Dean, dropping his campaign, vows to support Democrats

Former Governor Howard Dean, bowing to the political realities of a 17-contest losing streak, ended his Democratic presidential campaign on Wednesday but promised to keep his "campaign for change" alive while supporting his party's eventual nominee.

For now, Dean did not endorse either of his top rivals, John Kerry or John Edwards. He called both men before his announcement to tell them his decision.

"I am no longer actively pursuing the presidency," Dean told a crowd of cheering, flag-waving supporters. "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."

Dean sounded a theme of party unity, saying, "The bottom line is that we must beat [US President] George W. Bush in November, whatever it takes."

He ruled out running as a third-party or independent candidate, but he also said he and his supporters would continue to be a force for change: "We are not going away. We're staying together unified all of us." He vowed to "continue to campaign for change," working to keep his issues alive.

"There is enormous institutional pressure in Washington against change, in the Democratic Party against change," Dean said. "Yet, you have already started to change the party and together we have transformed this race. The fight that we began can and must continue."

As Dean spoke, he was flanked by his wife Judy, a physician whose rare appearance on the campaign trail had been the subject of discussion of whether she was a proper political wife.