Feingold not running

Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) has decided not to seek the Democratic nomination for President in 2008:

"I never got to that point where I'd rather be running around the country, running for president, than being a senator from Wisconsin," Feingold said in a phone interview from Madison.

Feingold, 53, conceded that he faced long odds of winning the nomination.

"It would have required the craziest combination of things in the history of American politics to make it work," he said. But Feingold said waging an underdog campaign appealed to him. What didn't appeal to him, he said, was "the way in which this effort would dismantle both my professional life (in the Senate) and my personal life. I'm very happy right now."

On the other side, pro-war Senator John McCain has formed a presidential exploratory committee and probably is the presumptive front runner for the Republican nomination. But it's still early. Remember in 2005 GOP insiders proclaimed Senator George Allen the person most likely to receive the Republican nod. Jim Webb (and Allen's horrible campaign skills) put an end to that idea.

-Justin

Update: A few more 2008 notes, Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) said this morning that he is running for President. While New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said he is likely to make a decision about a run in January.