Olympia Snowe to retire

[kurt_cagle]

1. Not surprised, though a bit sad

Olympia Snowe was one of the few Republicans in the Senate that I honestly respected, even if I did not always agree with her positions. To a certain extent I can see her decision not to seek re-election as being an acknowledgement that her vision of the Republican party as a rational moderating influence is well and truly dead, and that the need for her to pander to an increasingly extremist agenda did not sit well with her own internal moral code. However, I do think it's very good news for the Democrats.