"GOP Congressman Considers Giving Up Seat"

[GreenPartyVoter]

WASHINGTON - Pennsylvania Rep. Jim Greenwood, a socially moderate Republican, said Monday he is considering giving up the seat he's held in Congress for 12 years.

Greenwood, 53, has already told Republican leaders he will not seek re-election to a seventh term and instead will likely seek a job with a trade association, House aides and a party official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press.

"From time to time during my 24 years of public service, I have been approached and offered other types of challenges and opportunities," Greenwood said in a terse statement released by his office Monday. "Such has been the case in the last few days, and I am currently reviewing one of these opportunities."

One of the aides and the GOP party official said Greenwood was looking at a position with the Biotechnology Industry Organization, which includes pharmaceutical houses and companies involved in human genome research.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&nci...

[bluestateguy]

1. He would really be screwing his party if he did it

This is a district that Democrats have been waiting for to open up for years. A Democrat would likely have a small advantage in an open seat race. If Greenwood were to pull out of the race in July he would leave his party scrambling to find a nominee with only about 3 months until the election. That's not much time to set up a campaign office, hire consultants, raise money, put ads on the air and set up a get out the vote operation. That might be why he decides to run for one last term. I expect that he'll be getting a phone call from Karl Rove very soon.

[R3dD0g]

2. When's the primary?

Who's the Dem nominee?

Is this gonn'a be a twin of the IL senate? With a Dem and no Repuke?

[CBHagman]

3. There goes another moderate.

In the GOP, the moderate-to-liberal types seem to be retiring and/or getting voted out.

Don't get me wrong; I would be thrilled to see the district go Democratic. But considering the sick-making "leaders" in the current GOP, particularly in the House, where Repulican knuckles rarely leave the ground, I am sorry that moderates and liberals are departing.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. I feel the same way. Rather have a moderate Repub than risk a freaky

neocon taking his or her place.

[louis-t]

5. Maybe the arm-twisting Club with a Growth

is having an effect. I mean Club for Growth. Darn, I keep getting that wrong.

[demgrrrll]

6. Daily Kos has a donation link. I donated. I think Atrios has a link too

or maybe he is just linked to Kos.