Sunday, November 12, 2006

Feingold rules out 2008 run for president

There goes my hero, watch him as he goes.



Washington - Sen. Russ Feingold will not seek his party's presidential nomination in 2008, the Wisconsin Democrat told the Journal Sentinel on Saturday.



"I never got to that point where I'd rather be running around the country, running for president, than being a senator from Wisconsin," Feingold said in a phone interview from Madison.



Feingold, 53, conceded that he faced long odds of winning the nomination.



"It would have required the craziest combination of things in the history of American politics to make it work," he said.



But Feingold said waging an underdog campaign appealed to him. What didn't appeal to him, he said, was "the way in which this effort would dismantle both my professional life (in the Senate) and my personal life. I'm very happy right now."


Part of me is disappointed, part of me is happy to have him focus his full attention on the Senate. An even bigger part of me really doesn't want to start talking about this yet, but it seems we don't have much choice, do we? I knew the media and the potential candidates would be off and running (ha) the second the clock hit midnight on the 8th.



Feingold's thinking about the race crystallized in the last few weeks, he said. The Democratic takeover of Congress on Tuesday was a final factor because it added to the appeal of focusing entirely on his position in the Senate, he said.



Feingold is the second Democrat to seriously explore a campaign before opting out. Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner announced last month that he would not run.



Both went into the process as dark horses but showed signs of stirring interest among Democratic activists: Warner because of his centrist politics and success in a "red" state; Feingold because of his distinctive opposition in the Senate to a whole series of Bush policies highly unpopular with grass-roots Democrats, from the war to trade to wiretapping.



But Feingold confronted obvious obstacles. The potential field includes New York Sen. Hillary Clinton - the financial and political colossus in the party - former vice presidential candidate John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who has rapidly emerged as the Democrats' most celebrated political "fresh face."


Rumors of "The Return of Al" are surfacing again at Kos, thanks to David Gregory. I could get behind that.



And I'll make a statement right now that is sure to get me thrown out of the "liberal" club once and for all (always the rebel, aren't I?)- I'm even willing to listen to what Hillary has to say. I don't rule out supporting her, although I'm more inclined to a Gore or Edwards or even Obama run.



I'm going to be open-minded about this. Too much time, too many things can happen between now and then to make any solid decisions at this point.



P.S. There. I posted something. Everyone happy now? ;-)