Sen. Jim Webb won't run for reelection in 2012

[bigworld]

Source: Washington Post

Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) has announced that he will not run for reelection in 2012.

Webb's decision, long anticipated by many in Virginia politics, will make his seat more difficult to hold for his party. Ex-Sen. George Allen (R), who lost the seat in 2006 to Webb, is running to win it back, and a handful of other GOP candidates are also running. Some Democrats hope ex-Gov. Tim Kaine will decide to run for the seat, but he has given no indication yet that he is interested.

Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2011/02/webb_wont_run_for_reelection_i.html?wpisrc=nl_localpolalert

[TwilightGardener]

1. And yet, he made sure he wouldn't vote for any tax deal that didn't include

tax cuts for rich people--even though he knew he wasn't going to be up for re-election. I'm not going to miss him much.

[liberalmike27]

5. Nope, he's a DINO

One of the problems with our party is we've been catching the rejects of the republican party, like Webb. We have to suffer this massive continuum of thought, while the republicans practically have to pass an ideological purity test.

I won't miss him, and I'm thinking they need to bring Howard Dean back, if he'll take it, and lets get to work with the 50 stater thing again.

As far as it being difficult to hold, I think that is entirely wrong. As far as I can tell, Obama is still pretty popular. Don't judge from the 45 percent who voted in 2010, even though about 22 percent of those were democrats. Clearly Obama and democrats were punished by their voters, black voters didn't vote en-masse as Obama wasn't in the election. It has been totally mis-portrayed on the media as some sort of massive movement in thought of "America" how we "clearly indicated we wanted a big change," even though about 20 percent of us didn't vote like we did in 2008.

As long as Obama and his, don't insult his base anymore, like Gibbs, and Emmanual did, and perhaps tries hard to at least make the argument for a few things workers want, then he'll go in with a large percentage like he did before. We'll sweep in, once again, a bunch of House members, probably take it back, and hopefully hold the 20, or even win back a few seats.

Clearly republican policy has been coming as close to attacking women as can be done lately, with their rape and anti-abortion stances, so there is some ripe territory there. As long as Obama goes in big, we'll do just fine. You've got to stop paying attention to those corporate asswipes on the TV. They put forward the scenario they want, and for the most part, their viewers follow like a bunch of lap-dogs. Just don't follow.

Hopefully we'll be walking on sunshine again in 2012, lots of blacks, women, and poor and middle class unemployed folks will vote again, along with the usual suspects. Then we'll likely be disappointed by their corporatist leanings again. It's become a cycle.

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Didn't Webb get elected when Dean WAS DNC Chair?

[TheWraith]

14. Yes, he did.

And people seem to forget that Webb started out as one of the loudest critics of the Bush administration way back when that was far from a popular move.

[westerebus]

30. Do you live in Virginia?

I do. Jim Webb voted 85% of the time with the Democratic Party. I'm sorry he's decided to not run. We don't have anyone to replace him.

[elocs]

2. Holding the Senate in 2012 is a long shot already for Democrats.

It only gets worse.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. While that may be the feeling today, there is a lot of time left to turn that around

The repukes hurt themselves often enough that if we stay smart we may do much better than many think we will today.

[elocs]

6. Be real. Look at the numbers: 23 Dem seats to 10 GOP seats

and Republicans only need a net gain of 3 seats. Math really sucks.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. I am aware of the numbers, but I am also aware of recent history

A major party based scandal or other similar event could make it make it much less likely.

The real question is what can and should be done about it. At this point it would seem that not doing dumb things is a good place to start.

[LiberalFighter]

13. We need to create a Republican scandal.

[24601]

25. Create a scandal? That makes it a Democratic scandal and

falls in the dirty tricks category. I recall plenty of DUers calling for jail when the repugs do that - are you ready to serve the time - and lose by a landslide when it's uncovered?

[LiberalFighter]

32. BLOCK

It's not dirty tricks if they are the one that create the scandal while we highlight it the right way.

