Chuck Hagel to Retire

More bad news for Senate Republicans. The Nebraska Senator and Iraq War opponent is expected to announce on Monday that he will retire at the end of his current term in 2009, putting yet another Republican seat in jeopardy. Word is that Hagel, after flirting with the idea of running for President, does not intend to.

Democrats are hoping former Senator (and Nebraska Governor) Bob Kerrey will enter the race for Hagel's seat. They have been recruiting him hard, and Kerrey, now the President of the New School university in New York City, has said he might be interested if Hagel decided not to run again.

UPDATE: I sent Kerrey an e-mail asking whether Hagel's retirement means Kerrey is in the race, and when he plans to make some kind of announcement.

His reply: "Not yet and soon."

And here's the Omaha World-Herald's rundown of who else might be considering a run.