WASHINGTON (CNN)–Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, all but put to rest the rampant speculation that he has been planning to run on a third party presidential ticket with New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Chatter for their potential run started months ago when the two political mavericks had dinner together in Washington.
Though neither politician has ruled out running for higher office, Sen. Hagel said on CNN’s Late Edition this morning that there is no plan in place to run together. “I have never, along with Mayor Bloomberg, as far as I know, come to any conclusions or worked our way towards [running together] or applied any focus on that,” Sen. Hagel said. “I don't really see that happening.”
Sen. Hagel announced last week he would not run for reelection in the Senate when his term expires in 2008.
-CNN Late Edition Producer Ted Metzger