Jeff Bingaman (D) to retire

[upi402]

Source: Washington Post

Jeff Bingaman to retire
By Chris Cillizza
New Mexico Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman is expected to announce his retirement today, according to a source close to the decision, a move that further complicates his party's efforts to hold their Senate majority in 2012.

Bingaman had been mulling whether to run for a sixth term for months and, if he had, would have almost certainly been re-elected.

His retirement, however, creates an open seat contest that both national parties will almost certainly target. Democrats should start the race with an edge, however, given President Obama's 15-point victory margin in the state in 2008.



Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/senate/jeff-bingaman-to-retire.html

[otohara]

1. NM Will Go Dem

:evilgrin: :toast: :evilgrin:

If it were a midterm, I'd be worried, turnout will better next year.

I hope

[teabaghater]

6. Dem leaving Congress

seems like a mass exodus. How many have announced retirement so far? Is it possible that they're being "bought off"? Just heard on Thom Hartman that Dick Army is bussing teabaggers to WI.

[Donnachaidh]

9. personally, I think they are discouraged with what they haven't been able to do

We have an administration that has bailed out banks but ignores the middle class. We have rabid pukes gunning to strip away everything -- you'd be massively discouraged too.

[sadbear]

2. Sen. Bill Richardson

Or is he not progressive enough for us? (Not to mention ethical problems, too.)

[Agent William]

4. If he's popular enough to win....

I want him running. I recon he's decent enough. And I've not heard of any surrounding ethical problems, then again I've not heard much in the way of NM politics at all, haha.

[Agent William]

3. Allow me to sound the typical DU alarm...

We're doomed, the senate is lost, the house is lost. It's over. There is no way we can bold the senate, and we'll be lucky to hold the presidency. There's nothing we can do after Citizens United. We might as well give up now. The only thing left to do now is panic!



I hope someone notes my concern, it would be horrible if my sarcastic trolling went ignored....


Seriously though, I'm fucking sick of all the pessimism that surrounds any retirement by a Democratic senator. If your attitude is negative throughout, then the outcome is already guaranteed. Thankfully I'm seeing some optimism on this thread already, so that's encouraging.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. + infinity!! n/t

[No Elephants]

16. Your only reaction to this news is to attack DUers?

[Quixote1818]

7. This really sucks! He was a great senator for New Mexico. ;( nt

[Inuca]

8. Agree 100%

A serious, hard working senator.

[upi402]

10. That's what I hear about him

I still haven't heard why he's leaving.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico to retire

Source: Los Angeles Times

Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico to retire
Democrat Jeff Bingaman is expected to announce that he won't seek reelection in 2012. The loss of the chamber's fifth-most-senior Democrat is a blow to a party that already faces a number of election challenges.

By James Oliphant and Lisa Mascaro, Washington Bureau
February 18, 2011, 11:01 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The news just keeps getting worse for Senate Democrats.

In a surprising move, New Mexico's Jeff Bingaman, who's served in the Senate for almost 30 years, is expected to announce later Friday that he will not run for reelection in 2012.

The retirement of Bingaman, the fifth-most-senior Democrat in the chamber, is a blow to a party already reeling from last week's decision by Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia to not seek a second term.

Democrats must defend 23 Senate seats next year -- and New Mexico had not been considered an anxiety-producing race on the order of coming battles in Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio and elsewhere. But Bingaman's move could push that contest into the foreground as well.



Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-jeff-bingaman-retires-20110219,0,3511452.story

[Inuca]

12. Too bad

Nice tribute from Steve Clemons http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2011/02/smartest_man_in/ Smartest Man in US Senate to Retire

Bingaman knows the inside and out nuts and bolts of technology policy, innovation dynamics, health care policy issues, nuclear energy and weapons issues, actually everything. He's so smart, has a wry wit, runs everyday.

He really is the living embodiment of Jimmy Stewart's "Mr. Smith", in all of the good ways and without the whining and theatrics

[pfitz59]

13. 23 seats open?

how much will each one cost, now that the "inferior" court has opened the bribery floodgates?

[upi402]

14. The TV propaganda organs are

fully engorged in anticipation of massive advertising revenue. They could pay for clean energy jobs for half the unemployed for all the cash they throw at opressing working folks.

[PDittie]

15. The NM bench is deep

with good Dems.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/18/946683/-NM-Sen:-Jeff-Bingaman-retiring

This is not a seat we should have to worry about in 2012.

[No Elephants]

17. Hope you're right!