He's a Yalie who has eyed the presidency for a long time, running twice before, unsuccessfully.

But Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry won't be making public his decision whether to run for the nation's top office in 2000 anytime in the near future.

Kerry, who aides said has been talking with his family and is contemplating a run, will not make any final decision until after the Senate ends its impeachment trial of the president.

"He's still in the midst of doing that," said Kerry's press spokesperson, Kyle Sullivan.

If Kerry aims for the White House, he would join Bill Bradley and Al Gore '69, both widely considered to be "New Democrats," committed to a platform of economic pragmatism and moderate positions on most social issues.

The race for the Democratic nomination still lacks a bread-and-butter liberal.

Following weeks of speculation, Missouri Representative Dick Gephardt told Gore today that he won't seek the Democratic nomination, the vice president's advisors told the Associated Press.

And Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota said last month that the cost of running a campaign with front-loaded primaries was too high.

Jesse Jackson, a perennial candidate, has yet to say whether he will seek the nomination.