aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Cleland’s out

The rumor may have been right, but the answer was no:

Former Georgia senator Max Cleland confirmed Thursday he will not seek a 2008 rematch against Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who won Cleland’s seat in a bitter 2002 campaign.

Cleland, a Democrat who lost three limbs in Vietnam and uses a wheelchair, had campaigned aggressively for other Democratic candidates this year, leading some to speculate that he might be preparing for a run of his own. Still angry over 2002 political ads criticizing Cleland’s commitment to national security, many Democrats had hoped he would try to avenge the loss.

But through a spokesman, Cleland told The Associated Press Thursday that he would not challenge Chambliss. [...]

Democrats said to be considering a Senate bid include Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon, DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones and state office-holders such as Secretary of State Cathy Cox.

Cleland has acknowledged battling depression and said recently he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, possibly prompted by violence in Iraq triggering memories of Vietnam.