They're 'Dropping Like Flies'

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_01/021926.php

THEY'RE 'DROPPING LIKE FLIES'.... Last week, much of the media decided that retirements among congressional Democrats were evidence of evidence of shifting political winds that will greatly benefit Republicans. In one report from ABC News, two Democratic retirements in the Senate was characterized as Dems "dropping like flies."

In the meantime, Republican retirements not only outnumber Democrats, the GOP total keeps growing.

Arizona Rep. John Shadegg announced this afternoon that he will not seek re-election, the 14th Republican to step aside so far in the 111th Congress. <...>

Shadegg has long coveted a spot in the Senate and was widely seen as at the front of the line in the event Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) had been elected president in 2008. His 3rd district, which takes in much of Phoenix's northern suburbs, gave native son McCain a 14 point margin in 2008 and went for President George W. Bush by 17 points four years earlier.

Despite the spate of stories detailing Democratic retirement problems, Shadegg is the third straight Republican House member to announce his departure -- joining Reps. Henry Brown (S.C.) and George Radanovich (Calif.) on the sidelines.

I guess they're "dropping like flies," right?

In a statement, the DCCC's Ryan Rudominer said, "{I}nstead of drinking Eric Cantor and the NRCC's Kool-Aid, House Republicans continue to show a lack of confidence in their ability to take back the House as Republican retirements are mounting and their own members refuse to invest in the NRCC."

As for Shadegg, his seat will be a difficult pick-up opportunity for Democrats, but his absence on the Hill will probably be most felt by those chronicling ridiculous remarks from right-wing lawmakers. It was, for example, Shadegg who recently called Dems' health care reform efforts "Soviet-style gulag health care." A month later, he condemned NYC Michael Bloomberg for supporting trials for suspected 9/11 terrorists. Shadegg raised the specter of Bloomberg's children getting kidnapped.

Not exactly an elevate-the-discourse kind of guy.

—Steve Benen 3:05 PM

[Skidmore]

1. Making way for the teabaggers that disgruntled left will help

elect by sitting on their hands.

[DrDan]

6. maybe if the elected officials would quit sitting on their hands and do something

then the voters would feel stimulated to vote for them . . .

[mitchtv]

8. +1

thanks for the right answer

[frylock]

7. fuck that shit..

the "disgruntled left" worked their collective asses off to get obama elected. the vichy milquetoast dems are thier own worst enemy and will be SOLELY responsible for any lost seats. eat that.

[bluestateguy]

2. Republican Party losing its bearings

nt

[upi402]

3. Media propaganda?

I'm still disgusted after all these years.

As for D's vs R's... I'm one of those lefty fringe lunatics who liked Paul Wellstone and like Kucinich and don't see much significant difference between the parties. Oh, and never supported Obama. So I'm not too worried about which color chariot wins the distractionary race.

[LuvNewcastle]

4. There goes that librul media.

Both of the Democratic retirements, especially Dodd's, were very high profile. Until just now, I had heard nothing about the GOP retirements. Looks like they're all fair and balanced these days.

[doc03]

5. Yet the Media is having a wet dream over a couple Democrats

retiring.

[alstephenson]

9. Wow. Shadegg is my Congressman.

I couldn't be happier to see him go. Unfortunately I don't know of any progressive candidates that might run for his seat. This is a RED, RED district, so we'll probably end up with another R. In any event, good riddance, Shadegg.