Pete Domenici to retire

[Lobster Martini]

(LM: Ordinarily, decent people would try to say something nice to a 75-year-old man in poor health, but there are not many nice things that can be said to Pete Domenici other than go home, be well and don't come back.)

N.M. Senator Quitting for Health Reasons

WASHINGTON - Sen. Pete Domenici is retiring after a generation as a dominant Republican voice on budget matters in Congress, deferring to health concerns after six terms in office.

A draft statement prepared for Domenici's formal announcement Thursday disclosed that the 75-year-old New Mexico Republican has a progressive disease that can cause dysfunction in the parts of the brain important for organization, decision-making and control of mood and behavior.

<snip>

In political terms, Domenici's decision to retire represents yet another blow to Senate Republicans, who lost their majority in 2006 and face a hostile political environment little more than a year before the 2008 elections.

The party must defend 22 of 34 seats on the ballot, four of its incumbents face difficult challenges, and Domenici would become the fifth Republican to retire.

By contrast, no Democrats have announced retirement plans, and the party holds a sizable lead over the Republican campaign committee in fundraising.

<snip>

(Link: http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/politics/20071004_ap_nmsenatorquittingforhealthreasons.html)

[ashling]

1. OK, New Mexico, who ya got?

Any chance Richardson will run for the Senate?

[SteppingRazor]

7. I think we'll probably see a rematch of the 2006 House race in New Mexico's 1st District...

pitting Heather Wilson against Patricia Madrid.

Richardson running for Senate isn't very likely, especially given that he'll be in the presidential race through the primaries.

[golddigger]

2. Yeahhhhh!

Another dirt bag bites the dust.



:toast:

[Gman]

3. There's one pickup in the Senate

NM is going blue.

[Perky]

4. So what is Richardson going to do?

Assuming he does not get the nomination. He is going to have to declare for an open seat by what April? But he might be a good choice for VP or Secretry of State, but he would not know until August about nomination for VP (which no one really wants). Becoming Secretary of state is even dicier. It's the job he has always coveted and He would be on any dem's shortlist..but the cosmic tumblers need to click for that.

Senate is a sure thing for him though

[SteppingRazor]

8. He'll probably get guarantees from one candidate or the other that will keep him out...

of the Senate race. I'm not trying to rain on any parades here! I just think the chances of him running for Senate are slim. That said, as I stated above, I think a Wilson/Madrid rematch may be likely here, and when you expand that race to the whole state, Madrid's the likely winner, though it's a close race.

[ashling]

9. That was my thinking too.

:)

[sampsonblk]

5. If Richardson runs, its another good pickup for us

[Dulcinea]

6. Alzheimer's? Dementia?

...the 75-year-old New Mexico Republican has a progressive disease that can cause dysfunction in the parts of the brain important for organization, decision-making and control of mood and behavior.

Sure sounds like it to me.

Good luck in your retirement, Senator.

[MGKrebs]

10. "dysfunction in... decision-making and control of mood and behavior."

DU does that to me.

[illinoisprogressive]

11. some say he has shown changes already. it is sad to have something like that.

I don't care if someone is republican or democrat. that is just a horrible thing to have happen.