The surprise announcement this week by Senate Minority Whip Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., that he won’t seek re-election adds to an growing wave of GOP retirements — six in the Senate and 17 in the House — that make it increasingly unlikely Republicans will regain majority status next year, notes Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post.
Compare that with Democrats, who have only five House seats up for grabs — none is considered competitive — and no Senate seats opened by retirements in 2008.
Many see the GOP exodus as an acknowledgment that Republicans face an especially bleak election landscape in 2008.
Just consider the huge edge in fundraising at the moment: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had $29 million in the bank at the end of October; its Republican counterpart had a mere $2.5 million.
Lott and others may see the writing on the wall.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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34 Comments
For some I guess it just has quit being fun anymore, but to be honest I would not be counting seats quite so fast. Kansas may not be unique, where one party tends to have a better chance then another. Nor would I read too much into some of their bowing out. It could be they are seeing a move to change old guard for new. Many of those retiring or simply choosing to not run again may realize that the power within the party for the better or worst has moved away for the standard GOP. And they would not have a voice anyway, at least for some of them it is a shame to see them go. But being more of the old school republican I can see it can get somewhat lonely.
scurry scurry scurry …
That’s because the new Republicans are “blue dog” Democrats that will prove to be more problematic than Republicans are. :)
Be careful what you ask for. America with a two party system is messy, not-effective, and difficult.
But I pray we do not go to a completely one party system.
We had it before to a degree – and no one liked what it did. Including the party members of those in charge!
Republicans are getting desperate. They’ve gone to the point that they’ll strap bombs on themselves and take Clinton campaign staff hostage.
It will take a strong one party (Dem.) rule to undo the damage done.
Doug, do you know for sure it is a Republican?
It might be an Obamaist BG :)
BG, the Republicans are the ones who advocate terrorism and violence so it wouldn’t be a surprise. Or I suppose he could be going the OJ route and simply be guilty of loving Clinton too much.
“The surprise announcement this week by Senate Minority Whip Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., that he won’t seek re-election adds to an growing wave of GOP retirements. . .”
Uh, Randy, I agree with your overall point, but this wasn’t exactly a retirement–Lott was relected just last year. He’s quitting, and pointedly by the end of the year.
And why? Hmmm. . .:
“Lott ruled out health problems for his early departure. “Let me make it clear — there are no health problems. I feel fine.” He also denied that the change in lobbying laws (prohibiting senators from becoming lobbyists for two years, as opposed to one year at present), which kicks in on December 31, right after his re$ignation takes place, had anything to do with his decision.
Hey, one honest answer out of two isn’t bad.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20071129/cm_huffpost/074635
Gee, ya think?
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/11/the-foul-core-o.html
Here is the RepubliCON base:
In the next segment–the debate between Romney and Mike Huckabee over Huckabee’s college scholarships for the deserving children of illegal immigrants–I noticed something really distressing: When Huckabee said, “After all, these are children of God,” the dials plummeted. And that happened time and again through the evening: Any time any candidate proposed doing anything nice for anyone poor, the dials plummeted (30s). These Republicans were hard.
But there was worse to come: When John McCain started talking about torture–specifically, about waterboarding–the dials plummeted again. Lower even than for the illegal Children of God. Down to the low 20s, which, given the natural averaging of a focus group, is about as low as you can go. Afterwards, Luntz asked the group why they seemed to be in favor of torture. “I don’t have any problem pouring water on the face of a man who killed 3000 Americans on 9/11,” said John Shevlin, a retired federal law enforcement officer. The group applauded, appallingly.
‘Afterwards, Luntz asked the group why they seemed to be in favor of torture. “I don’t have any problem pouring water on the face of a man who killed 3000 Americans on 9/11,” said John Shevlin, a retired federal law enforcement officer. The group applauded, appallingly.’
Frank Luntz is a Republican pollster; Andrew Sullivan is a gay Republican.
And leaving aside the screaming illogic of the quoted statement (those who perpertrated 9/11 are quite dead), it strips the veneer of respectability from the cowardly, xenophonic racism lurking underneath.
Need to say it again: cowards!
So many republicans are retiring because the lobbying rules change in January. After January, you’ll have to wait 2 years before you can lobby your former buddies in congress.
