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Re: George Voinovich to Retire

By Jay Newton-Small | @JNSmall | January 12, 2009 | +

Following up on Karen’s post – Speedy Gonzales beat me to it! Voinovich makes the third GOP senator to retire this cycle. If Senate Republicans thought 2006 and 2008 were bad, the spate of retirements is making 2010 look pretty painful. First there was Florida Senator Mel Martinez – because Florida’s always an easy state for both sides to defend. Next came Missouri’s Kit Bond. And today Voinovich. Republicans are already defending a larger playing field (good luck John Cornyn who follows in the auspicious footsteps of Liddy Dole and John Ensign), 19 seats to the Democrats’ 16. And of the 16 Dems, Harry Reid looks to be the most vulnerable (last week he gleefully laid down the gauntlet for would be challengers). The GOP might consider investing their money in the House where Nancy Pelosi and Chris Van Hollen might have a stressful time defending some of their recent gains.

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  • sqr1

    “Give ‘em head” Harry is laying down the gauntlet? More like a lace hankie. A Nevada prostitute could raise $1M in 24 hours to primary Reid.

  • billiecat

    “A Nevada prostitute could raise $1M in 24 hours to primary Reid.”
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    Yes, but she’d be mighty sore.

  • ivb3016

    Promised that Senate Democrats won’t be “rubber stamps” for the new Democratic president. “I like Barack Obama very much. He won a classic election, never have we had a better one,” Reid said. “But I don’t work for him, I work with him.”
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    Aarrrgggh. Why does Reid throw down the gauntlet against Obama when he has spent the last number of years rolling over for the other party??
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    His challenger has my money for 2010.

  • ymmartin

    Umm, just a thought…what about McCain…when is he do for re-election in AZ? He is 70-something, regardless of how you feel about him, you have to wonder if the idea of retirement might be looming.

  • Jay Newton-Small

    ymmartin: McCain’s already said he’s running again. But, yeah, if he hadn’t have said that i’d suspect the same thing! JNS

  • plukasiak

    imho, predictions of GOP troubles in 2010 are premature, to say the least. A lot can (and will) happen in two years, and the public has a short memory — thanks to Bush, things are likely to get much worse before they get better, and Democrats will wind up taking a lot of the blame for not being able to wave a magic wand and make everything okay.

  • Aaron

    Doesn’t it make sense for Republicans to focus on playing defense in the Senate? With all the talk recently about how having x Senators allows Democrats have a y seat majority, it seems clear that picking up a seat or two would help the Republicans in a way that House seats would not, due to the tighter ship being run by Nancy Pelosi.
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    (Not a rhetorical question. I really want to hear some opinions on this issue.)

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