Is John Kerry leaving the Senate in 2008?

A serious question and one not intended to open the door to gratuitous Kerry bashing. I ask this based on the following news story from Israel regarding Rep. Barney Frank. The article is very good in describing how well the Israeli LGBT community does in relation to other countries, but I want you to focus on what Frank says about Kerry and 2008, and his own political ambitions.

Congressman Barney Frank takes pride in Israeli democracy
By Daphna Berman

Congressman Barney Frank, a ranking Democrat from Massachusetts, believes that the U.S. is ready for a gay Jewish senator. Gone are the days of unchecked homophobia, anti-Semitism or any combination thereof, he says. Even the period when Dick Armey, as House Majority Leader, referred to the Congressman as "Barney Fag," Frank insists, is tribute to the inroads that gay politicians have made in the past decades.

"He had to lie and say that it was a mispronunciation," Frank said this week. "That's a good indication."

In a Jerusalem interview, Frank, 65, admitted that 20 years ago the idea of running for Senate, as he may do in 2008, would have been impossible.

<snip>

The top Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, Frank might try for John Kerry's spot if the Senator steps down. Frank says he would stay in his current spot if the Democrats recaptured the House.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/669843.html

....for the local state senator.

List your questions, I'll ask him in person.

He clearly WANTS to run for President again. Whether he will, I'm not sure. I think if it really looks like he has no chance, he probably won't. If he does run for President, it gets stickier. He could run for President and wait till the early primaries. If he's knocked out he'd still probably have time to re-declare for his senate seat. If he gets far, however, or if he's actually renominated, he'll probably step down.

Kerry won't run for President and the Senate at the same time!

What's the latest he can wait? March?

MA law. Frank also said he would have considered if the seat had opened up after the 04 election. It's no small secret that Frank would most likely run if the opportunity arose. However, that said Kerry has adamantly said he will not make any decisions until after 06 so Frank is simply speculating.

:-)

in DC in 2008.

He has a decision to make. Run for Senate, or for the White House.

With that, I am leaving this thread.
I'm not a fan of Kerry bashing.

his integrity and hard work on our behalf.

I wouln't leave until I bled O'Neil of his last drop.

Any Democrat can. Just as long as s/he drops the damned focus groups and comes out hitting HARD. I don't care who the opponent is. Respect them, and then tear them to shreds with The Truth.

I'd also love to see Barney Frank in the Senate, just to watch Lindsey Graham and the other Southern Gospel Republicans squirm and to help wipe up the residue Santorum left on the place.

(I almost said "wipe up the Santorum" in tribute to the great sex columnist Dan Savage, but did manage to resist the temptation. Oh wait, I didn't. Oh well...)

If Kerry runs for president again, he needs to reconnect with the passion and clarity he had in '71. Kerry needs to see that it isn't "weak" to stand up to the Pentagon, its a sign of morality and conviction, and the voters respect that.

If he does run again, I hope his campaign doesn't get stupid and try to "Stepfordize" Teresa. I fear for their safety if they do.

He's repeated again and again that we need to focus on those elections first, and I agree. The focus should be on Dean's 50 State strategy. I know that Kerry has spent time fundraising for others.

He has also fundraised for himself and his PAC. Anyone with a PAC at this point, and who has been to NH and Iowa already, as he and Edwards and Clark and several others have already, can at least be said to be thinking seriously of running.

Can't answer your question though until he actually announces. Things can change mightily in a year. I would like him to run. I think he'd still like to run. And if he does run, I think that Massachusetts will expect him to NOT run for Senator.

That's about as close as I'm going to get to an answer. If he runs for prez, then probably he will not run for Senator. The only thing that might stop him in his track is if he thinks his seat might be lost to a Republican. Like I said, lots of things can happen in a year.

I hear Jerome Corsi wanted to run against him. I don't know how that plan is coming along. But that might also be a factor. Not that I think that batshit crazy carpetbagger would have a chance.