Follow the money. With republican politicians, it’s all about the greed.
“…it’s all about the greed.”
And their votes won’t bring in as much revenue when they are in the minority with less sway so they must look for better ways to fill their pockets. Rats leaving the sinking ship!
XXX,
Could you be any more partisan or stereotyping in your sniping of Republicans?
Truth hurts eh Nathan? When they make such obvious decisions….why question the truth?
What “truth” hurts Mike?
Do you have some proof of how all the Republicans are only in it for the greed?
If you had proof of that, I am sure it would be game over for them and they would be voted out.
If you had proof of that, why are the Democrats in Congress no using it to their advantage against the Republicans?
Well, here’s my theory, for what it’s worth.
I met Trent Lott in the early ’70s when he was still congressman. I liked him a lot. Since then I think he’s turned into a weenie.
He’s retiring before the end of the year. Haley is the republican governor on Mississippi. He’ll appoint a republican. Lott and Haley are friends. You can bet that they’ve talked about the replacement.
The man that replaces Lott will run for election as a republican incumbant. He’ll get elected. All’s right in the world.
Most wealthy districts in Congress are represented by Democrats, not Republicans.
Most of the wealth, in Congress, is held by Democrats.
If Hillary is the nominee, Republicans will do fine, in the Congressional races, regardless of the Presidential outcome.
Hillary is the best “get out the vote” tool Republicans will ever have.
What XXX said.
If you had proof of that, I am sure it would be game over for them and they would be voted out.Posted by: Nathan | November 30, 2007 at 03:54 PM
Nathan,Get a grip.They’re quiting. How are you going to vote them out? They’re quiting in droves before January so they don’t have to wait 2 years to be able to lobby in congress. The big money is in lobbying. Greed.
I don’t worry about the ones retiring to be a Lobbyist, it is the ones that have their entire family lobbying Congress why they are still members..
XXX,
What exactly is a drove to you?
A few Republicans are quiting and you call it a drove?
Sensationalism doesn’t suit you well.
Hank, no doubt Senator Lott’s replacement, if you’ll allow me to use that term, will have the advantage of incumbency, regardless of the length thereof, and, given what I understand from Mississippi politics, will stand a very good chance to be reelected. I’m hypothesizing that Sen. Lott is taking advantage of the timing to benefit from the existing rules, and doing so in such a way as to not harm the GOP in the Senate.
This is crunchtime for members of Congress who must decide whether to seek reelection next year or leave office, and so far Republicans seem to be lunging for the exits. While 16 GOP lawmakers have decided to throw in the towel on their Capitol Hill careers, only two Democrats so far have called it quits — and they both are seeking higher office.http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-retire16oct16,0,7971354.story
Nathan, when was the last time you heard of 16 republicans quitting at about the same time?
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who represents a largely Republican Illinois district, is one of the nine Republicans who have already announced they are quitting the House next year. The party risks losing as many as 18 more, Wasserman said.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=politics&sid=aIRm.B1akqXI
Hell, the number seems to be growing as I’m Googling….better quit now while there’s still some left.
Drove is a subjective value. I can’t find a resource that says how many a “drove” is, so I guess it’s a matter of opinion.
Sensationalism doesn’t suit you well.
Posted by: Nathan | November 30, 2007 at 04:36 PM
Please don’t make me and my car disappear, LOL!
XXX,
Don’t shoot my dog for no other reason than he was loose and I wont.
There should be a 10 yr. moratorium from serving in public office and being a lobbyist, and apply it to family members too. By the end of 10 yrs. they would wield little if any influence.
RUN, FORREST, RUN!!!
Hey VT,
That’s kinda the point I was going for. Republicans might be in trouble but they don’t seem to be worrying about it much to me.
Using Trent Lott and his picture to make their point was stupid. That’s my other point.
On the democrat side of the world there is some real fear that having her at the top of the ticket could be a real loser for congress.
her = the Hildebeast
You got a car?
Greed doesn’t follow the party, Republican or Democrat. The dollars follow the people in power, and it looks like the Democrats are getting a long list of IOU’S that will come due.!!!
You got a car?
Posted by: Hank | November 30, 2007 at 05:36 PM
I’m not telling. I don’t want it to disappear.