Washington (CNN) – Rep. Bart Gordon of Tennessee announced Monday that he will not run for re-election next year, the fourth House Democrat in the past four weeks to retire rather than than defend their seat in next year's midterm elections.
The 13-term Democrat has held the seat in Tennessee's 6th congressional district since 1985, winning nearly three-quarters of the vote in his re-election bid last year.
Hmmm. So why the change of heart, you ask?
But the district, located in the north-central portion of the state, went for John McCain in last year's presidential election by 25 points. George W. Bush won the district by 20 points in 2004.
Sounds like he's getting out while the getting is good; let's hope he's just ahead of the tidal wave of "vote 'em out" that starts in 2010...
On a completely politically-unrelated side note, I noticed this:
"Turning 60 has led me to re-evaluate what's next. I have an 8-year-old daughter and a wonderful wife who has a very demanding job..."
He's 60 and his daughter is 8?!?!?! My son is almost 9 and Gordon's got 22 years on me. When my daughter goes off to college, I'll be 49, or three years younger than Rep. Gordon when his child was born. And I consider that I got a late start at fatherhood with my first born when I was 29...
I guess they really are different in DC...
That is all.
7 comments:
All I can say is "Thank God."
I've been trying to vote this twerp out for 20 years, but the libtards down in Trashville kept reelecting him.
Gak - his little girl was born when he was my age. Lord save me.
I grew up in Bart Gordon's district and met him several times; he and my dad were frequently in the same business circles. As a coworker says, the only thing wrong with him is that he caucuses with the Democrats. He enjoys fairly broad support in Tennessee, and I would have bet that he'd be reelected (largely on the strength of his vote against the final version of the House healthcare bill). He's not a bad guy and served Tennessee and the country well; if more Democrats were like him we'd have a far less partisan atmosphere in politics.
I heard that he and his wife hadn't planned on having children and then had a change of heart later in life--their daughter is their only child.
Egads, I have a five year old daughter, and I'm only 31. She also has three younger brothers. By the time I reach Gordon's age, all four of my kids will be older than I am now, and I expect I'll have a couple or three grandchildren.
WV - toriest: the most conservative political partisan in England
My Father had a friend who got remarried in his early 50s, and had a child with his new wife.
I keep thinking of a great line my Mom said one night to my Dad, while they were waiting up for me to return from a late-night band competition.
"Oh God, *Friend* is going to be doing this in his 60s!"
...or maybe he won't. Either way he's not making things easy for himself.
....Well Quitting is probably the smart move...
Two friends of mine each started new families when they were in their 60s. One on purpose, the other, well...
I'm guessing this wife (number #?) is considerably younger than him. This is classic, the California want-it-all-now trophy syndrome.
OTOH he'll croak in a short time and then his young wife can go cougar.
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