19th Congressional Republican Mulls Retirement

[babylonsister]

Baker mulls retirement, job with trade group
By Susan Crabtree | Posted: 1/5/08 2:16 AM
January 05, 2008

Rep. Richard Baker (R), the longest serving member of Louisiana’s delegation, is considering retiring to head the Managed Funds Association, the trade group representing the lucrative hedge-fund industry.

If he decides to step down, the 11-term veteran would be the 19th Republican to announce plans to leave Congress this year. His retirement also would further weaken the GOP’s chances of regaining control of the House majority, which they lost to Democrats in November 2006.

In an interview with the Times-Picayune, Baker said he was in talks with the Managed Funds Association and could decide within “a week or 10 days” whether to take a job as president and chief administrative officer.

“I will make a decision fairly quickly,” Baker, 59, told the paper. “If it doesn’t work out, I am running for re-election.”

Baker disclosed the private sector job negotiations in paperwork filed with the House clerk Friday. A new ethics law passed last year requires members to disclose any discussions about potential outside employment, and Baker said he was the first to comply with it.

If he takes the position, Baker said he would step down by early February.

more...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/baker-mulls-retirement-job-with-trade-group-2008-01-05.html

[bluestateguy]

1. Haven't a lot of black voters moved to his district since the Hurricane?

Maybe I'm getting my districts wrong here?

[babylonsister]

2. I have no idea. It sounds like money's leading the debate in his mind, not

constituents.