Too bad

Florida House Speaker Allan Bense has announced he will not be running for the Republican nomination to face US Senator Bill Nelson this fall. That makes Congresswoman Katherine Harris a lock for the nomination and as I have said earlier, a guaranteed loser in the fall election.

Bense' announcement didn't particularly surprise me. He had waffled for a long time, and that made it look to me as if he had no interest. Earlier this week Gov. Bush said Harris had no chance against Nelson but she remained defiant. It's her right, but I'd have 10 million better ways to spend my money if she follows through on her promise to spend that personal money on the campaign. She's a loser, and thankfully Harris will be out of office by year end. That's the silver lining in this otherwise bad news for the GOP both Nationwide and in Florida.

Open Post- TMH's Bacon Bits, Bright & Early, Third World County, Right Wing Nation,

TALLAHASSEE — House Speaker Allan Bense ended speculation today by announcing he will not enter Florida's U.S. Senate race.

Bense has been courted by GOP heavyweights for months, including Gov. Jeb Bush, to challenge the party's only other alternative, U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, but said today he didn't want to make the commitment of time away from his family and Panama City home that the job would entail.

"While the challenge of running a successful campaign over the next several months was exciting, and while I am confident we would have been successful, ultimately my decision came down to the fundamental question of whether I was willing to spend the next six, 12 or possibly 18 years of my life away from my family and my home," Bense said in a statement released this morning. "After much thought and prayer, I realized the answer to that question is 'no.'"

Harris, the polarizing former secretary of state, has been plagued by campaign missteps, including ties to Washington corruption scandals and her own controversial role overseeing the 2000 presidential recount in Florida.

Many Republicans, including the governor, have said she can't win in a race against incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.