Johanns leaves Cabinet, now free to seek Hagel seat
Posted: Friday, September 21, 2007
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush on Thursday announced that Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns is leaving the Cabinet to return to Nebraska, where he is expected to run for the U.S. Senate.
"If it's Mike's decision and Nebraska's choice, he would make an outstanding member of the United States Senate," Bush said while announcing that Johanns had resigned as head of the Agriculture Department.
Bush said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Charles Conner would take over as acting secretary.
In a phone interview, Johanns said he'll be back in Nebraska on Monday and that people won't have to wait long for his announcement.
"People know what I'm considering," he said, adding that he's not trying to be coy.
"I wanted to do this right. I wanted to be in Nebraska to make that decision," Johanns said.
State Republicans are expecting Johanns will seek the Senate seat being vacated at the end of next year by Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican.
Vicki Powell, Johanns' campaign manager for his two gubernatorial races, said she planned to talk to Johanns Thursday and expects an announcement "in the near future."
Mark Quandahl, chairman of the state GOP, said Johanns' entry will complete an "all-star lineup" of Republican candidates that includes Attorney General Jon Bruning, former Congressman Hal Daub and Schuyler businessman Pat Flynn.
Johanns resigned as governor to join the Bush administration in January 2005. He was elected mayor of Lincoln in 1991 and re-elected in 1995. He won his first gubernatorial race in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002.
A Johanns entry into the Senate sweepstakes would be welcomed by Republicans, who lost control of the chamber in the 2006 elections and who also are seeing some key incumbents such as Hagel and Sen. John Warner of Virginia opt against running for re-election.
Hagel said during a news conference call on Thursday: "I don't know of a stronger candidate for the United States Senate, certainly in the field that I see now or anticipate seeing, than Mike Johanns."
Democrats have been recruiting former Sen. Bob Kerrey to return to Nebraska for a run at Hagel's seat, which could lead to an electoral showdown against Johanns, among others.
Kerrey said Thursday he's still considering a bid, and "it's got nothing to do with who else is going to run and everything to do with my personal life."
If he does decide to run, Kerrey said, he'll quit his job as president of New School University in New York. The 64-year-old served as governor of Nebraska, 1983-1987, and in the Senate from 1989 to 2001.
Johanns is being criticized for leaving the ag post before Congress passes a new farm bill, a goal Johanns had said he wanted to reach by the end of the year. The politically popular legislation gives billions in aid to farmers and pays for nutrition programs, but the current version expires at the end of this month.
Former Nebraska Congressman Hal Daub, already a candidate for the Senate seat, said it's unfortunate Johanns decided to quit when he "could have been instrumental in securing the passage of a strong farm bill, legislation that is so desperately needed by our state's farmers, ranchers and agribusiness owners."
In a news release, the state Democratic Party scolded Johanns as well:
"Unfortunately, the secretary has turned his back on farmers and ranchers repeatedly, most recently walking away from a critical farm bill," the release said.
Hagel called such criticism "laughable."
"The fact is, the Democrats are in charge around here. What's not laughable is that the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee hasn't even had a markup of the farm bill. ... Mike Johanns can't do anything about that," Hagel said.
Johanns said his decision to leave the post has not been easy.
"I grew up with farmers and ranchers as my childhood heroes and my mentors. Representing them in Washington has been a great privilege," he said.
Bush said Johanns had come to him and asked for advice about what course to take. "And my answer to Mike was ... 'I support you and I encourage you to follow your heart,"' Bush said.
The president earlier this week proposed filling another Cabinet vacancy -- the position of attorney general -- with retired federal judge Michael Mukasey, who was nominated to succeed Alberto Gonzales.
Inside the White House, Bush has seen the departures recently of longtime advisers Karl Rove and Dan Bartlett. Press secretary Tony Snow's last day was Friday.
Bush said he wanted to wish Johanns a "warm farewell," saying he was "not only a decent person, an honest person, but a person who gets things done."
"If it's Mike's decision and Nebraska's choice, he would make an outstanding member of the United States Senate," Bush said while announcing that Johanns had resigned as head of the Agriculture Department.
Bush said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Charles Conner would take over as acting secretary.
In a phone interview, Johanns said he'll be back in Nebraska on Monday and that people won't have to wait long for his announcement.
"People know what I'm considering," he said, adding that he's not trying to be coy.
"I wanted to do this right. I wanted to be in Nebraska to make that decision," Johanns said.
State Republicans are expecting Johanns will seek the Senate seat being vacated at the end of next year by Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican.
Vicki Powell, Johanns' campaign manager for his two gubernatorial races, said she planned to talk to Johanns Thursday and expects an announcement "in the near future."
Mark Quandahl, chairman of the state GOP, said Johanns' entry will complete an "all-star lineup" of Republican candidates that includes Attorney General Jon Bruning, former Congressman Hal Daub and Schuyler businessman Pat Flynn.
Johanns resigned as governor to join the Bush administration in January 2005. He was elected mayor of Lincoln in 1991 and re-elected in 1995. He won his first gubernatorial race in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002.
A Johanns entry into the Senate sweepstakes would be welcomed by Republicans, who lost control of the chamber in the 2006 elections and who also are seeing some key incumbents such as Hagel and Sen. John Warner of Virginia opt against running for re-election.
Hagel said during a news conference call on Thursday: "I don't know of a stronger candidate for the United States Senate, certainly in the field that I see now or anticipate seeing, than Mike Johanns."
Democrats have been recruiting former Sen. Bob Kerrey to return to Nebraska for a run at Hagel's seat, which could lead to an electoral showdown against Johanns, among others.
Kerrey said Thursday he's still considering a bid, and "it's got nothing to do with who else is going to run and everything to do with my personal life."
If he does decide to run, Kerrey said, he'll quit his job as president of New School University in New York. The 64-year-old served as governor of Nebraska, 1983-1987, and in the Senate from 1989 to 2001.
Johanns is being criticized for leaving the ag post before Congress passes a new farm bill, a goal Johanns had said he wanted to reach by the end of the year. The politically popular legislation gives billions in aid to farmers and pays for nutrition programs, but the current version expires at the end of this month.
Former Nebraska Congressman Hal Daub, already a candidate for the Senate seat, said it's unfortunate Johanns decided to quit when he "could have been instrumental in securing the passage of a strong farm bill, legislation that is so desperately needed by our state's farmers, ranchers and agribusiness owners."
In a news release, the state Democratic Party scolded Johanns as well:
"Unfortunately, the secretary has turned his back on farmers and ranchers repeatedly, most recently walking away from a critical farm bill," the release said.
Hagel called such criticism "laughable."
"The fact is, the Democrats are in charge around here. What's not laughable is that the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee hasn't even had a markup of the farm bill. ... Mike Johanns can't do anything about that," Hagel said.
Johanns said his decision to leave the post has not been easy.
"I grew up with farmers and ranchers as my childhood heroes and my mentors. Representing them in Washington has been a great privilege," he said.
Bush said Johanns had come to him and asked for advice about what course to take. "And my answer to Mike was ... 'I support you and I encourage you to follow your heart,"' Bush said.
The president earlier this week proposed filling another Cabinet vacancy -- the position of attorney general -- with retired federal judge Michael Mukasey, who was nominated to succeed Alberto Gonzales.
Inside the White House, Bush has seen the departures recently of longtime advisers Karl Rove and Dan Bartlett. Press secretary Tony Snow's last day was Friday.
Bush said he wanted to wish Johanns a "warm farewell," saying he was "not only a decent person, an honest person, but a person who gets things done."
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