Yes, there were the political calculations. Yes, he sounded a little like Brett Favre or Michael Jordan weighing whether to play just one more season. And yes, we've seen it before.
But there's something that shouldn't get lost in all the noise surrounding Bob Kerrey's decision against running for the U.S. Senate again.
He has answered the call to public service — not once, but many times: Navy SEAL, business entrepreneur, governor, senator, university president and member of the 9/11 Commission.
He offered apologies Tuesday to those who wanted him to run. But he need not apologize for this decision.
Sen. Ben Nelson's upcoming retirement left Democrats in Nebraska and nationally looking for a strong candidate in a predominantly Republican state. Kerrey's name quickly surfaced.
Kerrey has flirted with comebacks before. He pondered and rejected a second try for the White House in 2000, a race for New York City mayor in 2005 and the 2008 Nebraska Senate race that Republican Mike Johanns won.
There were new political realities. Kerrey last ran for office 18 years ago, so no Nebraskan under age 35 has seen his name on a ballot. With Republicans viewing the seat as critical in their bid to control the Senate, this race will be expensive. Even if he won, it wasn't clear whether Kerrey's Senate experience would help get him top committee assignments.
Times are different, too. Political rhetoric is so bitter and strident today that a native son, a man many Nebraskans know well, was attacked as an East Coast liberal, New Yorker and carpetbagger for merely thinking about running.
Those charges shouldn't have — and wouldn't have — stuck. His fellow Nebraskans know Kerrey's long record of service to his state and the nation.
He grew up in Lincoln and went to the University of Nebraska. He joined the Navy, fought in Vietnam, lost a leg and received the Medal of Honor. He built restaurant and health club chains. He served a term as governor, providing steady leadership during an agricultural recession. He served two terms as a U.S. senator, showing independence from his party when needed. He ran for president.
After leaving office, he became president of New School University in New York City. When the nation called again, he served on the independent, bipartisan commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
And when some in his party called most recently, Kerrey did not take the decision lightly. Key issues, including the budget deficit and entitlement reform, long have interested him. In the end, Kerrey said, it came down to family.
"To those who urged me to do so, I am sorry, very sorry to have disappointed you," he said. "I hope you understand that I have chosen what I believe is best for my family and me."
For those at the top of any profession, it's hard to walk away. It's easy to understand why Kerrey might have considered one more race. It's easy to see that he disappointed many members of his party.
It's also an answer we all can respect. Bob Kerrey's willingness to serve in so many ways over so many years speaks for itself.
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