Dobbs Won't Rule Out Senate Bid

Former CNN pundit Lou Dobbs could be contemplating a run for public office in his native NJ, he told Bill O'Reilly 11/17.

In Dobbs' first interview since abruptly leaving his television show last week, he refused to rule out the idea of running for Senate.

"A lot of things are on my mind. I'm not going to be coy about this," Dobbs said, when asked if he was considering a bid. "I can guarantee you 100 percent -- I'm going to remain in the -- in the public arena. These issues that matter so much to me, many of the same that matter to you, are not -- not changing. What is immutable here is, I'm going to remain in the public arena."

Sen. Bob Menendez (D) would face voters in '12, while Sen. Frank Lautenberg's (D) seat comes open in '14. Dobbs lives on a 300-acre farm in the northern part of the state.

It's not the first time Dobbs' name has been mentioned for public office: Last year, he was rumored to be contemplating a bid against Gov. Jon Corzine (D). GOP fundraisers were discussing the possibility of a Dobbs candidacy as late as last June, but he eventually pulled the plug.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2009/11/dobbs_wont_rule.php