Does Ramstad have just one foot out the door?
Less than a month after announcing his retirement, longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Ramstad is being asked by national party leaders to reenter the race.Facing Democratic challengers for all three of the congressional seats they hold in Minnesota, Republican leaders have been quietly meeting with Ramstad, a source close to Ramstad has told the Star Tribune.
Ramstad, 61, still plans to retire in January 2009, at the end of his ninth term, according to a statement by his chief of staff, Dean Peterson. Ramstad declined to be interviewed.
It may, of course, be less an endorsement of “moderate” GOP politics, and more a matter of conservation of effort:
Political observers note that while Ramstad’s third congressional district in the Twin Cities’ western suburbs has historically leaned Republican, a Ramstad decision to postpone his retirement could save the cash-strapped GOP campaign committee as much as $1 million to defend the seat, a factor that could be huge in a tough presidential election year.
The fundraising effort certainly needs a boost.
Imagine the fit the Democrats will through. “He lied” “He’s a tool of Cheney” etc.
I think he’s retiring before he gets thrown out by Hillary’s coat-tails. Leave at the top of your game.
Yes, I think you should all contribute to the Democratic Party – they could use the cash..
And Chuck, I live in CD 3 and I wouldn’t accuse him of anything of the sort, I save that for Larry Craig.
I’ve met Jim, he’s a decent enough fella for a politician. Votes a little too much with loser Prez on the ‘war on terr’, but other than that, I like him fine. He can stay if he unretires, and that will be fine with me. If he retires, then I hope that both parties are wise enough to run moderates – because an extremist from either side – someone like M. Bachmann for example – or Wendy Wilde – will get thoroughly trounced.
There’s no way Ramstad would lose because of some coattail effect. And only the loony left wing of the DFL would be upset if he chose to run again. Heck, the non-left wing of the DFL would probably be happy to have Ramstad running for the Senate — on their ticket.
an extremist – someone like M. Bachmann
If a conservative orders a pizza in the woods and Peevish isn’t there to hear it, is the conservative still an “extremist?”
“If a conservative orders a pizza…”
if there’s pineapple slices or sauerkraut on it – YES!
If Bachmann=the current state of conservatism, it explains a lot.
Maybe she can hide behind a bush from the pizza delivery man.
Maybe she can french-kiss him as payment.
Maybe she can vote for a war not worthy of our troops, and then suggest those who don’t think this was was EVER worthy of our troops are actually HOPING that terroriss will come kill their families, rather than that they simply want to ensure we fight wars worth fighting, and that have a good likelihood of coming out as we need them to.
If a party abandons fiscal discipline, starts nation-building to secure oil assets, assaults habeaus corpus, abandons commitments to internation treaties, but Mitch isn’t able to understand it, is that party still truly conservative?
Maybe she can hide behind a bush from the pizza delivery man.
Interesting how someone who barbers and cackles about nonexistent “lies” then turns around and traffics a lie himself.
Maybe she can french-kiss him as payment.
Ditto.
peevish doesn’t understand what conservatism is? Well, “it explains a lot”. 😉
….that terroriss will come kill their families
Terroriss?
Is that a new word for “Female terrorist”?