Minnesota lawmaker said set to retire

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: AP - YahooNews



By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, Associated Press Writer 27 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad of Minnesota will not seek a 10th term, two state Republican officials said Monday.

The officials spoke on the condition that they not be identified so as not to pre-empt Ramstad's announcement. Ramstad's office scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. EDT.

Ramstad, a recovering alcoholic, has focused much of his energy on addiction and alcohol issues. He has pushed for years for legislation that would require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses, when policies include both. Last year, Ramstad said one "silver lining" to the Democrats winning both houses of Congress was the increased chances of passing the bill, known as mental health parity.

Ramstad was first elected in 1990 and represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes the western suburbs of Minneapolis.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_go_co/congressman_retirement

[thereismore]

1. sounds like a semi-decent man. I never heard of him. nt

[cd3dem]

13. semi-decent republican?

I can thank Jim Ramstad for sending a few former republicans our way... his spend along with the president mindset has cast a few fiscally responsible persons into our arms... I will say he did not go along with the attack dogs after Wellstone's memorial but he was not loud enough to stop it... he posed as a moderate but was more Bush-like than people realized... look at who bank-rolled his election fund...

we better send a good one and not just some left-over that couldn't get elected the last time around... not fond of move-ins either... find someone who is a moderate dem with a business background... that is my choice... I may change my mind but for now give us an Amy type candidate...

[jaksavage]

2. Rats leaving a sinking ship. nt

[orleans]

3. see ya jim. n/t

[dflprincess]

4. I live in Ramstad's district where he has always been billed as a "moderate"

a label he sometimes deserved but often did not.

He and Wellstone did work together on mental health parity and I believe they were friends. Ramstad has continued to carry that bill since Wellstone's death. He was the only Republican I heard of who tried to get the Republicans to stop whining about Wellstone's memorial. Occasionally, there were rumors that Ramstad was going to switch parties. However, between the time Wellstone died and the 2006 election this area was about the only one where I'd call Jimbo moderate - he became a real water carrier for Bushco - and, while he has again become more moderate since last fall, he has still been a steadfast supporter of the fiasco in Iraq.

I don't recall a DFLer in this district ever doing much better than 35% either with Ramstad or the the Republican who held the seat before him. But, if the Republicans run a real nut, the DFL may manage to pick up this seat. The 3rd district is overwhelmingly suburban and someone like Michelle Bachmann wouldn't play very well in it.

[thunder35]

5. wasn't he voting for bush most of the time

[dflprincess]

9. Yes

though he was okay on Anwar and on the mental health parity. Since last fall he's had a few other votes that surprised me as he broke with the Republicans (though I can think of a single example now). The way he's been voting the last few months is more in keeping with how he voted before the 2002 election, but he has always been and remained hopeless on Iraq.

[Bjorn Against]

6. This is a big pickup opportunity

Ramstad was pretty much unbeatable because he was loved by independents and even a large number of Democrats. If he is not running we have a serious chance to take this seat. Now we just have to get rid of Klein and Bachmann as well.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. That's nice to hear

I wasn't sure how secure the seat was for the GOP when I posted this. It's always good news to hear that they have a shot at losing one more.

[DemKR]

7. I used to live in Ramstad's district

I won't miss him. Although that hack David Gaither might run, we'll be ready for him.

[Ian David]

8. See, at least THAT guy was not a hypocrite.

He had a problem (addiction) and he acted with intelligence and compassion to others with similar problems.

A Republicker hitting the bottle acted like a human being.

Republickers hitting the airport mens rooms, on the other hand, needs to learn a lesson from that.

[dflprincess]

11. I'll give Ramstand this

he never set himself up as a paragon of virtue and defender of family values. He actually has been a Republican that you can have an intelligent disagreement with. I'm wondering if he decided to give it up as the Republican party he belonged to no longer exists.

[rodeodance]

10. His voting record has been relatively liberal on social issues such as abortion,

n the House, Ramstad has carved out a moderate record. His voting record has been relatively liberal on social issues such as abortion, and more conservative on fiscal issues. He has opposed oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Ramstad's moderate views on social issues were a good fit for his district, and his easy re-elections have masked the growing competitiveness of his suburban district, said Joe Peschek, a political science professor at Hamline University.

"I think that the DFL would see it as an opportunity, that at least it's possible if they can field a good candidate, particularly in 2008 where there are a lot of indications that the Republicans are playing defense," Peschek said.

The district runs from the suburbs of Bloomington and Edina west to the leafy shores of Lake Minnetonka, and including the fast-growing cities of Maple Grove and Rogers. President Bush beat Democrat John Kerry there by three percentage points in 2004, a narrower margin than his win four years earlier.