Last of the Blue Dogs

This is great news. Heath Shuler is retiring. The GOPer majority in the statehouse that the clueless voters in my part of country put into office redistricted him out of job. He was useless as Dem. Never understood why he didn't just run as a Republican in the first place. It's not like he ever voted with the Democrats when it counted.

First elected in 2006, Shuler built a brand as a fiscal conservative unafraid to break with Democratic leadership on issues of spending, voting against President Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus bill as well as healthcare reform.

He also launched an unsuccessful attempt to oust Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) from her position as the Democratic leader in the House after the party lost control of the majority in the 2010 midterm elections.

I've long maintained it's better to just give up the district to a Republican rather than dilute the Democratic brand with an idiot who votes with the GOP anyway. The voters in his district are never going to understand the GOP is screwing them otherwise. Good riddance.

[More posts daily at the Detroit News.]