Iowa's Sen. Harkin [D] to retire: Won't seek re-election

KWWL.com ^ | 1-26-2013 | Dan Schillinger

[fieldmarshaldj]

CUMMING (AP) - Iowa Senator Tom Harkin said he will not seek re-election in 2014.

The 73-year-old told The Associated Press in an interview, "It's just time to step aside."

By the time Harkin would finish a sixth term, he would be 81 years old.

[fieldmarshaldj]

A great pick-up opportunity for us with the right candidate. Harkin has been in Congress continuously since 1974, elected as a "Watergate Baby."

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Dungheap Harkin...that POS?

[Mouton]

and don’t let the door hit you in the backside on the way out, comrade.

[hinckley buzzard]

Excellent news. One of the more obtuse and ignorant men ever to disgrace the Senate.

[C210N]

I go for both: Harken to swiftly and hastily exit thru the door, AND a just as SWIFT HEAVY WHACK of the that door on his backside.

[originalbuckeye]

Right age to retire and I suspect he wants to vote for the Gun Control Bill when it comes up. Dems who have to stand again in 2014 do not want to jeopardize their reelection chances by voting for a Bill that they do want to see proceed.

[reagan_fanatic]

Good. I can’t stand that smug prick.

[PghBaldy]

August 18, 2004

TOM HARKIN, FAKE WAR HERO

http://www.instapundit.com/archives/017246.php

It is short and has some details about lies bout being a pilot.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*Harkin to retire ping*

[oh8eleven]

Harkin Lied About Vietnam War Record

"In 1979, Mr. Harkin, then a congressman, participated in a round-table discussion arranged by the Congressional Vietnam Veterans' Caucus.
'I spent five years as a Navy pilot, starting in November of 1962,' Mr. Harkin said at that meeting, in words that were later quoted in a book, Changing of the Guard, by Washington Post political writer David Broder.
'One year was in Vietnam. I was flying F-4s and F-8s on combat air patrols and photo-reconnaissance support missions. I did no bombing.'"

The Journal continues:
"That clearly is not an accurate picture of his Navy service. ... Mr. Harkin's Navy record shows his only decoration is the National Defense Service Medal, awarded to everyone on active service during those years.
He did not receive either the Vietnam Service medal or the Vietnam Campaign medal, the decorations given to everyone who served in the Southeast Asia theater."
"It turned out Mr. Harkin had not seen combat and was stationed in Japan."

Harkin - little more than a feckin' wannabee.

[elhombrelibre]

He is one of the biggest disgraces and dumbest men to ever serve in the Senate.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I expect the GOP establishment may try to persuade Gov. Branstad to run (which means he won’t run for another term as Governor), but he will be 68 and should’ve run against Harkin back in 1990 after he finished his first two terms as Governor. Conservatives will want Congressman Steve King, fresh off a difficult reelection.

Dem side could be a bloodbath, with perhaps both Dem Congressmembers, ex-Govs. Vilsack and Culver all getting in, though I expect there will be pressure to unify behind a single candidate (if I had to guess, probably Vilsack). Still, this should be an excellent pick-up opportunity for us in what should be a good GOP year in 2014.

[Bellagio]

"...Harkin said it would also allow a new generation of Democrats to seek higher office."

Higher office? This idiot along with the rest of his commie comrades truly think that being elected elevates or exalts them into positions of autocracy. They don’t get that being elected into public service degrades you into a servant for the people. It is not a higher office but a position of humble servitude, honor and respect for the office they represent and the PEOPLE who own that office!

[csmusaret]

Please take Little Dick Durbin with you.

[jjotto]

Sounds good, but Iowa Republicans have no bench.

Beyond Branstad, there’s Steve King and Tom Latham and a big list of wannabes.

I’d pick Matt Shutlz, but he’s probably too young and too ‘divisive’.

With Paultards running the state party while ordinary R voters are ‘moderate’, I expect a disaster and another lib Democrat senator.

[Waywardson]

Well, that’s a good morale booster. Thanks!

NOT!

[Dick Bachert]

Like the “men” who snuck into the lifeboats as the Titanic sank, these clowns are bailing before the shit hits the fan.

My Titanic reference breaks down when we understand that, unlike the cowards aboard Titanic, our current cowards steered our sinking ship of state straight into the iceberg at full speed, laughing all the way.

And, in a classic example that no bad deed goes unrewarded, instead of arriving back on land excoriated by others for their shameful behavior, these clowns now shuffle off to a cushy taxpayer funded retirement! THAT is something we really must fix by returning “service” to public service and rotating these clowns every few years with TERM LIMITS and seiously reduced retirement benes.

[RckyRaCoCo]

Interesting, though I take issue with this line....

"...The blogosphere has clearly shown the world that there are a whole host of stories that old media doesn't cover out of sheer "laziness"

LOL! Pure bullsh t. It's not laziness...they are enablers, partners in crime...their job is to deflect/re-focus attention away from their corrupt comrades and instead dump on their ideological opposites.

Patton(movie): "You and Ike don't have to get involved, you're so damn soft about it. You leave it to me. In ten days I'll have us a war with those sons-a-bitches and I'll make it look like their fault."

...mix in some Saul Alinsky tactics and you control the narrative to an(extremely)gullible public.

Conservatives better figure out a way to combat this strategy(aside from politics/spineless GOP politicians)...or game over.

[PghBaldy]

You are right about that.

[Perdogg]

Steven King for US Senate?