Posted on 09/30/2013 6:24:15 AM PDT by 6ppc
U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Vestavia Hills, said this morning that he will not seek re-election in 2014.
Bachus, 65, said in a statement released by email that he will retire from congress at the conclusion of his current term in December 2014.
Bachus, who has represented the state's 6th congressional district since 1993, is the senior member of Alabama's congressional delegation.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.al.com ...
Should be a safe Republican seat, no?
I’m sure he’ll be eking out subsistence living on the miserable pension he voted for himself. Oh wait...
He’s smart, understands economics, and was good once upon a time....at one point, but then went domestic......good to see him go.
Yes. Hope we can get a good man into the seat. Bachus wasn't really a rino, but he was an empty suit.
Pretty happy with Mo Brooks so far.
Spencer Stab-us in the Back-us. Good riddance.
It would be nice if more congress critters retired at age 65, which used to be the standard for the hoi polloi until the ObaMao economy made it nigh unto impossible.
was he the health care abortion guy?
Good. Get that RINO out of there. Let’s get us a real Tea Party, Ted-Cruz conservative in this state.
That would be an understatement. The Cook Partisan Voting Index places AL-6 in a tie with TX-13 for the most Republican voting tendencies. The district incorporates most of Birmingham's suburbs, but not the center city.
Bachus has been a solid conservative, with a lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 91.48. Certainly any conservative who lives in a "moderate" area would be proud to be represented by him. But he has compromised (or "sold out," as some would say) on a few issues. A district like this one should be able to elect a real firebrand of a conservative/libertarian/tea partier, one who would not always knuckle under to Boehner, nor support Cantor as Boehner's successor.
I don't agree with some of the dark mutterings about Bachus I've seen on this thread. That said, AL-6 can do better.
Thank you for that assessment.
He was a crook who made a killing on insider information gained from his position. He should be in jail.
Congress ethics office clears Bachus of insider trading" Although he was cleared, I suspect that it was done to bury similar actions by other members of Congress who enrich themselves in public office. Too many coincidences.
Evangelical group backing Rep. Spencer Bachus on pathway to citizenship for immigrants"
It would be even better if congress critters retired on SS benefits and 401-K’s like any other working stiff.
Speaking as 1 who resides in Bachus’ AL-6 and has voted FOR him 6 times, I am not sorry to see him leave. I just worry about who in the GOP will run to fill his seat. I voted against Bachus in the last primary. The word here in AL is that he received huge amounts of campaign donations from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Bachus’ ACU (American Conservative Union) lifetime rating (22 years) was 91.48 - not bad. But Bachus just wasn’t a fighter and has based upon public statements has gone squishy on conservative issues like gun control and immigration reform.
IIRC, Bachus is the Rep. that believed when Obama made a meaningless promise to have exceptions for abortion for Obamacare.
It doesn’t matter if the GOP controls the senate if they act and vote like Democrats. Less than 20 stood up for defending Ocare so I would say we need about 30 seats to really take control.
That rush of wind down I-65 you just felt was Parker Griffith moving to Birmingham.
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