Roy Cooper not Taking on the Burrdog

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http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0509/Roy_Cooper_not_challenging_Burr.html

Roy Cooper not challenging Burr

Big news out of North Carolina: Attorney General Roy Cooper won’t be running for the Senate, depriving Democrats of one of their top recruits against Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

“While I am honored by the encouragement I’ve received, I don’t want to go to Washington and serve as a U.S. Senator at this time,” Cooper said in a statement. “I am committed to public service and I want to serve here in North Carolina rather than in Washington.”

Cooper would have been a formidable opponent, with several polls showed him leading Burr in head-to-head matchups. Back home, he won widespread praise for his decision to drop rape charges against three Duke lacrosse players in a case that drew national attention. 

Cooper is the second high-profile Democrat -- after Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) -- to decide not to run against Burr, and puts Democrats back to the drawing board to find a credible candidate against Burr.

But while Democrats’ prospects in the Tar Heel State take a hit with Cooper's decision, Burr is far from assured of a second term.

His poll numbers remain mediocre – with many voters unfamiliar with his record – and as Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C) demonstrated last year, it doesn’t take a brand name candidate to oust a vulnerable incumbent.

Damn. Just damn.