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In a move that surprised political observers, Maine GOP Senator Olympia Snowe, who’s been in Congress since 1979, announced today that she won’t seek re-election.
In announcing her plans, Snowe, 65, emphasized that she is in good health and was prepared for the campaign ahead. But she said she was swayed by the increasing polarization in Washington.
“Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term,” Snowe said in a statement. “So at this stage of my tenure in public service, I have concluded that I am not prepared to commit myself to an additional six years in the Senate, which is what a fourth term would entail.”
This is a huge blow to the GOP’s chances of retaking control of the US Senate. Alongside Elizabeth Warren’s surely hard-fought marquee race against GOP Scott Brown for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, the Maine seat is likely to turn blue.
From David Nir at DKE:
Whatever the cause, Snowe’s departure creates an enormous pickup opportunity for Democrats in this decidedly blue state. While several lesser-known candidates had been running against her (including former SoS Matt Dunlap, state Rep. Jon Hinck and state Sen. Cynthia Dill), expect a lot more interest now from bigger names, such as Reps. Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud. This is going to be a huge contest and it automatically makes Republican hopes of re-taking the Senate that much more distant.
Mainer Joe Sudbay says this at Americablog:
This can only be good for Democrats. I imagine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is taking a look at this opening. I hope she is.
As a Mainer, I’ve followed Snowe’s career for years. I never got the fascination people had with her. She’s had a long career in public service — and has had taxpayer funded benefits for all those years, too. When she and her new husband, then-Governor, John McKernan, got married back in 1989, they used her campaign funds to pay for the wedding reception.
Chellie Pingree is wealthy and could conceivably self-fund, making this Democratic pickup cost-free as well for the national party. Harry Reid and Patty Murray must be having a celebratory evening tonight.
UPDATE: The 2010 election, which saw the Maine legislature go GOP and LePage become governor with less than 40% of the vote in a three-way race, is viewed as an anomaly. Personal loyalty has kept the Maine Twins in office, not partisan loyalty. Maine is a blue state.
7 Comments
Good. She was, and is, and will always be, an asswipe.
I love your astute observations Teddy
Like all lying pols, Snowe is deceitful and wrong about Partisanship. More Partisanship is needed. Not less.
People don’t care about Partisanship or Bipartisanship.
People want results.
Republicans should be Partisan and very Clear about their goals.
Democrats should be likewise Partisan and very clear about their goals.
Problem for the People –
Both Parties serve their masters – the one percenters aka the oligarchy – the corporations and the MIC.
The best way to serve the same masters is thru the theatrics of bipartisanship and compromise. Muddy the waters.
The masters get what they want.
Snowe cares not one whit about the “partisan tone in Washington”. Snowe cares about Snowe.
Bye, Snowe. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Enjoy your government health care and big gubmint retirement bennies.
Best of luck with your lobbying career.
Well
This is interesting.
Michael Cavlan RN
Candidate US Senate 2012
Minnesota Open Progressives
I almost didn’t put it up, Nurse Cavlan, thinking it was terribly Veal Pen, by your “definition.” Glad you found it interesting.
I remember Snowe holding Obama’s weak, tax break-laden stimulus hostage. She wanted the funding for the parks service, abandoned mine clean-up, etc., removed before she would vote for it. Of course, now I realize it was all kabuki, but at the time I thought that was a heartless thing to do. Now I realize Obama was fine with it, as long as he could insert his precious tax breaks into the bill.
I’m glad she’s leaving. I just wish she would take every other Senator with her. They are failures. All of them put together don’t have one-tenth of the courage of a single Occupy member.
“Harry Reid and Patty Murray must be having a celebratory evening tonight.”
Ew. Thanks for putting that picture in my head…
Teddy-
Grin. I look at this in a whole different light. If the Dems focus on Warren and whomever runs in Maine, well then that is a little less focus on my opponent, Senator Klobuchar.
That is why I found it interesting. Thanks Sir.