Rep. Bill Thomas R-Calif, and Chair of Ways & means RETIRING!

[napi21]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5666939,00.html

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (AP) - Republican Rep. Bill Thomas, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced Monday he will retire from Congress after serving for more than a quarter century.

Thomas, 64, made the announcement in his hometown of Bakersfield.

His resignation was widely expected because, under House Republicans' self-imposed term limits for committee chairmen, Thomas can no longer serve after this year as head of the influential Ways and Means Committee.

I didn't see this posted here on DU, and I heard it on my car radio about an hour ago.

Can a Dem pick up this seat???

[PDittie]

1. Probably not:

"Thomas' 22nd Congressional District, meanwhile, is expected to stay firmly in GOP control. Republicans make up 52 percent of registered voters, compared with 30 percent for Democrats in the district at the southern end of California's agriculture-rich Central Valley.

"A contested GOP primary is shaping up between California Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Thomas' protege and longtime ally, and state Sen. Roy Ashburn. The filing deadline is Friday."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060306/ap_on_go_co/thomas_retirement;_ylt=Avw5HQIZx20KRPrF5vfxCU.yFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[napi21]

4. Is there a Dem running there too?

I'm thinking a lot of the fallout from all the scandals might at least force a lot of the Pubs to stay home on election day.

[Cleita]

8. There hasn't been for the last two terms. I hope someone steps

up to the plate.

[CAcyclist]

6. A lot of people have moved to Bakersfield from the

coastal areas and from LA. Maybe a Democrat could get in. The Democrats shouldn't just give up on the Central Valley.

[usregimechange]

12. Damn right, at least make them spend some money there.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Gives him more time to work on his Porsches

.

[MercutioATC]

3. He has Porsches?

???

[mahatmakanejeeves]

17. Yes, several.

I understand. There was a small bio of him in the WSJ years ago in which it was mentioned that he enjoys working on Porsches.

Paper Tiger

by Michael Crowley
Post date 01.27.05 | Issue date 02.07.05

... But Thomas is no hack. Indeed, he is widely acknowledged to be one of the smartest members of Congress, particularly when it comes to gruelingly detailed policy like Medicare and Social Security. He won the title of "brainiest" House member in Washingtonian magazine's 2004 "Best and Worst of Congress" awards. "Intellectually, he's at the top of the heap on their side," notes one Democratic aide who frequently sees Thomas up close.

Unfortunately, Thomas seems forever cognizant of this fact, making him wildly intolerant of anyone who doesn't match his mental heft. As a result, Thomas didn't just win the award for "brainiest," but also for "meanest" and "hottest temper" (the latter in a runaway). You can sense his volcanic core just by listening to him. An unwavering tone of sarcasm, reminiscent of the late comedian Phil Hartman, oozes from his voice like lava. And his volatility is a constant source of mayhem. Most famously, in July of 2003, he called the Capitol Police in a fury after exasperated Democrats marched out of a Ways and Means hearing and tried to have them evicted from a committee library. (Thomas later issued a bizarre, tearful apology on the House floor.) But Thomas's mean spirit is apparent in even mundane interactions. In 1997, a tipster told The Washington Post that Thomas, driving his Porsche near the Capitol, became furious when a van stopped to pick up pedestrians, blocking his path. After blaring his horn, Thomas pulled around and cut off the van at a 45-degree angle--in what the witness described as "a totally '70s cop-show driving maneuver" that was "right out of 'Magnum, P.I.'"--before storming off to find a police officer. One former House staffer reports boarding a Capitol elevator with Thomas and seeing him "vigorously" jab the door close button as a group of tourists approached. When the doors shut in their faces, Thomas gleefully chuckled out loud, the aide says, "like a cartoon villain."

[MercutioATC]

19. Well, he might be an ass but he has great taste in cars.

[Lindsay]

5. Even so, I'm glad to see Thomas go.

Very powerful, and very obnoxious. He's the one who called the Capitol police on Dem committee members a few years back because he didn't want them meeting in one of "his" committee rooms.

[Cleita]

7. He's my rep. Thank God he's retiring.

I hope a Democrat runs this time because none have run against him for the last two terms, so we didn't even have a choice of voting him our of office. He was heavily supported by the pharma and health industries according to Open Secrets. That's where he gets 75% of his contributions. There was also rumors of his doing hanky panky with a health care industry lobbyist.

I believe his having to give up the Ways and Means Committee had a lot to do with his retirement. The fact that he knew his campaign funding would dry up once he was no longer in charge to push through bills that benefitted the health care industry, no doubt was at the top of his reasoning.

So I don't know where any new candidates might get their funding from but I would volunteer to work for any Democrat who wants to tackle that seat. Although Bakersfield is very conservative, there are a lot of underclasses that can be tapped who probably don't vote and the coast, where I live, is more liberal. He never gave much of a damn about us so I think a Democrat would appeal to them.

[Mz Pip]

9. THe Dems seem to cave in far to easily

by not fielding a candidate in some of these districts.

Even in our heavily Democratic district where Barbara Lee wins with 85% of the vote the Repugs find someone to put on the ballot.

If there is ever a year to not give up, this is it. There has to be a Dem City Council person or relatively savvy citizen who can go for this seat.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Cleita]

10. There's Chrissy Mulholland who is on the San Luis Obispo

city council. She's a Democrat and attends the war protests we have here.

[ronnykmarshall]

13. You kids got screwed ...

when they changed the district and got stuck with that asshole Thomas. He waiting until the last minute to do this. I can't stand that bastard.

[Cleita]

14. Yeah, we did.

Chrissy is a member of the Mulholland family with lots of moolah. She could still file by Friday and have some cash to back her up until she can raise campaign funds. Hell, I'd file if I wasn't as poor as a church mouse. I hate to let any Republican sashay in so easily for an open-for-grabs seat. Those two Repukes running for the office don't seem to be much better than Thomas.

[Cleita]

11. ...

:kick:

[Craig3410]

15. 64? That's positively youthful in Congress.

[Ksec]

16. Thats great news

That guys arrogance and smug attitude jerked my chain everytime I saw him on the tube. Hes got major issues .

Hes a big reason Congress is sooo divided. He actually hated Democrats imo. Him and Delay were two of a kind.

[in_cog_ni_to]

18. THANK G-D!!! That's the asshole who had our Democratic Reps ARRESTED

for having the NERVE to show up to a committee meeting and were waiting in a room next to the committee meeting so he called the Capitol police on them. Remember?

He's retiring!!!!! :woohoo::woohoo: EXCELLENT news!