Retiring Hagel says he won't ease up in Senate
The political dance among potential U.S. Senate candidates started almost immediately after Sen. Chuck Hagel's retirement announcement.
The first step came from Republican Gov. Dave Heineman, who said he "fully expects" former Gov. Mike Johanns to run.
Heineman made his prediction about Johanns' possible candidacy within an hour of Hagel's telling an Omaha press conference Monday that he would not seek a third term or run for president in 2008.
Hagel said that 12 years in the U.S. Senate was enough and that the time was not right for a presidential bid.
His decision means Nebraska will have an open Senate seat, a race that could take on national importance with Republicans defending more Senate seats than the Democrats in 2008.
Johanns, currently serving as President Bush's agriculture secretary, could become an instant GOP front-runner. He has consistently declined to talk about a possible candidacy, citing a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan activity.
"I just won't have a comment today," Johanns said as he headed into an event on Capitol Hill.
Prospective Democratic candidate Bob Kerrey, a former governor and senator, also kept mum about any plans.
Kerrey did acknowledge that he planned to visit Washington, D.C., today to talk to the Democrats' chief headhunter for U.S. Senate candidates, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York.
"This is a day to honor Chuck Hagel and his service," Kerrey said.
Kerrey said he has been talking with fellow Nebraskans and top national Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, about running for Senate.
He said he would make a decision "soon."
Two other possible Republican candidates — Hal Daub and Tony Raimondo — issued press releases shortly after Hagel's announcement, praising the senator and saying they may hold their own press conferences soon.
"I will have more to say about my intentions at another time," said Daub, a former congressman and former Omaha mayor. "The focus today should be on Chuck Hagel."
Raimondo, a Columbus businessman, said he plans to talk to family and friends — and to other Senate candidates — before making a decision.
"If I believe that the entire field of both parties is void of the vision key to Nebraska economic security, I will enter the race for this Senate seat," he said.
Two Republicans already have entered the race: Attorney General Jon Bruning, who began campaigning last spring, and Schuyler financial adviser Pat Flynn.
Both praised Hagel, and both said they would continue campaigning.
Hagel, who had said when first elected that two Senate terms were enough, said Monday that he decided to leave office in part because he believes democracy works best when it has a "constant cycle of new energy and ideas."
He emphasized that he has 16 months remaining in office and said he would continue taking an active role in the debate on Iraq war policy.
"I intend to be very engaged in this war debate as I have been for the last five years," he said.
Hagel made his announcement with his wife, Lilibet, and their two children, Allyn and Ziller, by his side. He appeared to be emotionally drained as he thanked his friends, supporters and staff for their help over the years.
"I will leave the Senate with the same enthusiasm, sense of purpose and love of my country that I started with. I leave maybe a little wiser, surely a little more experienced and with a very respectable amount of humility," he said.
Hagel declined to endorse or offer any signs of support to any of his potential successors.
"I'm not here to talk about the Senate race next year," Hagel said. "I will have something to say about the Senate race at the appropriate time."
His retirement announcement was anticipated, but it still had a startling moment.
Several minutes into his speech, a framed caricature of Hagel, one of several hanging on the Omaha Press Club wall, crashed to the ground.
The audience appeared stunned at first, then began to laugh. Someone in the crowd, referring to the would-be Hagel rival, shouted: "Did Jon Bruning put those up?"
As his staff retrieved the picture, Hagel said, "I would have preferred to have somebody else tumble down."
An hour after Hagel strode to the podium, Heineman told reporters in a conference call from Taipei, Taiwan, that he expects a spirited GOP primary.
Heineman, who was in Asia on a trade mission, said he expected both Johanns and Daub to enter the race.
"Obviously, I know Mike Johanns very well, and I just expect that it's likely he will run. I expect him to make some announcement within the next few days or weeks," Heineman said.
Some Republicans see a Johanns candidacy as the party's best chance of keeping the seat in GOP hands, especially if Kerrey mounts a campaign.
Already in the Senate minority, Republicans must defend 22 of 34 Senate seats on the ballot next year. About a half-dozen are considered vulnerable to Democratic challenges. Democrats have 12 seats up for election, and only one or two are viewed as vulnerable at this point.
After Hagel's morning announcement, he received phone calls from both President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, thanking him for his service.
Bush and Hagel talked for about 15 minutes, and the president told Hagel he looked forward to working with him in the next 16 months, Hagel spokesman Mike Buttry said.
"Senator Hagel suggested that in January of 2009, they both go open a Dairy Queen together," Buttry said. "The president laughed."
Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., announces his retirement at a news conference Monday in Omaha.
Heineman made his prediction about Johanns' possible candidacy within an hour of Hagel's telling an Omaha press conference Monday that he would not seek a third term or run for president in 2008.
Hagel said that 12 years in the U.S. Senate was enough and that the time was not right for a presidential bid.
His decision means Nebraska will have an open Senate seat, a race that could take on national importance with Republicans defending more Senate seats than the Democrats in 2008.
Johanns, currently serving as President Bush's agriculture secretary, could become an instant GOP front-runner. He has consistently declined to talk about a possible candidacy, citing a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan activity.
"I just won't have a comment today," Johanns said as he headed into an event on Capitol Hill.
Prospective Democratic candidate Bob Kerrey, a former governor and senator, also kept mum about any plans.
Kerrey did acknowledge that he planned to visit Washington, D.C., today to talk to the Democrats' chief headhunter for U.S. Senate candidates, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York.
"This is a day to honor Chuck Hagel and his service," Kerrey said.
Kerrey said he has been talking with fellow Nebraskans and top national Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, about running for Senate.
He said he would make a decision "soon."
Two other possible Republican candidates — Hal Daub and Tony Raimondo — issued press releases shortly after Hagel's announcement, praising the senator and saying they may hold their own press conferences soon.
"I will have more to say about my intentions at another time," said Daub, a former congressman and former Omaha mayor. "The focus today should be on Chuck Hagel."
Raimondo, a Columbus businessman, said he plans to talk to family and friends — and to other Senate candidates — before making a decision.
"If I believe that the entire field of both parties is void of the vision key to Nebraska economic security, I will enter the race for this Senate seat," he said.
Two Republicans already have entered the race: Attorney General Jon Bruning, who began campaigning last spring, and Schuyler financial adviser Pat Flynn.
Both praised Hagel, and both said they would continue campaigning.
Hagel, who had said when first elected that two Senate terms were enough, said Monday that he decided to leave office in part because he believes democracy works best when it has a "constant cycle of new energy and ideas."
He emphasized that he has 16 months remaining in office and said he would continue taking an active role in the debate on Iraq war policy.
"I intend to be very engaged in this war debate as I have been for the last five years," he said.
Hagel made his announcement with his wife, Lilibet, and their two children, Allyn and Ziller, by his side. He appeared to be emotionally drained as he thanked his friends, supporters and staff for their help over the years.
"I will leave the Senate with the same enthusiasm, sense of purpose and love of my country that I started with. I leave maybe a little wiser, surely a little more experienced and with a very respectable amount of humility," he said.
Hagel declined to endorse or offer any signs of support to any of his potential successors.
"I'm not here to talk about the Senate race next year," Hagel said. "I will have something to say about the Senate race at the appropriate time."
His retirement announcement was anticipated, but it still had a startling moment.
Several minutes into his speech, a framed caricature of Hagel, one of several hanging on the Omaha Press Club wall, crashed to the ground.
The audience appeared stunned at first, then began to laugh. Someone in the crowd, referring to the would-be Hagel rival, shouted: "Did Jon Bruning put those up?"
As his staff retrieved the picture, Hagel said, "I would have preferred to have somebody else tumble down."
An hour after Hagel strode to the podium, Heineman told reporters in a conference call from Taipei, Taiwan, that he expects a spirited GOP primary.
Heineman, who was in Asia on a trade mission, said he expected both Johanns and Daub to enter the race.
"Obviously, I know Mike Johanns very well, and I just expect that it's likely he will run. I expect him to make some announcement within the next few days or weeks," Heineman said.
Some Republicans see a Johanns candidacy as the party's best chance of keeping the seat in GOP hands, especially if Kerrey mounts a campaign.
Already in the Senate minority, Republicans must defend 22 of 34 Senate seats on the ballot next year. About a half-dozen are considered vulnerable to Democratic challenges. Democrats have 12 seats up for election, and only one or two are viewed as vulnerable at this point.
After Hagel's morning announcement, he received phone calls from both President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, thanking him for his service.
Bush and Hagel talked for about 15 minutes, and the president told Hagel he looked forward to working with him in the next 16 months, Hagel spokesman Mike Buttry said.
"Senator Hagel suggested that in January of 2009, they both go open a Dairy Queen together," Buttry said. "The president laughed."
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Copyright ?2007 Omaha World-Herald?. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
Copyright ?2007 Omaha World-Herald?. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.