Sources: Ditka's out of the game
By Rick Pearson
Tribune political reporter
Published July 14, 2004, 7:14 PM CDT
Ending the brief daliance of despairing Republicans with fantasy league football, former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka has told leading Republicans that he does not intend to seek the U.S. Senate nomination that is being given up by Jack Ryan, sources said Wednesday.
Ditka's discussions with Republican leaders came as former campaign aides to Ryan, the winner of the March 16th GOP primary, said he had sent to the State Board of Elections on Wednesday his formal notification that he was withdrawing from the contest. Ryan had said he would give up the nomination at the end of last month in the aftermath of the court-ordered release of his divorce-related documents.
Republican sources said Ditka notified various leading Republicans of his decision throughout the day on Wednesday. His decision came after a 2-hour meeting Tuesday night at his restaurant with State GOP Chair Judy Baar Topinka and U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the son of the man who helped draft Ditka to the Bears.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-040714ditka,1,4436809.story?coll=chi-news-hed