Most moderate Senators step down

[Sheilbh]

Olympia Snowe delivers stunning rebuke in decision to leave Senate
Olympia Snowe, a moderate Republican senator from Maine, won't seek another term in the US Senate because intense partisanship has made her question how 'productive' it would be.


By Gail Russell Chaddock, Staff writer, David Grant, Staff writer / February 28, 2012


Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) of Maine smiles after casting a vote on President Obama's healthcare reform bill in this file photo. Snowe, one of the few remaining Republican moderates in Congress, announced Tuesday that she will not seek reelection to what would be a fourth six-year term.

WASHINGTON
In a move that stunned Washington, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) of Maine announced today that she won't run for a fourth term in the Senate for a simple reason: gridlock.

"I am well prepared for the electoral battle, so that is not the issue," said Senator Snowe, who won her last race with 74 percent of the vote. "However, what I have had to consider is how productive an additional term would be."

"Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term," she added.

An iconic Senate moderate, Snowe often cast crucial votes in a closely divided Senate, forcing Republicans to take steps to curb the federal deficit, even when the core GOP issue of tax cuts were involved. More than once, her party's leaders had to rein in the scope of proposed tax cuts or to find offsetting sources of income win her vote.

She also helped organize the bipartisan Gang of 14 to preserve the minority's right to filibuster judicial nominations – even though Democrats were in the minority at the time.

Dubbed the "girls from Maine" by antitax activist Grover Norquist, Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins ranked as the two most liberal Republicans, according to a Feb. 25 survey by the National Journal. But despite the grumbling that Snowe is a RINO, or "Republican in name only," conservative activist groups weren't out to topple her – a move that would risk handing the seat to a Democrat.

"She was not at all facing a tough race, and that's what makes her decision so perplexing," says Jessica Taylor, senior analyst at the Rothenberg Political Report in Washington.

"This was rated a safe Republican seat – a seat neither party expected to spend much money on."

"It's a huge break for Democrats. This is now one of the races that Republicans will have to spend money in. It's a pick up that Democrats would need. It plays a crucial role in determining who controls the Senate next year."

The Senate Democratic Campaign Committee trumpeted Snowe's announcement as an immediate opportunity to pick up a seat in a year when Republicans needed to win four Senate races to take control of chamber.

"Maine is now a top pickup opportunity for Senate Democrats," said DSCC spokesman Guy Cecil in a statement. "Democrats not only hold a strong registration advantage in the state, but this is a state that the president won by 17 points in 2008 and will likely win by a significant margin this year as well."

With the filing deadline is only two weeks away, it's not going to be easy to come up with a strong candidate.

Snowe "did not face a difficult race, and it's too soon to say whether this is now beyond the GOP's reach," says Jennifer Duffy, who analyzes Senate races for the Cook Political Report. "Democrats didn't have a strong candidate in the race so they are searching, too."

Two-term Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) of Maine – the most likely prospect for Democrats – called the next election "critical to the future of our working families around the country."

"In the coming days I will carefully consider how I can best serve the people of Maine," Snowe said in a statement on Tuesday. She will be holding a press conference when she returns to Portland on Friday, according to the release, to further discuss her plans.

Ben Nelson's also stepping down.  He'll be replaced by a conservative Republican and she'll be replaced by a liberal Democrat.  So it goes and the Senate will grow more and more like the House

[jimmy olsen]

Very disappointing, but I didn't think you were a big fan of moderates Sheilbh.

[Sheilbh]

Very disappointing, but I didn't think you were a big fan of moderates Sheilbh.

I've been an enormous fan of the Maine Senators and Nelson for ages.  I just like a bit of conviction.

[Ideologue]

All open Senate seats will fall to Democrats in 2012.

[11B4V]

All open Senate seats will fall to Democrats in 2012.

Doubt it.

[DGuller]

Not that sad to see Bill Nelson go.  If you're trying to water down the healthcare reform to the point where it may not even be an improvement over the current clusterfuck, and strongarm your party into bribing you, then how much of a Democrat are you?  There has to be a set of common goals for the party for the most fundamental things it advocates, or the party loses its whole purpose for existence in the first place.  Senators like Nelson are the reason Democrats appeared to have a lot of power in 2009, but actually didn't have nearly that much, giving them the responsibility without the power.

[HisMajestyBOB]

I suspect that's one reason John Warner didn't run again.
Well that, and him being ancient.

[Darth Wagtaros]

She has a good point.

[MadImmortalMan]

Jim Webb is retiring too.

[Sheilbh]

Jim Webb is retiring too.

And with him the only person in Washington who remotely cared about unsexy issues like penal reform

[Strix]

All open Senate seats will fall to Democrats in 2012.

Without a doubt. The Democrats are saving this country despite the best efforts of those that lack the foresight or ability to understand what is being done. Luckily, most of those aren't voters.

[HVC]

Jim Webb is retiring too.

And with him the only person in Washington who remotely cared about unsexy issues like penal reform

i'm trying to figure out if this is a play on words, or not

[garbon]

Jim Webb is retiring too.

And with him the only person in Washington who remotely cared about unsexy issues like penal reform

i'm trying to figure out if this is a play on words, or not

+1

[grumbler]

And with him the only person in Washington who remotely cared about unsexy issues like penal reform  

Agree that it is a pity to see him go, but I agree with him that he is wasting his time in the Senate.  No one from the leadership on either side, and too few from the benches, gives a shit about governing.  The Senate is fast turning into a mirror of the House (but with longer terms).  Hard as it is to imagine a more useless and incompetent Congress than the 112th, I think we are going to see it - maybe even a few times - in the next few election cycles.

Something besides contempt will motive the moderate voters at some point in the next decade, though, and you will see them start to make themselves felt once again.  If the ideologues get discouraged at he same time, the US could see some responsible government for a time.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I look forward to it.