APNewsBreak: Rockefeller won't seek re-election

[DonViejo]

Source: AP



By By LAWRENCE MESSINA and JOHN RABY, Associated Press – 6 minutes ago

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who came to West Virginia as a young man from one of the world's richest families to work on antipoverty programs and remained in the state to build a political legacy, announced Friday he will not seek a sixth term.
The 75-year-old Democrat's decision, coming at a time when his popularity in a conservative state had been waning for sparring with the powerful mining industry and supporting President Barack Obama, told The Associated Press ahead of his formal announcement that it was time to retire.

After about three decades in elective office, it was time to "bring more balance to my life after a career that has been so obsessively dominated by politics and public policy and campaigns," he said. "I've gotten way out of whack in terms of the time I should spend with my wife and my children and my grandchildren."

Rockefeller's decision will set off a scramble for a seat held by Democrats since 1958. Within weeks of November's elections, Republican U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito vowed to run for the Senate seat in 2014, even if it meant going up against Rockefeller and his storied name. Other Republicans also have been eyeing the seat in recent weeks.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ikdAD4VDDWl06pv5u18PNTy0ImRw?docId=bce54d77e4094d4b883d67f0594b025c

[Firebrand Gary]

1. Carte Goodwin? Will he make a play to come back to the Senate?

I don't know anything about the bench in W. Va.

[earthside]

2. Good for him.

He's been a good Senator.

But I am more and more in favor of these women and men in the House and Senate leaving at a reasonable age ... they should make room for younger folks and maybe even enjoy some life out of Congress.

[Mass]

3. Good move for him, but between him and Lautenberg, this means the US Senate will be less progressive

Booker is a good person, but less progressive than Lautenberg (if he wins, but I do not know the other dems who may run). Rockefeller is a surprisingly progressive person for West Virginia, and it is unlikely that his successor, even if a Democrat, will be as progressive.

Hopefully, Harkin will say, or we will lose 2 people fighting for poor people in a US Senate who does not have that many, as most of the focus is and has been on the middle class.

[alp227]

14. the other wv senator Manchin is a moderate dlc type.

I heard from the pbs newshour today that Rock was a pro labor senator. But I've also heard lots of criticism of manchin on du. Is it because WV its one of those purple states that votes Republicans for president bur democrats for local/state/congress office?

[blueclown]

4. Bad news.

Chalk this up as a likely R pickup. I'd put Shelley Moore Capito as the favorite to win this seat. And unfortunately, the Democrat who will likely run against her will be more Joe Manchin than Jay Rockefeller.

[k8conant]

5. Capito has been disastrous as my representative...

but I'm afraid blueclown is correct.

It looks all downhill from here on the Blue Ridge.

[Firebrand Gary]

6. Hell NO! We are not going to willfully cede ANY ground in the U.S. Senate.

2 years is a long time to have a very clear conversation about the direction of W. Va and our nation as a whole.

[AndyTiedye]

11. 2014 Will be a Very Difficult Election For Us

And this only makes it even more so.

We will be defending more Senate seats than in any recent election, and many of them will be open seats.
No President Obama at the top of the ticket.

We will have to pick our battles even more than usual to try to hold the Senate.

It's too early to cede any ground of course, but it doesn't look good for WV.

[Lasher]

12. Regardless, Obama will heavily influence the 2014 midterms.

There is no way we retain this seat. Two words: gun control.

[AndyTiedye]

13. The NRA is Rather Selective in It's Criticism of Gun Grabbers

Both Bush's supported the AWB. Bush I signed an executive order banning AK47s and some other rifles.
The AWB was based on Bush I's executive order.

Bush II signed the Patriot Act, which probably did more to restrict our freedoms (including those related to carrying weapons)
more than any other recent legislation.

Did the NRA go after them? NO!
Why not, you may ask?


The NRA is not really the lobby for gun owners, it is the lobby for gun makers.
Nothing is better for their business than a nice big war, and both Bushes obliged them by starting wars.

[Lasher]

16. It is you who said we will have to pick our battles

And yet you are in denial about this obvious consequence.

[AndyTiedye]

17. The NRA Has Been Unrelenting in Its Attacks on Obama Since 2008

…even though Obama has done nothing to limit RKBA whatsoever, and is only now starting to talk about some restrictions.

Bush I issued an executive order in response to a far lesser provocation than the current incident.

[onehandle]

7. Let's hope the teafucks put up someone with some thoughts about rape. nt

[alp227]

15. From Rep. gingrey's comments today defending Akin,

I think the Tea-liban just NEVER learns.

2012: "Legitimate rape"
2006: "Macaca"
2014: ????

[L0oniX]

8. Room for one of the Koch brothers.

Why not just be open about it and have the 1% sign up for public service. I'm sure there are enough stupid ass voters who will vote for successful capitalistic sociopaths.

[Tx4obama]

9. Kick! n/t

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. Not very surprising. He was acting like someone who was not running for reelection

He has recently gone after the coal industry, with is like a politician from Maine talking bad about Lobsters.