Former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer had some advice for a certain somebody mulling a potential bid for the U.S. Senate during an interview this week.

Schafer, speaking out of experience, said it's a difficult decision for Gov. John Hoeven, who has been considering a run against Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., for months now. Most political analysts say the three-term senator's seat is safe unless the governor runs.

But with the Labor Day holiday coming and going, the deadline GOP officials were hoping potential candidates would follow to make an announcement to run, Hoeven said on Friday he is still thinking.

"I haven't made a decision," Hoeven said. "We haven't set a timeline on it. Mikey and I are very honored. We're working hard at the job we have."

Schafer said Hoeven is likely getting many calls from governors to former-governors-turned-senators to former Republican White House officials to party luminaries.

And they are likely telling Hoeven, "You're sure to get elected and we're going to help you," Schafer said. "You get this barrage of phone calls."

"I didn't pay any attention to it," Schafer said. "It's flattering, people whispering in your ear, 'You're great.' As I said, you have to do these things for yourself, for your own reasons and motivations, and for what is right for you and your family."

Schafer said he received plenty of pressure to run for the Senate during his time as governor. He said he received phone calls from former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and after leaving the governor's residence, an invite from President George W. Bush to stay at the White House in 2002, which he said was an attempt to recruit him as a candidate.

Hoeven said he's getting calls of encouragement, too, but he did not specify from whom.

To Schafer, it was a "no-brainer" when he was being urged to run, saying he had no interest in going to the Senate.

But the political realities are different today than what they were when Schafer was governor: namely a White House and Congress controlled by Democrats, which could bode well for a Republican candidate, despite Dorgan's high favorability ranking (and $3.5 million war chest).

"If I were looking at it, if I wanted to do this, the stars are aligned right now," Schafer said. "On the other hand, his kids are in North Dakota, he's performing as governor, the people like him in the position that he's in."

As for Schafer's political future, which has been speculated to include another run at the governor's office in 2012, he said, "You never know what your political future might be, but I don't have any plans."

(Reach reporter Brian Duggan at 223-8482 or brian.duggan@;bismarcktribune.com.)