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Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Changes In Congress

It that time of the year when members of Congress as well as senators who don't intend to run for re-election next year make the announcement of their retirement.  Some members of Congress have already announced that they are leaving to seek a senate or governor's seat.  Others have left for personal reasons.  No senators have yet announced that they won't be running again.  There's nothing unusual about this happening.  It takes a long time to organize a campaign and to raise the money needed for a run.  Sitting congressmen and senators announce now in off years so as to give the people who seek the seat after them time to prepared a full campaign.

I mention all this because the AP put out an article today about Republicans "fleeing" Congress.  Three GOP members of Congress announced their retirements this past week.  OOOOOOHHHHH!!  Those are the "fleeing" members to whom AP refers.  But there's a problem:  right now, the numbers of Democrats and Republicans who are not seeking re-election to the House are about proportionate to the numbers of seats each party currently holds.  There's no flood of Republicans leaving nor a steadfast group of Democrats who are staying.  The AP story is completely Fake News.

But, but, but the three GOP members who announced their retirements this weak are from contested districts according to the AP.  That's true.  But guess what else is true?  Most of the Democrats who have announced their retirements from the House also come from contested districts.  Again, this is no surprise.  House members who face no real opposition rarely see a reason to leave.  Why give up a good thing?

I just wish that the AP would stop it with the Fake News.

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