RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER

Blog puts Dole run in doubt
http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/518975.html

Now the rumors are swirling.

Seems U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is allegedly so demoralized by the Republicans' losses in the U.S. Senate that a "confidential source on Capitol Hill" told a blogger this week she won't seek re-election in 2008.

The blogger, Lane Hudson, broke the scandal about U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who became close to high school pages. Now, the former congressional aide and Democratic activist is writing a liberal blog called "News for the Left."

He wrote Tuesday that Dole was too upset to run again.

Dole, of Salisbury, took some lumps in November. As chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, she was held responsible for keeping the Senate in GOP control. Last week, she sent out a fundraising letter asking for help because the committee went into debt.

But Dole said the week of Election Day that she already has begun thinking about a re-election bid. And her office reiterated this week: Dole will go after a second term.