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In a statement from his office today, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) announced that he has notified the Barack Obama campaign that he intends to remain in the Senate, and he does not want to be considered as a running mate for Obama.

“Last week I communicated to Senator Obama and his presidential campaign my firm intention to remain in the United States Senate, where I believe I am best equipped to serve the people of Virginia and this country. Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Vice President,” Webb said.

He said that he is convinced that his goals would be best served by staying in the Senate, “A year and a half ago, the people of Virginia honored me with election to the U.S. Senate. I entered elective politics because of my commitment to strengthen America’s national security posture, to promote economic fairness, and to increase government accountability. I have worked hard to deliver upon that commitment, and I am convinced that my efforts and talents toward those ends are best served in the Senate.”

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Webb pledged to work hard for Obama in Virginia, “At this time I am also renewing my commitment to work hard to make sure that Senator Obama wins both Virginia and the presidency this November. He is a man who speaks eloquently about our national goals and calls for the practical solutions that must be put into place to obtain them. I will proudly campaign for him.”

This is not much of a surprise really. Webb has been saying for months that he didn’t want the job. My guess is that he has his eye on a run at the White House of his own on down the road. He was probably in Obama’s top 10, but he isn’t the most popular Democrat in Virginia, and he brings inexperience questions with him too, so he probably was not going to be selected as Obama’s VP anyway. I think Obama will end up selecting a more experienced Democrat to be his running mate.

Webb Statement