It’s one of the cardinal rules of politics that a candidate currently seeking a given office will never confirm that he’s already decided to run for another, down the line. The standard response to such questions is ‘right now I’m focused on this race.’ And so it is with Governor Dave Heineman, who gives all the right answers about already having ‘the best job in America’. But he’s quick to make sure people understand: all they have to do is ask, and he’s willing to take on Nelson:

Gov. Dave Heineman on Monday pointed to job creation as his top priority as he prepared to formally seek re-election.

Heineman will file as a candidate Tuesday.

Nebraskans have told him they want to focus on the economy, “creating more jobs so we can keep our sons and daughters here,” the governor said in a phone interview after returning to Lincoln from a Martin Luther King Day luncheon in Omaha…

Responding to a question about a possible Senate race in 2012, Heineman said that prospect is “very unlikely” and that he believes he has “the best job in America.”

But, the governor said, it’s best to “never say never.”

“People in Nebraska are asking me to consider a Senate race and they’re my boss, so I’ll take it under advisement,” he said.

Ben Nelson is praying for Scott Brown to win and get him off the hook.