[sofa king]

39. I concur.

The President in particular has already been carefully selecting issues that tend to break 70-30 his way, and the Republicans are unwittingly helping him at every turn.

Redefining rape? Bad idea. That one was 75-25 against them even before word got out about what they were trying to do. So, we let that one pass the House, and then the Democratic Senators get to smack it down. Every Republican Senator wishes that turd hadn't landed in their laps.

Holding our tax cuts hostage so the rich get richer? Bad idea, and damned near every Republican up for reelection in 2012 is going to have to defend that callous move, at the exact same time that the President and Congressional Democrats promise to split the next extension, while holding a saving vote for the Senate Republicans completely out of reach until after the election.

Shutting down the government? Bad idea. This one is going to galvanize the government workers in Washington against the GOP, which might hurt them worse than anything else. You want a scandal? Take away some underling's summer vacation and see if he doesn't come back looking for the closet skeletons that will put his asshole boss on vacation for good.

Defending Clarence Thomas? Bad idea. Thomas was the fifth vote that stole the election for Bush, few have forgotten that, and showing everyone a link between his criminal behavior and that election decision will be an absolute bloodbath. A show impeachment next winter, which will fail, might be just what the doctor ordered to remind voters what Senators are supposed to do when government officials are caught breaking the law.

Blocking a return to banning high-capacity pistol magazines--after 40 or more people have died from them in just a few incidents in the past four years? Bad idea. There simply aren't enough undecided gun supporters willing to change their vote over that particular issue, and those who aren't gun supporters can easily see the purpose and utility of a ban. Which is why we chose it. To fail, the better to illustrate who has to go and why.

Losing yet another Speaker of the House to a sex scandal? Bad idea. The New York Times this weekend could be very interesting. On deck for Speaker if Boehner leaves? Eric Cantor, who can't get out from under his old pal Jack Abramoff. In the hole? Kevin McCarthy, who is tied to strip club fundraisers held by his former boss, Pete Sessions. The House GOP is almost fresh out of notable leaders who can control their behavior. And the press is now looking to hang all of them, instead of helping to hang the drapes in their offices like they were in the 00s.

And that's just the first four months, with twenty to go. Somewhere out there are Karl Rove's emails (unprotected by the Presidential Records Act because he broke the law by using a non-government domain), a hundred dormant Bush crimes waiting to erupt, tens of thousands of tortured and murdered Iraqis sent to death by Bush and Cheney and then dumped in the streets, who knows how many diaper-wearing teabaggers getting caught with prostitutes and mistresses, Sarah Palin being an idiot, Newt Gingrich being a sociopath, and various Bush officials pointing to the sky and calling it green to hawk their self-serving books. It's the best circus ever!

And above it all hovers President Obama and the Democratic Party, in a position of comparative integrity, running the table.

At this rate President Obama is headed for a 500 electoral vote win and his coattails will extend all the way from Washington to Hawaii. Turnout will be huge, and I believe the Democrats' target is a pickup of 3-5 Senate seats. Three to five more in 2014, and maybe a defection or two from places like Maine, and all of a sudden half the Supreme Court may be facing impeachment, and the 67 votes needed to send them on their asses.

Edit: More to the point, consider how desperate the Republicans are to have to back a total loser, again, here in Virginia. We can run a one-legged groundhog against him and pull in 50 percent of the vote, if the President is going to pull in 60 percent. I've never seen an election season so deep in the bag, twenty months before Election Day.

[earthside]

11. 2012 is looking bleak.

It is almost all but sure that the U.S. Senate will have a Repuglican majority when the next Congress convenes in January 2013. (And, by the way, you can also bet that they will abolish the filibuster at that time.)

It is also likely that the House will stay Repuglican.

Finally, I'm sorry, but I am not so sanguine as Chris Matthews or some other political/Democratic Party pundits about Pres. Obama's prospects. Short of the Repuglican nominee being Palin or Bachmann, I think Obama is 50-50 for reelection. With a demoralized progressive base and a disillusioned youth vote, it is going to be an up hill climb for Obama. I don't think, for instance, that he can carry Colorado like he did last time; Ohio looks iffy ... of course, you can forget Florida.

