Snowe, R-Maine, ends her re-election bid, will retire
U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, Republican of Maine, has just dropped a bombshell: She will not be running for re-election later this year.
From her announcement:
“As I have long said, what motivates me is producing results for those who have entrusted me to be their voice and their champion, and I am filled with that same sense of responsibility today as I was on my first day in the Maine House of Representatives. I do find it frustrating, however, that an atmosphere of polarization and ‘my way or the highway’ ideologies has become pervasive in campaigns and in our governing institutions.
“With my Spartan ancestry I am a fighter at heart; and I am well prepared for the electoral battle, so that is not the issue. 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. 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.
“As I enter a new chapter, I see a vital need for the political center in order for our democracy to flourish and to find solutions that unite rather than divide us. It is time for change in the way we govern, and I believe there are unique opportunities to build support for that change from outside the United States Senate. I intend to help give voice to my fellow citizens who believe, as I do, that we must return to an era of civility in government driven by a common purpose to fulfill the promise that is unique to America.”
Her announcement is certain to set off another round of partisan sniping about which side is more to blame for creating all the partisan sniping.
In terms of raw politics, though, the decision has to be seen as an advantage for the Democrats. They had little shot at unseating Snowe as an incumbent; an open seat becomes a lot more vulnerable.
As Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight just tweeted, “We had estimated GOP’s chances of holding Maine senate at 85% before. Maybe 20-30% now after Snowe retirement.”
– Jay Bookman
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357 comments Add your comment
Keep Up--Te gusta losing woofinpoofs?
February 28th, 2012
10:19 pm
Hissy fit alert! wah wah wah wah…..
Jm
February 28th, 2012
10:19 pm
AP calls MI for Romney
Santorum speaking
Politics is a team sport
Will he help mitt and quit?
Jm
February 28th, 2012
10:20 pm
Amvet
Max loves to eat
Not surprising you saw him at a diner
AmVet
February 28th, 2012
10:22 pm
bman, being the lexophile I am, I was toying around with the concept of Bro’s “jackassery”, and it just came to me.
Besides, boob is one of those words that is fun to say.
The real reason that we can’t have the Ten Commandments in a courthouse: You cannot post “Thou shalt not steal,” “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” and “Thou shalt not lie” in a building full of lawyers, judges, and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment. ~George Carlin
Matti
February 28th, 2012
10:23 pm
AmVet,
Without going into too many details, I was assigned to Sen. Cleland at a function. (As in: fetch, smile, and wheel him around to the people he wants to talk to.) Um… let’s just say it would not be wise for a lady to underestimate his capabilities!
Jm
February 28th, 2012
10:24 pm
Seems still a bit risky to call the race
But wooooooooooohoooooooooo
Sorry libs, nice try to throw the race tho
Keep Up--Te gusta losing woofinpoofs?
February 28th, 2012
10:24 pm
Am, I’ve met a number of them over the years. Most are just normal people but once and awhile you get an ego that has swollen to something the size of Trumps.
bman
February 28th, 2012
10:25 pm
“Besides, boob is one of those words that is fun to say”
I swore off women for one year that started last June. I try to avoid saying, hearing or thinking of the word boob(s)
moonbat betty
February 28th, 2012
10:25 pm
umm, so you f’d him Matti?
good for you.
bman
February 28th, 2012
10:26 pm
JM .. .. Do you like Santorum even just a little bit? I am blown away that he has so many supporters. I just don’t get it
Kamchak
February 28th, 2012
10:26 pm
“Eeeeeeewwww!
Seriously?
Dude, that is so totally gross!”
– Thomas Jefferson
Matti
February 28th, 2012
10:27 pm
moonbat betty,
No I didn’t, but I invite you to go f’ yourself for saying such a thing!
moonbat betty
February 28th, 2012
10:29 pm
sounded like it Matti, sorry.
Jm
February 28th, 2012
10:30 pm
Bman
I don’t like him much
I admire his perseverance in the face of no money, and no initial base
I think he probably is a decent spokesperson for the working class which the republican party could always use
I don’t agree with his religious views at all. But then again, I don’t think I agree with obama’s either
In other words I don’t vote based on religious views much
Keep Up--Te gusta losing woofinpoofs?
February 28th, 2012
10:31 pm
Matti, you forgot to include a rolling donut in that offer!
Never underestimate the abilities of someone in a chair. Among other things, they are some of the craziest rugby players in the world!
