And so it ends.

Mark Warner's bid for President in 2008, that is. Read his official statement here.

My thoughts:

* He's seen how daunting a run against Hillary has become. Also, with the recent decision by the Democratic Party to move the Nevada caucuses between Iowa and New Hampshire as well as moving up South Carolina's primary, the advantages become rather pronounced for the other prominent Southern "anti-Hillary", John Edwards. Edwards has strong union support, which could be decisive in Nevada, and he's an SC native and won the 2004 primary there. So in addition to the financial considerations, the primary calendar has become less friendly to the Governor.

* A run for an open Senate seat in 2008 looks a lot better these days, as John Warner is likely to retire.

* And there's always the possibility of becoming governor again in 2009, as Tim Kaine will have to step down thanks to Virginia's non-consecutive term limit.

I still think Warner would have made a great candidate in 2008, but he's a smart guy, and he could read the handwriting on the wall. And although the "spend more time with the family" consideration can't be discounted either, even though many a politician has used it as an excuse or a dodge. Nevertheless, either the Senate or Gubernatorial considerations above would position him to run in 2012 if Hillary or the Democratic candidate in 2008 were to go down to defeat.

As for this blog, it goes back into mothballs (where it's been for about a year anyway), and thanks again to all the readers, especially the few of you who may be checking out this post. 2006 is shaping up to be a nice year for the Democrats, and here's hoping 2008 does as well.