Rep. Ron Lewis will not seek reelection

Source: The Hill

Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Ky.) will retire from Congress at the end of the 110th Congress, his office confirmed Tuesday.

The 7th-term lawmaker had a campaign war chest of $447,429 as of Dec. 31, 2007, but withdrew his filing papers from the Kentucky board of elections before the 4 p.m. deadline Tuesday.

In 2006, he defeated Democrat Mike Weaver 55 percent to 45 percent.

<snip>

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent out a release Tuesday noting that Lewis is the fourth House Republican in four business days who is “heading for the door” and the 27th this cycle.



Read more: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/rep.-ron-lewis-will-not-seek-reelection-2008-01-30.html

Another refucklikkan bites the dust...

congress, perhaps I won't be so concerned over a McCain presidency.

Just 'pondering'...

Especially because we have no way to eject Blue Dogs and DINOS.

Or even coerce them.

or they realize the next (Democratic) administration, House and Senate are going to face a far larger, more complicated mess than we can imagine. Because those leaving did some very bad things, of course.

These politicians can count, and right now, unless there is a fundamental change, the Democrats are going ot win big for the economy is going to tank and the GOP is going to get the blame. Thus while stay around to face defeat, leave and let some other Republican lose to the Democratic candidate in the fall.

Maybe we can make Treason charges against those that ruin this country seven years ago

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080129/NEWS01/80129042

"Lewis said in an interview this evening that he was homesick and that serving in Washington wasn’t as fun since the Democrats took control of Congress following the 2006 election."

So serving in Washington is supposed to be about how much fun you can have if you are a Republican, hmm?

Anyone have a scorecard on how many of these 27 this cycle have the stink of corruption or are fleeing the scene of the crimes?

shove them down their collective throats. "Wasn't as fun"?

no wonder they forgot to uphold their oaths to protect and preserve the cosntitution.

Wonder if he gave any early heads up to the local party, or if there were already any names submitted to challenge him in the primary? Or did he just leave the party in the lurch? Wonder what that will do to the dynamics of the general election for his seat.

On edit - read the article looks like the party has already recruited someone to run in his place (suggesting that they did have an early heads up.)

Still mind-boggling that nobody has called Lewis out for his lie that he has never taken any contributions from an organization tied to Abramoff - after Lewis accepted a $1000 contribution from Abramoff's former lobbying firm.
http://www.bluegrassreport.org/bluegrass_politics/2006/04/turing_our_atte.html



What a giant bag of douche this guy was:



Break it up, gentlemen!

<snip>

After Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) finished querying one panel of witnesses, Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Ky.), seemingly peeved at McDermott’s line of questioning, brought up a moment McDermott might prefer to forget: “If {McDermott} had his way,” Lewis said, “Saddam Hussein would still be president of Iraq.”

McDermott, who raised eyebrows in 2003 with trips paid for by Iraqi businessmen and public suggestions that President Bush timed Hussein’s capture to milk it for political benefit, fired back.

“The gentleman from Kentucky is out of order!” McDermott protested.

<snip>

McDermott’s press secretary, Mike DeCesare, said, “From time to time people butt heads, and that’s expected, but there was a ‘What was that all about?’” element to the hearing. “I assume {Republicans are} under enormous stress and pressure, given what’s going on in Iraq and the sagging poll numbers.”

More:
http://thehill.com/under-the-dome/craig-and-shaffer-pay-homage-to-alito-in-song-2005-11-08.html


Also:

GOP Rep. Ron Lewis Canceled Hastert Fundraiser. Representative Ron Lewis, a seven-term Kentucky Republican, canceled a fund-raiser he had scheduled with Hastert. Lewis said he wanted to know all the facts behind the scandal before deciding whether to campaign with Hastert by his side. {Boston Globe, 10/5/06}
http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/10/after_mccain_ca.php

But it was Lewis’ sudden decision not to run again that was the most surprising, and filled with last-minute intrigue.

The wife of Lewis chief of staff Daniel London went to the secretary of state’s office to file her husband's papers to run for the seat – and soon thereafter withdrew Lewis' name from the ballot, according to a spokesman for the Kentucky Secretary of State.

About the same time, state Sen. Brett Guthrie also filed papers to run. So, Guthrie and London will face off in the Republican primary on May 20.

The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee indicated it strongly favored Guthrie, a state senator based in Bowling Green.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0108/Ron_Lewis_not_running_for_reelection.html


Wonder what kind of a job he got promised in return for dropping out?

Out of a caucus of what, 200 or so? That's approaching 15% of their current membership, and the Republicans aren't exactly flush with cash. Having to defend all those seats with new names and no money is a recipe for an electoral debacle of gut-churning proportions for the GOP. You have to wonder if GOP operatives are talking amongst themselves and discussing whether winning everything was really such a good thing for the party in the long term.

Not that it will cause a change in direction or philosophy, but I have to think that the GOP still has one or two guys with a functioning brain who will look at the political carnage at the end of this year and suggest that one or two planks of their platform need some adjustment.

Enquiring minds want to know ...

Bake