Posted on 04/20/2005 1:59:39 PM PDT by RWR8189
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords, an independent who triggered one of the most dramatic upheavals in Senate history when he quit the GOP four years ago, intends to retire at the end of his term next year, The Associated Press learned Wednesday.
Jeffords will make the announcement Wednesday afternoon in Burlington, multiple sources in Vermont and Washington told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity.
No calls to Jeffords' press secretary or staff were returned Wednesday morning.
Jeffords, 70, has been adamant in saying he will seek re-election, but there have been increasing concerns voiced about his health in recent weeks. He has suffered from a bad back and neck for years and lately has seemed confused by some questions in several news interviews.
Sources say Jeffords will also cite the ill health of his wife, Liz, as a factor. She has been battling cancer.
Jeffords' surprise decision will unleash a host of candidates to replace him. U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders, the state's only congressman and the only independent in the House, has said he would run if Jeffords did not. Like Jeffords, he votes with the Democrats.
Republicans Richard Tarrant, a business executive, and Gov. James Douglas are also possible contenders.
Former Gov. Howard Dean, now the chair of the Democratic National Committee, had long been rumored as a possible candidate. But Karen Finney, a top aide to Dean, said the former Vermont governor and 2004 presidential hopeful will not be running for the Senate because he's committed to his new duties at the DNC.
Jeffords was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House in 1974 and to the U.S. Senate in 1988, but he abandoned the party in 2001 because of disagreements with the Bush administration.
``In order to best represent my state of Vermont, my own conscience and principles that I have stood for my whole life, I will leave the Republican Party and become an independent,'' said Jeffords on May 24, 2001.
At the time the Senate was evenly divided, and Jeffords' decision to become an independent and caucus with the Democrats put the Democrats in charge of the Senate. They retained power until after the 2002 elections.
Jeffords continues to vote with the Democrats and was a major fund-raiser for them last fall.
Jeffords has maintained in the past two years that he would seek another term in the Senate. He hired campaign staff and has more than $2 million in his campaign account.
But increasing questions about his health have dogged the senator even though his spokesman, Erik Smulson, said just over a week ago that ``Senator Jeffords is in excellent health, and he's looking forward to waging a spirited campaign.''
Bernie Sanders, eh?...out of the fireplace.....
Scumbag must have realized nobody likes a traitor.
Whoopee fricking doo. Like we care if this guy lives or dies. But if Sanders runs, that is our best chance to get somebody from the GOP in there. Even though it will be a liberal, it is still better than having a socialist Dim in there. Its a deep, deep blue state so anybody we have in those areas is just another somebody they don't get to have.
He seems like he'd be tough to beat.
His House seat is statewide every two years, and for the past few years he's been winning handily.
"Health reasons". Yeah, the voters got SICK of him!
Yes, he knows fully well his political career is terminal, with no hope of recovery. His feeding tube has been removed, and he's the one who pulled it.
And this is something new?
The scary part is that Vermont is just a fu**ed up enough state that I can easily see them elect Sanders to the Senate.
So if Bernie runs as a Socialist, do the Dems run their own candidate? Although Sanders will caucus with the Senate Dems, being allied with a socialist is very bad "branding" to use marketing lingo. Any Beltway or Montpelier insider have any thoughts?
No one is going to refer to Sanders as a socialist (even if he calls himself one).
The media will always refer to him as an independent who supports democrats.
The dems would be insane to run anyone against him, since he's another barbra boxer and yet, not a member of the democratic party.
The GOP (sorry to say) will botch this, and screw the pooch, but not forcing democrats in other elections to acknowledge that the party is not fighting against a socialist.
If the GOP is smart and nationalizes this, they get to pull out the socialist tag and slam it one every single dem running for senate.
They won't, and most of this country won't even know that Sanders is a socialist.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Sanders will probably win. Tarrant could have a chance, but Douglas the Governor is spineless and unimpressive and I think that Sanders would beat him easily, unfortunately.
LQ
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
You are right! Run as an "independent", except this time the "independent" might actually side with Pubbies! ROFLMAO
Is there something in the water in New England?
". But if Sanders runs, that is our best chance to get somebody from the GOP in there. Even though it will be a liberal, it is still better than having a socialist Dim in there. "
Brother, you said it!
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