WHEN YOU'RE WRONG, SAY YOU'RE WRONG!

And that is what I am doing this morning. I have said over the past week or so that Florida House Speaker Allan Bense (R - Panama City) would not be able to refuse the entreats of many state and national Republican leaders who have been courting him to run for the U.S. Senate. State Senate Minority Leader and Attorney General candidate Walter G. "Skip" Campbell, Jr. (D - Taramac) mentioned during his address to the Polk County Democratic Executive Committee Monday evening that Bense said to him before last week's end of the Legislative session that he did not believe that he would make the run.

Campbell was correct; I was wrong.

Bense announced early Wednesday that he would not seek the post currently held by Democrat Bill Nelson, effectively giving a free pass to Congresswoman Katherine Harris of Longboat Key to challenge the incumbant in November. With the deadline for qualifying being noon Friday, there is noone on the political radar willing or able to enter the race.

Of course, many GOP activists are quite disappointed that Bense decided not to run, and fear that Harris being their party's candidate at the top of the ballot will hurt other state and local races. I'm sure most will concentrate more on supporting the winner of their gubernatorial primary between Attorney General Charlie Crist and Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher. Nelson will win handily, but it won't be a free pass by any means.