Emerson unexpectedly resigns her Missouri congressional seat

[IDemo]

Source: Kansas City Star

Colleagues and congressional analysts expressed surprise and dismay Monday after learning U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri had decided to quit.

Within minutes, though, the state’s politicians began pondering the race to replace her.

Emerson, a 62-year-old Republican from Cape Girardeau, announced her retirement less than a month after southeast Missouri voters overwhelmingly elected her for the 9th time. She’ll become president and CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in March.

“Our district has earned its reputation for commonsense above all else, and I will leave Congress in February with a heavy heart,” she said in a statement.



Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/03/3946723/emerson-unexpectedly-resigns-her.html

[JackRiddler]

1. Ka-CHING

Couldn't wait another term for the payoff!

[marble falls]

2. And she keeps her campaign warchest and she doesn't have lose in two years. She used her golden ....

parachute. There will be more.

[cloudbase]

3. Leave with a heavy heart

and a full bank account.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. commonsense. sure. I HATE that term that the GOP overuses.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. I presume you mean the way Sister Sarah uses the word

Where commonsense means anti-intellectual and just plain stupid.

Somebody should explain to Sister Sarah (and most of the GOP congressional caucus and even some crooked Democrats) that supply side economics had been failing since 1981 before it failed dramatically in 2008, just like when under another name it failed since after the Civil War until it failed even dramatically in 1929. Consequently, anyone who still advocates supply side economics, including austerity, is just plain stupid and lacks any commonsense.

[NRaleighLiberal]

12. it's pretty much used like a dog whistle/code word here in NC during election season.

every single repub ad has the term common sense in it.

[FiveGoodMen]

24. They're crooked, not stupid.

Supply side works fantastically.

It talks poor and middle-class Americans into letting the rich run off with EVERYTHING.

There's nothing that the GOP (leadership) need explained to them regarding Supply Side Economics(TM).

Rather, Americans need it explained to them that the GOP's idea of a good economy is based on feudalism.

[Jackpine Radical]

17. "Commonsense" = stupid & simplistic enough to fit in a soundbite.

[LiberalFighter]

19. Here in Indiana they call it

Hoosier common sense. As if only Hoosiers have common senses. It irks the hell out of me.

[Dont call me Shirley]

5. Just like Sarah Quittypants

[nineteen50]

6. and a fat and growing wallet.

[RC]

7. Republican, commonsense, Missouri?

Not in the two years I have been here, do they go together.

[Jack Rabbit]

10. Does that ? translate to "Show me"?

??

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. Ironically, the Rural Electric Cooperative Association was a New Deal initiative

So I guess the New Deal is bad---unless you can profit from it?

[Jack Rabbit]

11. I was wondering about that, too

Usually, the Republicans regard any economic entity as illegitimate unless it's owned by a right wing billionaire GOP donor. Aren't cooperatives socialist by definitiion? Gasp!)

[font size="1" color="red"]On Edit[/font]

Somebody from Missouri fill me in on this.

[Grins]

29. "Soshilism!"

She's going to work for one of those "soshillist" "cooperatives"?!?!

Shocking.

Not.

[hrmjustin]

13. Won't miss her!

[DeSwiss]

14. K&R

- Run afoul of Cape Girardeau's ''first family'' did she?

[DailyGrind51]

15. Cape Girardeau is Rush Limbaugh's home town, just sayin'! :) n/t

[Bossy Monkey]

16. But what about Lake and Palmer?!!! :P n/t

[decayincl]

18. ya think that's old

I thought her family (at one time) made the best TVs.

[Ken Burch]

21. And her great-great-great-grandad wrote some pretty good poetry, too.

(and hung out with Walt Whitman...the Allen Ginsberg of the 19th Century).

[Ken Burch]

20. This isn't a seat we'd have any chance of taking in a special election, is it? n/t.

[WranglerRog]

22. So Hooker Joanne is calling it quits....

Let's see, worked as a lobbyist lobbying drunken ol' Bill Emerson right out of his marriage. Apparently a Missouri Republican tradition (see Roy Blunt and hooker/ second wife). And yes, if you take money and sleep with someone you're pretty much a hooker.

After Bill died she took over and has been a useless if somewhat humorous representative. I remember a few years back when she took a tax payer paid junket to Malibu for "spiritual renewal". Ah, if only Jesus had known about Malibu instead of spending those 40 days in the desert.

She sent a letter calling one of her constituents who had the audacity to criticize her an "asshole", then denied doing it even though she had signed the letter.

Oh well, as a resident of her district I'll miss voting against her every election although I'm sure we'll elect some repug who is equally qualified.

[hatrack]

28. I always thought of here as the Helen Chenoweth of the Ozarks

Slightly more attractive, but similarly just as dumb as a mud fence.

[question everything]

23. And, of course, tax payers will pay for special elections

Why can't they - her, Jackson - make up their minds before the general elections?

One has to wonder about how cavalier they are about tax payers.

[Hugin]

25. Re-enter Todd Akin stage right?

Anybody else see that happening?

Oh! Look who's on this House Committee!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Science_Subcommittee_on_Energy_and_Environment#section_1

I wonder if they have any say in who gets that plum job she's suddenly been offered.

[JanT]

26. oh no not again. what a asshat nt

[Hugin]

27. Perhaps, the game's afoot.

Eh, Watson?