Matti
February 28th, 2012
10:33 pm
moonbat betty,
Given the level of gutter to which we all sink around here at times, I forgive you. I meant exactly what I said, based on my observations that night: It would not be wise for a lady to underestimate him.
AmVet
February 28th, 2012
10:33 pm
Matti, that is funny, (I think.)
And if Saxby Chambliss were ever walking up the street toward me, I’d cross the street. Only because I would be very tempted to give him a straight right overhand to his ugly snout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbMS0BzOMV0&feature=related
Jm
February 28th, 2012
10:33 pm
Ok ok
No one needs to f anyone or themselves here
Besides, that would be technically complicated
Peace out
Go Romney
woohooooo
Jm
February 28th, 2012
10:35 pm
Sorry. One more. Woooooooooohooooooooo
Jm
February 28th, 2012
10:38 pm
O yeah. And AZ domination……. (end zone dance)
Game not over yet
(I’m sure someone is about to pull an “excessive celebration” flag, so I’m really out now)
They BOTH suck
February 28th, 2012
10:43 pm
Jm
It is too high; but I think we have to keep it………….
Price of living in the Big City……………. Yrs of putting it off and not spreading the cost over the last 30 yrs is costing us now
getalife
February 28th, 2012
10:49 pm
“Yes, he is,” he said. “He’s the president of the United States. He’s not Obama, he’s the President of the United States.” Thomas Jefferson
Romney Supporter
February 28th, 2012
10:50 pm
Great speech by the candidate for President, Mitt.
mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack the Liar Obama - BEND OVER, Here comes the CHANGE!
February 28th, 2012
10:53 pm
First, NICE call on Michigan – Oh wait, I guess NOT. 2nd Snowe IS a RINO and don’t try and act otherwise. As my nun instructor at St. Michael’s used to say…”Good riddance to BAD rubbish”.
getalife
February 28th, 2012
10:57 pm
willard’s one fan is fired up.
Again, it is willard’s turn to lose to our President.
Kamchak
February 28th, 2012
10:59 pm
willard’s one fan is fired up.
The name has changed, but the pom-poms and the little pleated skirt is still the same.
moonbat betty
February 28th, 2012
11:05 pm
go getalife:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSmtHBMjXLU
moonbat betty
February 28th, 2012
11:19 pm
That’s cool, Matti.
agreed.
I wrote Mr.Cleland after he spoke to us as a class project when he was Sec. of State of Georgia; and he wrote me a nice letter back.
USinUK
February 29th, 2012
5:23 am
“The name has changed, but the pom-poms and the little pleated skirt is still the same.”
Kam – you mean THIS is actually Jm???
http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/07/289_malkin4.jpg
joe suggs
February 29th, 2012
6:10 am
We need more illegals in this country ! I want to pay more income tax.We n
eed to send more to the housing projects also.
USinUK
February 29th, 2012
6:10 am
holy crap … Romney only won by 3% last night??? jeez-o-pete, I realize that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades … but still … it’s his homestate – he should have trounced his opponents.
Normal
February 29th, 2012
6:24 am
Good, good mornin’ to all y’all…
Sorry Rick…
http://news.icanhascheezburger.com/2012/02/28/political-pictures-everyones-going-to-hell-more-room-for-me-in-heaven/
Normal
February 29th, 2012
6:28 am
Love this one…so true…
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2012/02/28/funny-pictures-cats-what-people-think-i-do/
Normal
February 29th, 2012
6:28 am
I think jm is sorta like this…
http://history.icanhascheezburger.com/2012/02/28/funny-pictures-history-taking-your-meds/
Jm
February 29th, 2012
6:31 am
Usinuk. Weak on your part
USinUK
February 29th, 2012
6:31 am
Normal – you just scored a hat trick! those are brilliant
USinUK
February 29th, 2012
6:35 am
Jm – you should be grateful I just posted the still and not the full Malkin video …
USinUK
February 29th, 2012
6:38 am
Normal – http://news.icanhascheezburger.com/2012/02/27/political-pictures-newt-gingrich-lunar-lunacy/
oh, how we’ll miss Newt when he’s gone …
Stevie Ray
February 29th, 2012
6:41 am
I think Sanitorum just reached the nadir of stupid comments: “Romney is afraid that I’m attracting Democrats….” per response to robo-calling in Michigan. I’m not DEM or GOP but suspect you liberal nutjobs (endearingly of course) would never feel even a passing attraction to this idiot….
