Russ Feingold won't seek office in 2012

Won't run for senator, governor

Former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold has decided not to seek office in 2012, either to replace fellow Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl who is retiring or in a recall contest against Gov. Scott Walker:

In an email that supporters will receive when Friday morning, Feingold writes: "I have decided not to run for public office during 2012."

"This was a difficult decision, as I thoroughly enjoyed my tenure in both the State Senate and the U.S. Senate, and I know that progressives are eager to reverse some of the outrageous policies being pursued by corporate interests at both the state and federal levels. I am also well aware that I have a very strong standing in the polls should I choose to run again for the U.S. Senate or in a recall election for governor," the former three-term senator who was defeated in the "Republican wave" election but then quickly rebounded to become a popular prospect for the marquee races of next year: as the Democratic nominee to fill the seat that will be vacated by U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin, or the party's candidate in an effort to oust the controversial governor. "After twenty-eight continuous years as an elected official, however, I have found the past eight months to be an opportunity to look at things from a different perspective."

More commentary on this tonight.