With Democrats back in control of Congress, Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold announced Saturday he would not run for president but would stay and advance "a progressive agenda" with a new Senate majority.
"I'm sure a campaign for President would have been a great adventure and helpful in advancing a progressive agenda," Feingold said in a letter to supporters. "At this time, however, I believe I can best advance that progressive agenda as a Senator with significant seniority in the new Senate serving on the Foreign Relations, Intelligence, Judiciary and Budget Committees. Although I have given it a lot of thought, I cannot muster the same enthusiasm for a race for President while I am trying simultaneously to advance our agenda in the Senate."
Feingold, who opposed the war and tried to censure President Bush for his warrantless wiretapping program, was a progressive bloggers' favorite. His announcement comes on the heels of former Virginia Sen. Mark Warner's announcing he wouldn't run for president in October. In a Sunday post Markos Moulitsas of the Daily Kos said simply: "I'm still not ready to start talking 2008 with still so much to digest about 2006. But if there's ever been a reason to hold back on picking a guy, Warner and Feingold have proven it."
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