NYT: September 21, 2007
Kerrey Is Leaning Against a Senate Run
By Jeff Zeleny
For weeks, Democrats have been keeping their fingers crossed for Bob Kerrey to announce that he was jumping back into politics to run for an open Senate seat in Nebraska. But that, of course, would require Mr. Kerrey to leave New York City. And that has become such a sticking point that Democratic Party officials in Nebraska and Washington are grudgingly conceding that they think it is highly unlikely he will run for the Senate.
The officials haven’t lost all hope – Mr. Kerrey is headed back to Nebraska for a quick weekend trip, perhaps the Midwestern air will influence his thinking – but they are all but certain he will not enter the race to fill the seat of retiring Senator Chuck Hagel.
On the Republican side the race is already filling up, with Mike Johanns resigning his Cabinet seat Thursday as agriculture secretary to go back to Nebraska to run. Mr. Kerrey was viewed by Democratic leaders as the party’s best shot to win in the overwhelmingly Republican state.
Mr. Kerrey, who became president of New School university in Manhattan after leaving the Senate in 2000, is certainly capable of pulling a surprise. (Remember how he was – and then wasn’t – running for mayor of New York City?)
According to several people close to him in Nebraska, Washington and New York, he was planning to disclose his plans today, but now he may delay any announcement until next week. So stay tuned, but it appears the door is closing on a dream scenario of many Democrats that Mr. Kerrey would try to return to Washington by way of Nebraska.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/21/kerrey-is-still-mulling-a-senate-run/index.html?hp
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