NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports that Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole announced today that he will leave the U.S. Senate to pursue his presidential campaign full-time. Dole's surprising announcement came after weeks of debate within the Republican party and the Dole campaign about whether his candidacy was better served from the floor of the Senate or out on the campaign trail. However, a series of legislative setbacks for the Republicans apparently convinced Dole that giving up his Senate seat would be the best route to take.
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