Republican Congressman Henry Brown is expected to announce his retirement this morning.

The Newsless Courier ^ | 01/04/2010 | Staff Report

[Salo]

Rep. Henry Brown expected to announce retirement today Staff report Monday, January 4, 2010

Republican Congressman Henry Brown is expected to announce his retirement this morning.

Brown will release a statement at 10:15 a.m., according to his longtime political consultant, Rod Shealy.

Columbia-based blog, The Palmetto Scoop, first reported the news this morning.

[Salo]

Good riddance.

[Salo]

SC Ping, please.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

Is this a safe pubbie seat? Do we have to be concerned?

[Conan the Librarian]

Didn’t he get caught up in some kind of scandal back in the 80s or early 90?

I was dating a young lady back then who said she had a cousin named brown who was a SC congressman. Guess it was him.

[wita]

A RINO I can only presume.

[Salo]

It’s too safe a pubbie seat. I am hoping a conservative can take it instead of a bailout-loving squish.

[Cheetahcat]

RINO Right up there with His buddy in the Senate.

[9YearLurker]

Let’s hope DeMint has been doing some good recruiting.

[feedback doctor]

Yes, good riddance.

Let’s hope Katherine Jenerette runs for this seat.

[Salo]

As far as I know, the only “scandal” he has been involved in is burning leaves during a no-burn warning that set a small forest fire.

I don’t think he’s a criminal sleazeball, but he isn’t reliable enough for me. He’s better than “Loafers” Graham, but he’s no DeMint. And, yes, I know he’s a rep, not a senator. :-)

[Peter Horry]

A lot of people must feel the same way I do about the “bailout” and weren’t impressed with his explanation “it’s a terrible bill but we have no choice”.

Then his Democrat opponent’s platform was more conservative than Brown’s... guess nobody believed her.

Isn’t there a Freeper interested in that seat?

[perfect_rovian_storm]

Barrett and Inglis next please.

[Salo]

Katherine Jenrette is a freeper who may be interested in running: she ran against him in the primary last time.

[joethedrummer]

What??? a CONGRESS-critter RETIRING???

I thought they hang on and hang on and keep voting from their death-beds!

Right, Sen. Byrd? Sen. Kennedy??

[mad_as_he$$]

KJ used to post here. Really like her. Hope she does run again.

[geologist]

So why is he retiring? We see over and over elected officials stay (getting pushed out to vote in a wheel chair and having some one help them put their thumb on the button to vote. It is a gravy train that few leave. Mostly it is the good ones that can not abide the methods of deceit, bribery, self aggrandizement that is going on constantly, etc.

WHY leave now? Somehow it seems strange. There have been a few that have announced their intent to not run for reelection, but to cut short one’s term is out of the box. MO

[Mr Fuji]

It used to be a safe district but not anymore. It was Mark Sanford's Congressional seat back in the 90’s and was considered “safe” then through Brown's first term or two. The last election a fairly liberal democrat ran against Brown and barely lost 48-52%. That's a little too close to be safe. I don't know if it was that close because the district has changed that much or if it was Brown fatigue.

I'm hoping Katherine Jenerette runs again and wins solidly!

[Mr Fuji]

Quite a few believed her because she almost pulled it off. I'm glad enough folks didn't fall for the blue dog dem trick because I'm pretty sure she is a liberal.

Yes, there is a freeper interested and her name is Katherine Jenerette (kjenerette). I'm hoping she makes a run!!!

[kjenerette]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katherine Jenerette for U.S. Congress 2010

PHOTOS and BIO at: http://www.jenerette.com

SUBJECT: US Congressional Candidate Katherine Jenerette Comments on the Retirement of U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, Jr., 1st District South Carolina

DATE: Monday, January 04, 2010

As a former US Congressional Aide and Field Representative for the 1st Congressional District, I know first-hand how Representative Henry Brown, Jr. has served the people of the District and the State of South Carolina with dedication and devotion to us all. His public service to the people of our state in the Congress and the State Legislature that stretched over decades can only be measured as selfless and committed. I have the greatest respect for Congressman Brown and his wife, Billye and family and know that they have always kept the best interest of the people close to them.

When I announced my 2010 Campaign the day after the 2008 Election, I had already received reliable inside information from confidential sources close to Capitol Hill that informed me that Congressman Brown had planned to retire and it would be his last term.

Now we’ve got a street fight on our hands to keep this Congressional seat in the Republican camp - the blood is in the water and we better show up prepared to go toe-to-toe this election time.

My time as a field representative for our district has allowed me to understand the nuts and bolts of local, state and federal government at work with one another. I understand our business concerns, our tourism industry, our environmental concerns, our veterans’ issues and needs, and our growing retiree population’s concern for their future.

All the people of the 1st Congressional District – businessmen, veterans, families, senior citizens, Republicans, Democrats and Independents need aggressive, dedicated and committed representation in Washington DC. Our coastal regional district holds the key to the economic recovery of the entire state.

I understand all too clearly that being a congressman is about representing people who get up in the morning, go to work, or send their kids to school, open the doors of their businesses and do the best they can in a bureaucratic framework with rules made in Washington. Right now, there’s too much Washington involved in our day-today lives.

I’ve been in local, state and national politics and I know this is going to be an uphill fight. But, you don’t get into South Carolina politics without expecting every political and personal enemy you ever had to sharpen their knives and come after you. I expect it to be a tough campaign and I expect Congress to be even tougher but I fight as tough as I talk.

I wish Congressman Brown well on his retirement and feel grateful that I had the opportunity to work with him in the past for the people of Horry, Georgetown, Charleston, Berkley, and Dorchester Counties in the Coastal region of South Carolina.

= = = = = end = = = = =

Background Brief: Katherine Jenerette is a former US Congressional Field Representative for the 1st District, a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, and a US Army Reserve Airborne Officer currently on duty at Fort Bragg were she presently instructs deploying Civil Affairs soldiers in Middle Eastern Special Operations.

Jenerette is a veteran of the district political scene and she finished the June 2008 Republican primary with a solid second place finish in a three-man race against Rep. Brown and Paul Norris gaining nearly twenty-percent of the total vote.

After coming home from the Gulf War, Katherine attended the University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina Campus on a Cross Country and Track scholarship. She graduated from CCU and earned her Masters Degree from USC, Columbia.

Katherine lives in North Myrtle Beach with her husband Van, and their four children. Two of the Jenerette children have followed in their mother’s footsteps and are on the varsity Cross Country team at North Myrtle Beach High School. The Jenerette family is a member of the First Baptist Church in North Myrtle Beach.

= = = = = end = = = = =

[kjenerette]

Thank you all for your kind words and your support. It’s going to be a real tough fight!Because DC has become “Enemy Territory” to our Constitution and our Free Republic.