[regnaD kciN]

19. Oh...?

With a demoralized progressive base and a disillusioned youth vote, it is going to be an up hill climb for Obama.

If unemployment keeps falling as it has the past few months, we should be at or below 8% by next January. Optimism will be up (it will be "Morning in America" all over again) and we could be looking at a 1984-style landslide going in our favor that November. While I don't see Obama winning 49 states like Bonzo did that year (because there are enough people who simply won't vote for him because of his race), it's not out of the question that he could win by a substantially-larger margin than in 2008, with the resulting coattails giving us at least a decent chance in both the House and Senate.

As to Virginia, I'm sure Kaine will run, and I'm sure he'll crush Macaca.

[earthside]

20. You must have on ...

... rose-colored eye glasses as big as platters.

[underpants]

23. Yes this is not a good thing at all

Damn Jim WHY?

[rgbecker]

4. Did I hear a "Splash" in the pan?

I'd like to know what his problem with the job is. When he won, the media was playing the guy up big time.

[DainBramaged]

8. Another ass, another door to hit on the way out

So much potential, so much failure........and who is running to replace him, George Allen. What a fucked up country this is.

[Oceansaway]

10. good, he's an asswipe anyway...nt

[onehandle]

12. Virginia, North Carolina, and Illinois will be red in 2012.

We are back to an Ohio/Florida centered election, like 'normal.'

[Lost-in-FL]

16. I would't bet on FL if you ask me.

Florida is a strong red state.

[onehandle]

21. Yeah. I'm honestly wondering where Obama gets his win.

The 2010 teabaggers will be back to vote and I don't see the new Obama voters coming back in 2012.

A second term is starting to look like wishful thinking.

[RBInMaine]

26. VA and NC will be very much in play, and IL will NOT be red. Please, take an upper.

[onehandle]

31. Doh! I meant Indiana. nt

[rpannier]

33. delete Missed your correction on Illinois

Sorry bout that

[w4rma]

15. Damnit. We're going to get stuck with Macaca man. (nt)

[CLANG]

18. That's "The Macaca Man" to you!

[underpants]

24. Off the top of my head Kaine seems to be the only alternative you could win

maybe I will have to appear in yet another Tim Kaine TV commercial

:-)

[westerebus]

28. No. Allen is toast.

Jamie Radtke will take the seat. Current tea party leader in VA.

[lynne]

34. Not so quick. I wouldn't overlook Corey Stewart - eom

[westerebus]

36. I'll check him out.

GOPer from Prince William. Haven't heard of him before today.

[FBaggins]

40. The Tea party isn't going to run someone against Allen.

He's already the kind of candidate they want.

[CLANG]

17. dino

[KoKo]

22. Lobby Money from the MIC is why he's retiring. Probably why he ran in first place

considering he ran as a Dem and then voted like a Repug.

[lonestarnot]

27. Hmmmf. No comment.

[hollowdweller]

29. Interesting about Webb

I kinda liked him. Didn't agree with him 100% but he'd sort of suprise you. DINO on some stuff and suprisingly DEMOCRAT on others.

While I think that puts it in play more you have to sort of admire Webb for going on to do something else and not hanging onto the job like the pope.

[JI7]

35. i remember when many on DU was calling for this guy to be President

[24601]

37. And I'll bet 98%+ DUers voted for Lieberman to be VP - except in

Palm Beach where they voted for Buchanan.

[JI7]

38. he was on the ticket already, but most were not calling on him to be VP in 2000 or Pres in 2004

[fittosurvive]

41. I'm not surprised, he doesn't seem like the type of guy who enjoys shmoozing and

begging for money (it is time to begin raising money).

The authentic nature of his personality did not mesh with the faux and pretend world of Washington politics.