Sen. Ben Nelson, Nebraska Democrat, Will Not Seek Re-Election

Exit the Nebraska Compromiser:

Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska will announce today that he is retiring after two terms, a serious blow to Democratic efforts to hold on to the majority in the chamber next November.

Nelson is scheduled to hold a press conference back home in Nebraska as early as today to make his decision official, said several Democratic insiders close to the leadership. The 70-year-old Nelson was considered one of the most endangered Democratic incumbents this cycle. GOP-affiliated outside groups have already dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into TV ads bashing Nelson, while the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spent over $1 million on its own ad blitz to bolster his image.

It had to be no fun to be Sen. Nelson. As a moderate Democrat, he was pulled hard to the left by President Obama, Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. They used him for his ObamaCare vote, despite the fact that it left his reputation stained and it’s the main reason he went into 2012 so endangered. Republicans have a wealth of candidates to choose from, including Don Sternberg, whom FreedomWorks has endorsed.