House Ways and Means chair Thomas retiring

[ProSense]

Monday, March 6, 2006 · Last updated 9:55 a.m. PT

House Ways and Means chair Thomas retiring

By OLIVIA MUNOZ
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Republican Rep. Bill Thomas, the powerful and mercurial chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced Monday he will retire from Congress after this year.

Thomas, 64, who has spent more than a quarter century in Congress, made the announcement at a news conference in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif. The development was widely expected because, under House Republicans' self-imposed term limits for committee chairmen, Thomas cannot continue on as head of the influential committee that writes tax laws after this year.

"Today I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the United States Congress," he said.

For the past five years, Thomas has played a key role in shepherding President Bush's tax cuts and writing legislation on Medicare, Social Security and pensions.

Snip...

His clashes with other lawmakers, usually Democrats, became famous on Capitol Hill. He called out the Capitol police three years ago to break up a meeting of Democrats on his committee, then expressed regret in tears on the House floor.

more...

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153AP_Thomas_Retirement.html

[MadMaddie]

1. So how many of the Repugs.....are retiring so far?

[bullimiami]

3. ship sinking. rats fleeing.

[BR_Parkway]

2. Wasn't Cunningham and the company that bribed him from CA?

And this guy chaired the committee that actually writes the checks?

Not that I'm accusing him of being anything beyond one more member of the Culture of Corruption. But wow, what a coincidence.

[MadMaddie]

4. With this neocon party nothing is a coincidence...

They are consumed with their greed and power and they were so arrogant they thought they wouldn't get caught......

I think many are retiring because they do want to spend time with their families, move their money offshore so they are prepared to serve the prision sentences....

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. or remove themselves from the country

where there are no extradition laws....

[BR_Parkway]

7. Does UAE have an extradition treaty with us?

[seemslikeadream]

5. get while the gettins' good?