Kerry, with own campaign falling apart, accuses Dean campaign of imploding

Problems for John Kerry - In what may signal the beginning of a campaign implosion, Chris Lehane, who served as Mr. Kerry's communications director, resigned last week. A Zogby poll in New Hampshire illustrates Mr. Kerry's problem. By late August, Mr. Kerry's 13-point February advantage (26-13) over Mr. Dean had turned into a 21-point deficit (38-17). The political strategists are busy devising scenarios about how an increasingly desperate Mr. Kerry could get his hands on his wife's $550 million Heinz-ketchup inheritance.

Imploding -- Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts today sharply criticized one of the other leading Democrats running for president, Howard Dean, asserting that some of his recent pronouncements show that his "bubble's bursting a bit."

Mr. Dean's campaign manager, Joe Trippi, seemed mildly amused by the interview.

"I guess we're just on his mind a lot," Mr. Trippi said, pointing to another episode, the recent debate in Baltimore, when a microphone picked up Mr. Kerry muttering, "Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean. Dean."

In the WCBS interview, Mr. Kerry implied that many of Dr. Dean's views would cost him his standing in the polls. "Dean's been imploding," he said.