"Rep. Meehan Resigns to Take UMass Job" Democrat.

Rep. Meehan Resigns to Take UMass Job
By ANDREW MIGA, Associated Press Writer

40 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. Martin Meehan, known for his work on campaign finance reform, formally submitted his resignation from Congress on Wednesday, paving the way for him to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

An aide to the congressman confirmed that Meehan's resignation letter was delivered to House officials Wednesday morning. His resignation is effective July 1.

University of Massachusetts trustees in April had approved Meehan as head of the Lowell campus, his alma mater. Meehan, who was elected to Congress in 1992, graduated cum laude from UMass-Lowell in 1978

Meehan carved a national profile advocating campaign finance legislation, accusing the tobacco industry of collusion to promote smoking and pushing to repeal the military's current "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gay soldiers.

His departure has sparked an intense race to fill his highly coveted seat, one of 10 U.S. House seats in Massachusetts. Under state law, Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, must call a special election within 160 days of the vacancy, and a crowd of potential successors has already lining up.

http://www.comcast.net/news/politics/index.jsp?cat=POLITICS&fn=/2007/05/09/658474.html

it is not like this seat will ever swing over to the pukes