Gen. Petraeus in NH: ‘I will not ever run for political office’

Petraeus denies political side to NH trip

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Gen. David Petraeus has given a speech at a college in New Hampshire that has hosted presidential debates but says his visit had nothing to do with politics.

Petraeus has been talked about as a potential 2012 candidate but insists he has no interest in running. Before speaking at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, he said he was unaware that the college had been the site of presidential debates.

He said he thought he had said “no” as many ways as he could, adding: “I will not ever run for political office, I can assure you of that.”

The chief of U.S. Central Command has been speaking at college campuses around the country to answer the public’s questions about U.S. military operations.