NE-Sen: Hagel will announce retirement, creating a very competitive open seat

Yesterday, Chuck Hagel called a press conference for Monday to announce whether he would seek re-election. But the suspense did not last that long. John Warner had managed to keep everyone guessing right up to his actual declaration, but the Omaha World-Herald is now reporting that Hagel has decided to quit:

Chuck Hagel will announce Monday that he is retiring from the U.S. Senate and will not run for president next year, people close to the Nebraska Republican said Friday. Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel plans to leave the Senate after two terms as a Republican Party maverick, people close to him say. Hagel plans to announce that "he will not run for re-election and that he does not intend to be a candidate for any office in 2008," said one person, who asked not to be named... According to one person interviewed, Hagel told Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Friday morning that he had decided to retire. Hagel's staff learned of his decision that afternoon.

This creates a very competitive open seat for the Senate seat. On the Democratic side, there is former Sen. Bob Kerrey, now president of New School University, who has been flirting with a run for a few weeks now - provided Hagel retires. He has also hinted that he would make up his mind soon, and information that has reached the Journal Star seems to confirm that he has already given plenty of thought to this: "Kerrey already has informed New School University trustees in New York City he might resign as president of the institution to return to Nebraska and seek the Senate seat. Kerrey said Friday he expects to reveal Monday when he’ll make his own plans known." If Kerry takes a pass, look for the DSCC to talk to Omaha Mayor Fahey. Actually, many think Fahey would be a stronger candidate at this point, but that Kerrey has the "right of first refusal."

On the GOP side, Attorney General Jon Bruning had already announced his candidacy months ago, wanting to take on Hagel in a primary. The prospect of a bloody primary certainly did not appeal to Hagel and probably loomed large in his decision to retire. But Republicans might now go and seek out Mike Johanns, a former two-term governor, who became Secretary of Agriculture in 2005 just as he was preparing to jump in the Senate race against Ben Nelson - leaving the GOP without a strong candidate against the vulnerable Democratic senator. A Kerrey v. Johanns race would certainly be one of the hottest Senate races of 2008.

The second news out of this article is that Hagel will also announce he has no plans to run for president. He had been rumored for quite a while to want to enter the GOP race, and there was even speculation that Hagel would try his luck as an independent. And Hagel had even reportedly dined with Mayor Bloomberg to discuss running on a nonpartisan Unity '08-like ticket. This announcement naturally does not prevent Hagel from seeking a VP slot, so that possibility is still open.

Also this morning comes news from California that GOP Rep. Doolittle has absolutely no plans of retiring whatsoever: "I will not step aside. I am running again. Period," he declared. The Sacramento Bee described him as "upbeat, even jubilant." This is also great news for Democrats, as Doolittle is one of those Republican congressmen that the GOP wants to see resign. Naturally, it might very well be out of Doolittle's hands by the end, as he would probably have to step down if he was indicted before November 2008. Under similar circumstances, Rep. Ney of Ohio stayed in his re-election race until late in the fall of 2006. Doolittle also might very well not survive the GOP primary this spring. The one thing playing in his favor is that he has many credible primary opponents, which would end up dividing the anti-Doolittle vote and maybe enable him to get to the general election, to the great joy of Democrats.