another derby entry?

It appears that Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska will throw his hat into the Presidential battle this morning. We’ll know for sure in a few hours when he makes a formal announcement from the center of America, Omaha. Hagel has been a very strong voice in the Senate over the last few years and will cause serious problems for McCain (here's a link to an excellent story about McCain / Hagel) . I still don’t believe that either Romney or Giuliani are viable candidates – and without a governor running on the Republican side, his position as a Senator won’t be a huge issue. I’m not sure how effective Hagel is as a fund-raiser, he may be jumping in the race too soon, but I’d like to see him introduce his candidacy slowly to the American public. I’ve read some commentary that indicates Hagel might consider running as and independent. All very interesting…

T.




Hagel has quite wisely decided to stay on the Presidential sidelines for now. I think it's a brilliant combination of two ideals: first, he feels there is serious work to be done in the Senate and he doesn't want, or need, the distraction of spending six or eight additional months campaigning. Second, there is absolutely no hurry to jump into the fray - he said he believes his options will still be open come summer or fall - and I agree with him. It'll be very interesting to watch Republican activities as they encounter Hagel between now and his next announcement. I couldn't be happier with his decision. Having said that; I think the odds of him entering are no better than 50/50 at this point.