USinUK
February 29th, 2012
6:44 am
Stevie – “suspect you liberal nutjobs (endearingly of course) would never feel even a passing attraction to this idiot….”
passing gas … yes
passing attraction … not so much …
Normal
February 29th, 2012
6:44 am
USinUK @ 0638…
Darn! I was saving that one for him in Georgia. Funny thing though, a group of us were thinking we might all go and vote for him come Super Tuesday…just as a joke don’t you know? Our slogan? “Vote for the Joke!”
Stevie Ray
February 29th, 2012
6:44 am
A lot of interested items today…here’s one for all of you attacking each other over who shot john re job market: http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-forward/2012/02/28/229-skilled-labor-shortage-a-crisis/
Same problem exists in nursing and several other occupations but we never hear of the number of unemployed who could be employed if not for lack of skills or comfort feeding off our tax dollar tit.
Stevie Ray
February 29th, 2012
6:46 am
USUK,
Flatulence…great response. However be careful insulting the mullah of christianity…he may send a registered child offender, former clergy to reside in your neighborhood…..Geez, did I really say that?
Normal
February 29th, 2012
6:47 am
Stevie…
Anybody running for President who would put “Religion” Over “We, the People” is not worth even a consideration…
USinUK
February 29th, 2012
6:51 am
Stevie Rae – 6:46 – I believe in situations like Santorum, one needs to be prepared:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF2yPLkElfE
weetamoe
February 29th, 2012
6:53 am
Maybe one of the Beans of Egypt will run. I don’t think Stevie (that’s what the neighbors call him) would want to live that far away from his supplier. Or to move out of his house with those gargoyles guarding the property.
Southern Comfort
February 29th, 2012
6:56 am
“Eeeeeeewwww!
Seriously?
Dude, that is so totally gross!”
– Thomas Jefferson
Nominee for TJ Quote of the Month
Southern Comfort
February 29th, 2012
6:59 am
In other news, Virginia passed a scaled back version of their abortion law. I was reading an article on it, and the author brought up an interesting thought. Would having an unnecessary sonogram performed just to get an abortion be considered an unreasonable search in relation to the 4th Amendment?
Doggone/GA
February 29th, 2012
7:10 am
“Would having an unnecessary sonogram performed just to get an abortion be considered an unreasonable search in relation to the 4th Amendment?”
It would certainly be a good argument, since the woman is not actually accused of doing anything illegal.
dcb
February 29th, 2012
7:27 am
Interesting – my wife is a Maine native and we spend three months each summer at the family cottage. Snow’s position of “capitulating” on the first ObamaCare vote and supposed other non-partisan votes on issues have not gone over big up there – as some of the comments above suggest. No reason to question her reason for not running. She is a very honorable person. But …..
Daedalus
February 29th, 2012
7:34 am
No real loss. She was unable to hold back the tide of the “Obama is a socialist, islamic terrorist who wants to enforce Sharia law” bloc of the GOP and often stood with them out of party unity.
In the increasingly left/right polarized world in DC, she was, in the end, ineffective.
GT
February 29th, 2012
7:49 am
Daedalus your misinformation is probably exactly why she resigned. Ignorance is a hard disease to fight. She is the carnary in the mine of the Repubican party, if you can’t claim the middle you can’t survive. She was you last boat leaving.
BOB
February 29th, 2012
7:57 am
SNOWE VOTED WITH THE DEMS ALMOST 70% OF THE TIME. MAYBE THE REPUBS CAN GET A REPUB IN HER SEAT
MiltonMan
February 29th, 2012
8:10 am
Yes, let’s overlook the fact that Dems have 23 senate seats up for reelection/replacemnt; Reps only 10.
Dem Tester of Montana will lose; roe the Obama wave by winning 49-48%
Dem Conrad of ND – out of there; ND will pick a rep
Dem Webb of VA; won 50-49%; clown is so clueless he does not know which side to chose
MiltonMan
February 29th, 2012
9:45 am
USinUK – MI is Romney’s homestate
Mr. Bookman – PA is not my homestate
Love that Lib logic.
CJ
February 29th, 2012
10:06 am
As I enter a new chapter, I see a vital need for the political center in order for our democracy to flourish and to find solutions that unite rather than divide us. It is time for change in the way we govern, and I believe there are unique opportunities to build support for that change from outside the United States Senate.
Americans Elect???
CP11
February 29th, 2012
11:07 am
“I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term.” This partisan nonsense has pushed out another quality statesman. Stop. Neither party cares about you. Neither party cares about anything except enhancing its own power. Neither party achieves that in any way other than manipulating your opinion through false accusations, $ for your area, half-truths, blatant lies, etc. Wake up. These political cartels are ruining our republic.