Susan Walsh/AP Photo
Rep. Steve LaTourette (file)
Rep. Steve LaTourette formally announced Tuesday he will not seek a 10th term in office and blamed political gridlock as a major factor for his resignation. The Republican congressman from Ohio, who has been an ally of House Speaker John Boehner, told reporters he would rather call it quits than continue on the path of no compromise.
"For a long time now, words like compromise have been considered to be dirty words. And there are people on the right and left who think that if you compromise, you're a coward, you're a facilitator or you're an appeaser," LaTourette said a press conference. "I have reached the conclusion that the atmosphere today and the reality that exists in the House of Representatives no longer encourages the finding of common ground."
LaTourette, a more moderate Republican, suggested these days politicians must to cater to party extremists in order to get ahead. Very candidly he admitted, "the overwhelming criticism of me over the years is that sometimes I vote funny according to my party. And I'm not interested in giving them my wallet or my voting card." As in,
His parting words closely echo those of outgoing Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe. She cited the "atmosphere of polarization and 'my way or the highway' ideologies" as her reason for leaving office.
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Seems to me that should have read "calls out both parties, not just the Republicans. Perhaps he just didn't have the intestinal fortitude to meet a Tea Party challanger for his cushioned seat, and stand on principle, as the voters are asking him to in his district. He won't be missed.
And Olivia Snow lost all credibility when she turned her back on the voters who did not want ObamaCare and provided critical votes for it along the way. She won't be missed either...they cam elect a Democrat Down east in Maine and it will be same difference.
Those 87 T-party freshmen in the House won't be missed either.
They are economic terrorists and they are hurting morale in both parties. They were sent by the T-party to obstruct and they carried out their egregious mission.
Now let's vote them out before the wreck the country with their insane ideology.
If being a Koch puppet can be considered an ideology.
News flash...the T partiers will be back in force, with another several dozen added to the 87 now in Congress. Few more Tea Party type Senators too.
Do you even pay attention at all to the economic reports, and the new political line of the Dems and Damned Progressives in the Senate, "give us our tax increases on the "rich", or we will float this ship of state over the fiscal cliff come the new year"! That attitute of tax more so we can spend more is heard in the hinterlands, and the result will be less of the progressives in the Senate to worry about, thats for sure!