Ending weeks of speculation, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) announced Friday that he will not enter the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Citing the duration of the impeachment process, Kerry explained that he had not had enough time to sound out potential sources of financial support for his candidacy.

Rep. Barney Frank '62 (D-Mass.), a veteran member of Congress with close ties to the White House, offered his own analysis of Kerry's decision not to join Bill Bradley in challenging Vice President Al Gore Jr. '69.

"He made a wise choice," Frank said. "Incumbent vice presidents who want to be president are nearly unstoppable."

At a press conference in Boston Friday afternoon, Kerry told reporters he did not think he could have raised the funds necessary to mount a successful campaign.

Although his 1995 marriage to Teresa Heinz, heir to the Heinz ketchup and food fortune, brought him personal wealth, Kerry has refrained from using family money to further his political career.

"Both [Teresa and I] feel very strongly at this point in time that it's not appropriate [to use our own resources]," Kerry said.

Had he entered the race, the senator, a long-time advocate of campaign finance reform, would have had to compete with Gore for donations from wealthy Democrats.

"The bumper stickers all say Clinton-Gore," Frank said. "It would have been hard to divide the bumper sticker."