Arkansas Democrat Marion Berry to retire after 7 terms in US House; cites health concerns

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Congressman Marion Berry says he's retiring after representing Arkansas in the House of Representatives for seven terms.

He is the second Arkansas congressman to announce this month that he is retiring.

The 67-year-old Democrat from Arkansas said in a statement Monday that he can no longer serve the district with the vitality he once had.

Berry was elected to his congressional seat after serving in the Clinton administration as a special assistant to the president for agricultural trade and food assistance.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/politics/82597217.html

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This is very bad, as Berry's district is heavily Republican. McCain beat Obama there 59%-38%:

http://www.cookpolitical.com/sites/default/files/pvistate.pdf

[tblue]

1. Are there 2 Marion Berrys?

I never once heard of this one. Maybe I have and thought it was the other one.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. The crackhead is Marion BARRY, this one is Marion BERRY

[KingFlorez]

2. The good news here is Arkansas Democrats have a deep bench

It's possible to find someone who can hold it.

[MineralMan]

4. That may well be true, but it's likely that anyone who could win

may also be a Blue Dog Democrat, and will get no approval here, despite the fact that it is impossible for a liberal Democrat to win in AR.

[Art_from_Ark]

6. I don't think it's impossible for a liberal Democrat to win in Arkansas

After all, Dale Bumpers and David (not Mark) Pryor were fairly liberal and popular Senators, as was J. William Fulbright. You can be a liberal and win in Arkansas (outside of the 3rd Congressional district), but you have to know how to schmooze with the good ol' boyz.

[Ian David]

5. Self-delete n/t

[dbt]

7. Marion Berry hears the train coming, too.

Just like Vic Snyder did. The Teabag Express is close to getting up a full head of steam and the Crazoids are elbowing each other out of the way to get window seats. The whistle sounds like a pack of wolves and the braking systems have been removed to reduce weight.

Congressman Berry smells the Locomotive Breath.