NASHUA, N.H. -- The "Sen. John Kerry for President" campaign continued its rollercoaster ride in the polls Thursday.

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Janet Wu Reports On Kerry's Loan

But, NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that, while things may be looking up a bit for the Massachusetts senator in New Hampshire, his national numbers are going in the other direction.

The New York Times and CBS News conducted a nationwide telephone poll that put Kerry near the back of the Democratic pack.

In the poll, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean came out on top with 23 percent, Sen. Joseph Lieberman and retired Gen. Wesley Clark tied for second with 10 percent each, Rep. Richard Gephardt received 6 percent, the Rev. Al Sharpton followed with 5 percent. Kerry lagged behind with only 4 percent.

With his daughter Vanessa and former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen at his side, Kerry's campaign showed spontaneity and energy Thursday that is not always present.

While a national poll may show him losing ground, Kerry said the war is now being fought in individual states. In New Hampshire, one poll showed he may be turning the tide.

The poll, taken earlier in the week, showed Dean with a commanding lead, but Kerry's percentile is back in the 20s -- up from 13 percent just three weeks ago.

Kerry visited some small New Hampshire stores, including Alec's Shoes in Nashua, N.H., trying to drum up support for his campaign. The owner of the shoe store was a Republican and not quite ready to wander over to the other side.

"Right now, I would vote for President Bush, " said store owner John Koutsos. "I think right now things are headed in the right direction and the economy is picking up."

At the next store, Kerry found more potential voters, but they still have doubts.

"He does sometimes seem to flop his positions on issues based on the polls, which is probably the reason I haven't decided to go with him 100 percent," said Jay Evans, of Londonderry, N.H.

While the senator's message on the campaign trail stays positive, he no longer hesitates to take direct aim at Dean when speaking to reporters.

Just a few miles away from where Kerry was campaigning, Dean reiterated his views on the Iraq war.

"And the truth is that Americans are no safer today from these serious threats than they were the day before Saddam Hussein was captured, " Dean said in Manchester, N.H.

"The Washington Post editorial said today his comments on Saddam Hussein were, in fact, ludicrous. Those are the words of the Washington Post, " said Kerry. "Anyone who doesn't understand that we are not better off without Saddam Hussein, I don’t think understands what's happening in the world today."

While there might be a glimmer of hope in the poll numbers for Kerry, financially he's struggling.

Thursday, the senator became the first candidate in this 2004 presidential race to tap into his personal fortune, loaning his campaign $850,000. He will also mortgage his Boston home to pump more funds into his political operation.