Posted on 09/08/2007 8:59:31 PM PDT by LdSentinal
OMAHA, Neb. -- An Republican insider close to Sen. Chuck Hagel confirms Hagel will announce that he's retiring from his Senate seat.
Hagel has scheduled a press conference on Monday morning at the Omaha Press Club.
Nebraska Republican leader David Kramer also said, he's "100 percent" sure Hagel will call it quits.
In March, Hagel said he was thinking about his political future and would announce a decision soon.
Hagel is serving his second term as Nebraska's senator. The New York Times reported, Hagel promised not to run for a third term when he was first elected in 1996.
There was a window of time when Sen. Chuck Hagel might have run for president, analysts told KETV NewsWatch 7, but it has closed.
Creighton political science professor Graham Ramsden thought Hagel might run for re-election.
Ramsden said if Hagel retires, the Democrats might have a shot at claiming Hagel's seat.
"If Chuck Hagel doesn't run and Bob Kerrey decides to run, there's always the chance that seat could go to the Democrats, and the national Republicans would hate that," the professor said.
Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, businessman Pat Flynn said they will run for Hagel's seat. Former Omaha Mayor Hal Daub is thinking about running and there are other contenders who might jump in too.
Nebraska Republican Party Chairman Mark Quandahl said he thinks Hagel's decision will affect a lot of other politicians. "It's something everybody's talking about. There's a lot of folks in politics that are looking upstream and seeing what the next logical step is," Quandahl said.
Sen. Hagel will turn 61 next month. He was born in North Platte, Neb., to Polish and German parents.
He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1971. Hagel is a Vietnam War veteran.
Hagel married Lilibet Ziller in 1985. He has two children.
Hagel founded Vanguard Cellular, a mobile phone manufacturer. He was also President of the McCarthy Group, an investment banking firm.
YAHOOO!
Good riddance to another RINO
He’s probably got a job lined up at CNN/ MSDNC as the good guy ‘Conservative’ that sides with liberals.
Hit ya/split ya, etc...
He wasn’t right, in the head.
Ditto to all the previous posts.One less RINO to deal with.
Hmmmm... how much $$$ did Kerrey get from Hsu?
FWIW “resignation” and “retirement” are not the same thing.
If Lindsey Grahamnesty had any decency, he’d resign too and then that would be another RINO biting the dust. But Pandsey is too arrogant and too much of an egomaniac to do the right thing for the party.
Did Chuck get caught foot tapping and doing hand jive in a public bathroom, too?
Oh well, good riddance to bad rubbish.
Good grief - - Kerrey was one of the members of the laughingstock '9/11 Commission'. Please tell me he will stay retired.
The poster followed the rules -- the error was committed at the source.
Got it - thanks
Unfortunately, the buzz on Kerrey is all too real.
I would hope Nebraskans will think twice about putting him back in.
How optimistic you are. Usually, when a RINO resigns early, it is because they control or know what will happen in the vacancy process. Their goal is to appoint a RINO as their replacement because, they fear, the voters will unwisely select a conservative if the RINO serves out his term. By resigning and having a RINO replacement, it makes it very hard for a conservative challenger in the primary.
Watch it unfold.
Bye-bye Chuckie - don’t bother to write. Say hello to Hillary for us.
What are the chances of keeping his seat in the GOP column?
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