Retirements Create Historically Big ‘Open Seat’ Gap for Senate Republicans

[babylonsister]

Retirements Create Historically Big ‘Open Seat’ Gap for Senate Republicans
By Greg Giroux | 11:20 AM; Oct. 12, 2007


A historic disparity in the partisan distribution of retiring senators is creating headaches for Republican strategists, who already faced an uphill battle to regain control of the chamber.

Five of the 22 GOP senators whose seats are up for election next year have announced they will not seek re-election. By contrast, all 12 of the Democrats whose seats are in play next year are running for new terms.

If there are no more Senate retirements — and any additional incumbent withdrawals at this point would be a surprise — the partisan distribution of “open” Senate seats would be the most lopsided in half a century, according to a comprehensive CQPolitics.com analysis of elections over that period.

The last time either party had five more open Senate seats to defend than the other was 1958, a year in which Democrats won 13 seats that had been held by Republicans — including three open seats.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/2007/10/retirements_create_historicall.html

[Warpy]

1. The Democrats expected those old boys to start working for their paychecks

It wasn't just business as usual any more. The progress has been glacial in the Senate, but those old boys are getting worn down and they don't like it one bit.

The GOP is allergic to work, it seems.

[babylonsister]

3. Yes, I did read LaHood's retiring because he doesn't like 5-day

work weeks. The humanity! :eyes:

[robinlynne]

2. good.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Still waiting to see what Bob Kerrey is going to do...n/t.

[mak3cats]

5. From an eternal pessimist...

What if the rats are deserting the sinking ship because they know this administration is going to do even worse things than they've already done? Like declare martial law?