WASHINGTON — President Obama has no plans to lay his political capital on the line and travel to Massachusetts to campaign for the Democratic hopeful running to fill the late Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, the White House announced yesterday.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs didn’t elaborate beyond saying Obama doesn’t intend to appear with state Attorney General Martha Coakley, the Democrat who’s been heavily favored to win, but lately appears vulnerable.

Democrats were stunned last week when a poll released by Public Policy Polling showed Coakley behind Republican State Sen. Scott Brown, 47 percent to 48 percent.

Obama’s decision to stay out of the contest sparked speculation that he won’t campaign in the state because of fears his slipping popularity would do Coakley more harm than good, or because of a reluctance to dabble in politics so soon after the attempted terror attack in Detroit.

But Obama did send out a solicitation to his e-mail list.

“The outcome of this race couldn’t be more important,” he wrote. ” . . . I need every ally possible in the Senate.”

churt@nypost.com

