge claimed a close friend of the mystery woman approached a reporter late last year claiming "fantastic stories".
He also suggested that behind-the-scenes panic in the Kerry camp over the damaging allegation was prompting one-time campaign front-runner former Vermont Governor Howard Dean to ratchet up his attacks on Mr Kerry in the past few days.
Mr Drudge said that explained why Mr Dean had decided to reverse his decision to drop out of the race if he failed to win the Wisconsin primary on February 17.
Mr Kerry, from Massachusetts, is the runaway favourite to win the Democratic ticket to run against President George W Bush in November.
He has won 12 of the 14 state primaries and caucuses held so far.
The Kerry campaign headquarters has remained tight-lipped, refusing to comment on the claims.
Ms Heinz-Kerry, widow of Pennsylvania Senator John Heinz, who was killed in a 1991 air crash, is known for her outspoken views. She once told Elle magazine she warned her first husband on the subject of adultery: "If you ever get something, I'll maim you. I won't kill you. I'll maim you."
Mr Kerry meanwhile said he is fully prepared for an onslaught of criticism from the Republican Party and is ready to fight back.
"We've seen evidence. We know exactly where these guys are gonna go, and I'm ready for it," Mr Kerry told radio broadcaster Don Imus.
"I've been at this for a while, Don, and I've been through some tough races. I've been pretty well, you know, vetted and examined from one side to the other. And I think that they're in for a surprise. I'm going to fight back. I am a fighter, and I'm ready to fight back."
In Nevada, which holds caucuses today, GOP chairman Ed Gillespie told Republicans that Democrats were preparing to run "the dirtiest campaign in modern presidential politics".
"This is because they don't want a debate on the issues, and they don't want to run on Senator Kerry's record," Mr Gillespie said. "I guess I can't blame them for that."
After Mr Clark's formal endorsement, Mr Kerry will now hope to make Mr Clark's voters his own when he clashes with Senator John Edwards and Mr Dean in Tuesday's Wisconsin primary.
