Despite unceasing speculation that she might be a credible progressive challenger in the 2016 election, the senator from Massachusetts is adamant that she is not in the race.

“There is no wiggle room. I am not running for president. No means no,” Warren told The Boston Globe.

There is consensus on the left and right that Warren should run. The left wants to put up a fight against Hillary Clinton, who herself has not announced that she is running. The right would love to fundraise against Warren. The Globe quotes former GOP presidential candidate and tea party darling Michele Bachmann on CNN saying, “I think she will be an extremely attractive candidate for Democratic voters in 2016.” And America Rising PAC sent out a fundraising email saying, “Don’t let the White House fall into Warren’s hands. … Please help us stop her by contributing.”

Truthdig columnist Bill Blum has other plans for Warren. In a recent column, he argued that she would make an excellent Supreme Court justice.

While much attention has been focused on the 2016 race, the impending midterms, now only a few months off, portend great and immediate change. As of this posting, the New York Times’ Upshot number crunchers give the Republicans a 56 percent chance of taking back the Senate. That would give the GOP full control of Congress and the ability to put much legislation on the desk of lame duck President Obama.

— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer