She’s a good woman and has been an excellent, much admired senator for her state. It’s a tragedy to see the system drive people out who are actually prepared to accomplish something by reaching across the aisle and finding consensus. But mostly, it’s sad to see one of the last remaining Republican moderates leave. Things are only going to get worse for her absence.

Sad that any of the senators who have ever shown any hint of bipartinship recently seem to realize they’re only banging their heads against the wall. 

Good riddance!

There’s something else going on here. She’s been in full bore campaign mode for some time, and her own staff had no idea this was coming until just hours before her announcement. There’s more here than meets the eye.

 Yea, Harry Reid won’t even let most bills come to a vote!

So another Democratic Doormat makes her exit.
———————————————————————–

I don’t know if you all heard the news yet, but Davy Jones has gone to his locker!

Good Lady who exhibited all the hallmark signs of a true statesmen, nothing binds her now and she can do the better good for her country now, that vote your conscience thing that the republicans so often ignore, and no I do not consider the dictated beliefs of right wingers and social christian conservatives to be equatable to CONSCIENCE.

Democratic Senate 2012 and beyond.

This isn’t going to turn into another one of those, “See, the Republicans are too right-wing,” followed by the, “Oh yeah, well what about XYZ moderate Democrat who is also retiring/retired?” shouting things, is it?

Snowe happens to be a moderate on the right. Other moderates will come and go on both sides of the aisle. Everything is cyclical and no matter how much doom and gloom we like to pretend there is now, things don’t actually change that much.

If she voted as a republican once in awhile she’d probably show her leadership instead of just being there.

read as : yeah, and the crazies taking over the party are making it impossible for someone like her, to stay a republican and sane”

“Democratic Senate 2012 and beyond.” from your keyboard to gods ears. :) 

ofcourse, because anyone who isn’t an extreme wingnut, is a doormat!  c’mon . What do you think of Sen. Lieberman ? He is a doormat of the right also, under your logic right?

yeah I hear that’s what you guys in the bubble tell each other .. unfortunately, it is far from the truth! but just keep telling yourselves that, its working out wonderfully! (see recent polls)

What bubble is it in which Reid is putting House legislation up for a vote?

If it is, the Democrat list a a whole lot longer.

 FINE !! Go ahead speculate, seek dark under currents, engage in passing and promoting rumors and false gossip, demand explanations you will reject in a search for UN-savory justifications to suspect EVERYTHING is a plot against you and yours, shout down any voice of reason and most importantly BLAME THEM, the evil THEM.

And after you have run the full course of paranoid delusion fantasy s, what will you and the others have? Nothing or maybe you do have a something just not the something you want it to be, But in the here and now IT IS HER CHOICE or is that another right you will deprive her of, maybe she dose not want to be enslaved to her parties drive to gain control of the senate and at her age she deserves to have some enjoyment of her life and retirement, she earned it.

What is wrong with respecting her wishes in this matter? Do you need controversy to heal? REALLY? REALLY??

Here you go, Greg:
http://mychinaconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/take-a-chill-pill.jpg

Moderates from both sides are being purged. A sad, sad day.

You don’t find it odd that she’s been campaigning and just decided to retire out of the blue, and just before the filing deadline? Of course it’s her choice.But the timing and suddenness of it is strange, and not how these things normally work. I’m merely noticing that what she’s saying doesn’t track with what she’s been doing.

I think you might want to think about obtaining a Valium prescription. You seem kinda jumpy.

I think Rove is behind this. Also, Soros. And, the Jews, naturally. :)

This woman, who supposedly raised her right hand to defend the US Constitution against all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC, voted in favor of the 2012 NDAA.  This act, which is now law, actually gives the executive power the ability to indefinitely detain US citizens on US soil without their  5th Amendment right of Due Process.

Don’t let the door kick you in the a$$ you tyrant.

With all due respect Sen. Snowe, that’s what you were sent there for.

And now for the disrespect… boo hoo, my job is too hard.

Are you serious?  Is it moderate to vote against the 5th Amendment?  Is it moderate to vote for crippling debt?  Is it moderate to vote for, and the funding for, endless wars?

 Not at all surprising.

Between the two parties, there’s just no comparison. Republicans have been far more aggressive in weeding out those who don’t tow the line than the Democrats have. Just look at some of the comments here. Anyone who gives an inch is derided as a RINO and a heretic. Even people like William F. Buckley and Ronald Reagan would be drummed out now for going off the ranch!

Nope… it’s the Illuminati.

Maybe Gregory just doesn’t like malicious gossip.

That’s gratuitous, and I do understand your point. Your “something else” could very well be something which has little to do with her. Sure, it could be some health or family issue, so other opportunity. It could be something McConnell has done. He is a vicious pischer.

She is an honest woman, a woman of substance and integrity. I’ll take her at her word. Toxic atmosphere. Both sides. I’m not sure I understand why a decent person would subject himself or herself to the likes of Reid, McConnell or Boehner.

Who are you to talk? You’ve proven time-after-time hijacking a screen name and avatar is not that hard.

First off, that wouldn’t be “gossip.” Gossip would require Pablo to have said, “This is the reason.” He only asked the question. The situation is strange, no doubt.

Just pretend that it was something related to Palin, and then you’ll be able to make up one of your little nicknames, and believe anything. See! All is well, you just have to put it into a context with which your specific brand of hate can comprehend, Royal.

Waaaaaa! I’m sad when people make fun of me! It’s okay when I do it, or when someone else does it to attack someone I don’t like… but it’s not fair when they do it to meeeee! Waaaaa!

My God, Royal. What a pathetic whiner you are.

Sure.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/opinion/24berman.html

 Of course! Same thing, really.

Ugh… Joe Lieberman was run out of the Democratic party (a few years after being the VP nominee) because he didn’t tow MoveOn’s line. Evan Byah resigned a few years back, because he didn’t want to be part of the nastiness. And whole bunch more of Democrats are out this election for the very same reason.

You gotta take off your blinders, and quit pretending there’s a difference.

For someone who claims to be an “ex GOP man,” you sure have a short memory. Or lying about ever being GOP… but we probably all already guessed that.

Pa-Blow is the Donald Trump of Mediaite.

I am not engaging in gossip. She didn’t just figure out yesterday that the Senate is useless. I am not speculating as to what else might be behind this decision, only that there’s more than meets the eye here.

I hope it’s not a health problem. I would have preferred that she stayed a Senator.

 And lets not forget how they threw Joe Lieberman under the bus…

Sen. Snowe Blames Senate’s ‘Political Paralysis’ For Not Seeking Re-Election
Translation:
These F*$king guys are NUTS.

You madam are a liar. Prove your accusation. I have had only 3 screen names in my life…2 of those no longer exist. Proof exists that you have used a gazillion aliases and have been banned from sites.
I will now fart in your general direction.

 Uh huh.

So?
Kinda snoopy for someone who tirelessly defended Herman Cain’s private life.

Pa-Blow… wow, I see what you did there! You must be some sort of comedian… because that’s super funny!

Ugh. If it weren’t for knee-jerk reactionary comments, there would be so many people on this site who wouldn’t know what to say. I just wonder if people like you nod after you post, saying, “Yeah… nice one,” or if you realize you’re just wasting digital space.

 I’m sure he thanks you for proving his point.

The bubble with over 270 Republican filibusters since 2009. That bubble. The “Mitch McConnell Pervert The Senate Into a Campaign Gimmick” bubble.

The filibuster is intended to keep the minority from being steamrolled by the majority. What does the majority keeping bills from the floor do?

Oh, and your number is ridiculous. Try again.

28 in the 111th Congress: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/cloture_motions/111.htm

16 so far in the 112th: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/cloture_motions/112.htm

One of the MOST DESPICABLE, UNPRINCIPLED RINOS ever to set foot in the US Senate will soon be gone—YYYYYEEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!

At least the lunatic-left d-cRAT socialists make it very clear that they hate America, they hate Christians, they want to destroy free enterprise and everything else that made America great, and they want to create a bankrupt socialist entitlement state where everybody is a slave to BIG GOVERNMENT. Because of that, I can have more respect for these d-cRAT socialists than for  duplicitous, mealy-mouthed, two-faced, unprincipled closet d-cRAT-supporting RINOs like snowe.

Now, if we could also replace: AMNESTY-JOHN mccain, mccain’s mini-me Lindsay Graham, Scott Brown, Lisa murCOWski, susan collins…..with conservative Americans, America might then have a great future, instead of the current d-cRAT socialist/RINO “Road to Hell” trip into another Greece.

For all the blaming the Senate Political Paralysis, Limpy saw the writing in the polls, She was going down to a embarrassing defeat, People are looking for Conservative leadership, Not Go Along to Get Along Kumbaya lets pass some thing to look like we are doing some thing, and go have a beer, or in Limpy’s case a glass of chardonnay at the local watering hole and have a good laugh at the expense of those Tax Paying Fools who elected us, And figure out how to fool them again.

I did? News to me. I don’t know much about it, which is how I like it.

Pablo -

Cloture motions do not equal filibusters and you know it, Under the rules, a memo declaring a filibuster is adequate. Cloture votes are no longer needed. You know this. The Senate only counts cloture motions, whicj is different than actual filibustered legislation and appointees.

The filibuster is not intended to stop all Senate business, which it has. Ask McConnell. He declared that the Senate now required 60 votes to do anything.

Why are left-leaning women so ugly?

stop trolling please 

A filibuster is endless debate. Cloture motions are to end debate and proceed to a vote. There can only be a filibuster if a cloture motion fails. Go ahead and count ‘em. I did.

That will come as a shock to Hollywood, you shallow imbecile.

 No, she was a lock for reelection.

 Clearly you know nothing about Maine.  She was headed for certain reelection.

We are due to get some major snowfall tonight and tomorrow, so please come visit us.
We can cover you in the cold, white stuff.  It may stimulate your consciousness…if only a little.

She was a moderate Republican who will be missed. There are so few moderates left from either side to fend off the nuts on the far corners.

I guess that’s the best thing for you to say…don’t want to open that can of worms do ya’?

Spin it any way you want, but if that was true She wouldn’t be leaving.

A little woman threw some guy under a bus?

What exactly do you post here except comments critical of other people’s comments? I mean you act like you are some hall monitor, a busy body, but only to liberals, not to vile stupid trash that some righties post (which you obviously approve of)

your comment is half true.. it is the right wing that has gone further right and become the extreme… and sadly they pull moderate dems to the right away from the center where they started.    there are no extremist dems in washington, no liberals at all..   

so cute to see your utter ignorance on how our government is supposed to work.

^^^ this is the intellect of the republican party

You’re even more correct than that: how can anyone rationalize Bob Kerrey running again in Nebraska with any narrative that includes a D purge? It simply can’t be done. 

Droopy Dog purged himself.

Please, open them. Spill them all about. Share them with all your worm-eating friends. Be my guest. No problem there. I invite it.

Evan Bayh was so awful he made even Lieberman look good. Bayh also wasn’t purged: he simply recognized he had no support in the Dem Senate Caucus & decided to be true to his heart moved on himself to the thing his life-long true love. 

Money.

Non Sequitur.

You are so cute, must be a product of our vaunted public education system, since you don’t seem to know proper capitalization.

Which would also mean that You are the one who doesn’t have a clue about how our government is suppose to work.

R U saying Mitch McConnell is perverting the Senate, or that he’s an actual pervert? Either was works; I just want clarity.

Pablo -

Nope. Under Senate Rule 22 (as changed in 1975), a filibuster only requires that 41 Senators state that they intend to filibuster.
http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/a/filibuster.htm

 McConnell is perverting the US Senate by using the rules – which are fine – to block and and all legislation that the president supports simply to accomplish his stated legislative goal of denying Obama a second term.

That is the perversion of purpose right there. Unseating an incumbent president is a political goal. Making it a legislative goal denies the represented (Us, The People) actual governance.

No need to…the person that needs to know already does…you.

“you realize you’re just wasting digital space” 
Don’t be an idiot: by the physics of “digital space” Mediaite itself is almost entirely a waste. There is quite literally no such thing as limited “digital space”: take any number you choose & you can add on to it & never get to “Full”. The digital representation of even one human on this planet of more than 7 billion is larger than the total amount of digital information produced in the entire history of humanity since we diverged off the monkey line 6 million years ago, & each of our wave functions collapse at a rate that approaches the Planck length. More than 75 billion neutrinos travel through the smallest hair on your arm every second of your existence, & the digital representation of their passage over the period of an hour exceeds the entire output of CERN over the last year by more than a factor of ten. 

There are plenty of moderate Dems, in fact, most Dems are moderate in comparison to the Republicans.  The Republicans move farther and farther to the right, and the Dems move farther and farther to the center.  Look at the last two Democratic Presidents.  Clinton and Obama’s policy positions would have been considered conservative before the 1980′s.

 Thanks ! Now I need a sling shot [a 'wrist rocket' model will do] and Pablo in a “The Scream” pose and thanks to you we can maybe deal with his “more here than meets the eye” paranoia. LOL !!

 I do not think its is the Illuminati, it is more likely the Ignorati Conservatas on a day pass from the Arkham Asylum, and the people of Gotham wanna end the day passes for these people.

Well maybe she decided not to be a member of a party that has declared war on her gender. Maybe she has had it with the lock step goose stepping her party demands of its members. Could be that she had a meeting with Paulie Shore and saw signs of escalating KUH-RAY-ZEE on the horizon in her party.

It’s not strange that she decided to get out of the race (she would have won) at this time, it gave anyone who wanted a chance to get in and she is a nice Lady for making sure her state had some real choices for the up coming election.

And since when is it not normal for someone to decide enough is enough? it is in fact what she is implying and has stated in so many words.

Lieberman changed his status to Independent and endorsed republicans and caucused with the republicans, he then jumped the fence -AGAIN- to get a committee Chairmanship and then kept right [wing] on being a good little republican stooge.

 It has nothing to do with this:

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2012/02/29/hmmmmmmm-38/

You realize that Snowe’s decision to leave, was her own… right? Isn’t that the same as Bayh?

Either both were “purged” or neither were.

Lieberman was the Democratic VP nominee… but a few years later, when MoveOn pressured all Democrats to go against the Afghan and Iraq conflicts, he said no. He fought for more troop support, instead of listening to Harry “The war is lost” Reid.

As a result, he faced a primary challenge, and lost due to the support of far-left sources. But won overwhelmingly in the general election.

He was purged from the Democratic party (but still worked with Democrats and Republicans, as he did before), because he wasn’t far left enough, and is an example of the left kicking out moderate voices.

Call him a “stooge” if you will… you only prove my point.

What in the hell are you talking about?

@yahoo-IZJ5434L4MAGZXPU3ZWMBUCVOQ:disqus
Thank’s buddy! I look forward to your continuing stalking… but really wish you could provide me with something a little more interesting.

But once again, you tell me all about what I’ve posted. Are you sure? Do you really know? How much of my stuff have you read?

And don’t you think it’s a little ironic to call me a “hall monitor,” when it really seems the only person who’s comments you’re concerned with are… well… mine? If I’m a “hall monitor,” that would make you a what? I’m sticking with “stalker,” but perhaps you have something more clever.

I write where I feel it necessary. Some attack posts are just too stupid to comment on (both right and left), and some are just stupid enough, that the writer should be told to try harder (I hate lazy sarcasm). If you’re not a fan, please continue your stalking of me… or (to save time, both yours and mine) just scroll on past it!

Thanks for playing!

@google-f8abe41c298771d546cf4dfca0aea89e:disqus
You take yourself very seriously, don’t you? Yes, most loons do.

Tell the one about Donahue again… I’m still laughing.

Wow. You actually link to hotair and expect to be taken seriously? Fascinating.

 Along with the fact that he hasn’t lived in ME for 18 years.

Wow, you can’t bother to read a story from the Sunlight Foundation? Little wonder you’re so bloody ignorant.

I think he’s engaging in some wild fantasizing about what a face off between us might look like. As Bugs Bunny used to say, “He don’t know me very well, do he?”

As for Snowe, the Sunlight Foundation is doing some fact based speculating: http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2012/snowe/

There are 3 weeks until the primary, nitwit. She’s hosing her state party by dropping out now and leaving it scrambling for a new candidate.

So, McConnell has prevented the Senate from passing anything? That’s obviously, evidently false. And you know it. But here you are arguing it anyway, as though McConnell even had that within his power. He doesn’t.

HotAir gets rated as one of the top websites. Period. Keep up exGOPman.

 He can’t help himself.

Pablo: “So, McConnell has prevented the Senate from passing anything? That’s
obviously, evidently false. And you know it. But here you are arguing it
anyway, as though McConnell even had that within his power. He doesn’t.”

Of course he does. He brags about using that authority, which the minority leader does have. Perhaps a read of the actual Senate rules and not talking points would help. See, as Minority Leader, under Rule 22, he can notify the Majority Leader that he has 41 Senators who will vote against cloture, thus declaring a filibuster. And he has. Literally hundreds of times since 2009. including on appointees that have huge bipartisan support.

You refusal to even acknowledge that McConnell declared this strategy and has employed it is unfortunate. And I bet if the majority shifts Republican and the Democrats use this strategy you will be screaming as per the talking points.

And that is exactly why we will never solve any problems. Because neither side is adult enough or honest enough to admit what is obvious.

She is full of it….she is leaving because her hubby is about to be indicted for fraud in the college scam he has been running to get money from the feds….just released info hitting the nets now.

This clown is a RINO and the voters are telling her exactly how they feel about her.