The New Loser's Waltz

Morning all!
Here's the news...
MINNESOTA
Freshman Senator Mark Dayton (D) has announced he won't seek re-election to a second term in 2006. He was considered very vulnerable had he ran. This is the same unpredictable guy who closed his office for no apparent reason due to his fear of a terrorist attack. Some of the potential candidates are: Radio personality Al Franken (DFL), sons of the late Senator Paul Wellstone, Mark Wellston (DFL) and David Wellstone (DFL), former Senator Rod Grams (R), Congressman Mark Kennedy (R), and former Senator Dean Barkley (IP). And, if none of them want to run, one Hubert Humphrey's relatives could always run for it (i.e. Hubery Humphrey 4th, or Hubert the 5th). This race will definitly be close and definitly be interesting.
WISCONSIN
Former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson (R) who recently resigned from President Bush's cabinet, has announced he may challenge Governor Jim Doyle (D) in 2006 to regain the job he once held. Thompson is the state's most popular politician, and would be the favored candidate.
Senator Herb Kohl (D), the multimillionare owner of the Kohl's Line of stores, is considering retirement rather than run for a 4th term. Kohl, who has been rumored to be gay, has said he doesn't like the intrusion on his personal life. If Kohl does retire, look for former Congressman Mark Neumann (R) to be the GOP standardbearer, and Secretary of State Doug LaFollette (D) to run for the Dems. LaFollette will definitly be the favored candidate here.
SOUTH CAROLINA
There is word floating around that Strom Thurmond, Jr., son of the late Senator Strom Thurmond, is preparing to run for SC Attorney General...as a Democrat. How awesome.
LOSER'S WALTZ
I called this entry the new Loser's Waltz as a play on an old country song I know called "The last Cheater's Waltz." What I'm talking about here is, who, in recent memory, ran for President once, then came back, ran again, and won? Here's my list..
1952-Adlai Stevenson (D)--Ran again in 1956. LOSS
1968-Hubery Humphrey (D)--Ran in Primary in 1972. LOSS
1972-George McGovern (D)--Ran in Primary in 1984. LOSS
1976-Gerald Ford (R)--Almost picked as VP nominee in 1980. LOST THAT
2000-Al Gore (D)--Almost ran again in 2004. DID HE LOSE IN 2000?
2004-John Kerry (D)--What wil 2008 hold for him?
To my knowledge, the only one in modern history was 1960, when then VP Richard Nixon went down in defeat against Sen. John Kennedy, then came back in 1968 to defeat Sen. Hubert Humphrey. Maybe that's the key, Senator Kerry...lay out until 2012?
Okay, here's a random list..
My 10 Favorite Presidents. (Notice It Is Bipartisan)
1--Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
2--Ronald Reagan (R)
3--John F. Kennedy (D)
4--Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
5--Bill Clinton (D)
6--Grover Cleveland (D)
7--Rutherford B. Hayes (R)
8--Richard M. Nixon (R)
9--Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
10-Chester A. Arthur (R)
TENNESSEE
The analysis on the 2006 Senate race in TN is coming soon; I'm writing it tonight.
JOHN DENVER
Here's a random piece of knowledge...did you know many people believe John Denver was an Army Sniper in the Vietnam war? They believe his song, "Sunshine on My Shoulder" is about his rifle, which he has nicknamed Sunshine.

Ok, off to lunch. Praying for fried chicken.