[AuH2ORepublican]

As hard as it is to fathom that Newsmax may have published something inaccurate (snort), I'm calling bullfeathers on this "report." Not only has no one else reported on this, but just today the only other Democrat in the race, University of Nebraska Regent Chuck Hassebrook, announced that he was dropping out and endorsing Kerrey. Maybe those professional newsmen at Newsmax read something about a Nenraska Democrat dropping out, grabbed some language from an old article about Kerrey citing family reasons for not running for the seat, and rolled out a false story.

But if, somehow, Newsmax has outscooped everyone else and Kerrey has indeed dropped out, I think that Mr. Hasselbrook could shoot Kerrey and no jury would convict him. In fact, Kerrey better stay in the race until the end, or Hasselbrook will make him feel sorry that he was ever born. Check this out, from the article about Hasselbrook dropping out:

Hassebrook, who heads the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Neb., jumped into the race when Kerrey initially said he would not run, citing family considerations.

But Kerrey reversed himself last week and filed for the Senate.

Hassebrook said after getting word of Kerrey's reconsideration that he would remain in the race no matter what, and he suggested Kerrey's “integrity” was at stake.

“Bob Kerrey is a man of integrity,” Hassebrook said at the time. “He told me as recently as a few days ago that he would assist my campaign. I gave up my seat on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents based on his word. I do not believe he would go back on it.”

But on Thursday, Hassebrook ceded the nomination to Kerrey, a former two-term senator who is considered the Democrats' best chance to hold the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Ben Nelson.

Hassebrook's decision clears Kerrey's path in the May 15 primary, but it is too late for Hassebrook to run for re-election to the regent's seat he's held for nearly 18 years.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120308/NEWS01/120309701#hassebrook-out-of-u-s-senate-race

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yeah, looks like you’re right. I saw no expected follow-up articles on Kerrey’s alleged exit and with the Politics1 report of Hassebrook’s exit and endorsement of Kerrey today, something definitely smelled fishy. Still, I cannot believe Kerrey will follow through with this race given his horrible polling numbers. At least Mondale ran a decent race as a replacement candidate in MN after Wellstone’s death. This could be on par with the Dick Snelling-Pat Leahy 1986 race in VT or the Mark Warner-Jim Gilmore 2008 VA race in a mismatch of first tier challengers. Hassebrook would, ironically, probably get a higher % of the vote given that he is lesser known and not as polarizing.