I just thought this was funny:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/...
A spirited Sen. Frank Lautenberg formally announced Friday he would not seek re-election in 2014, a decision his office made public the day prior.
As he stepped into the event in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey, the longtime senator was greeted by thunderous applause from supporters, campaign staff and friends.
"Is it too late to change my mind?" Lautenberg joked as he approached the podium to speak. - CNN, 2/15/13
Lautenberg also took a swipe at Newark Mayor Cory Booker who is running for his seat:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Asked later about a Booker candidacy, Lautenberg criticized the mayor for seeming more concerned about his growing national profile than the fate of New Jersey’s largest city.
“It’s so funny, because my office is in Newark and every day that I go to work, I go to Newark. Every day I go to work, he leaves,” Lautenberg quipped, adding later that “I’d encourage him to finish the job that has to be done in Newark. We still have a lot of violence, we still have a lot of inconvenience.” - Washington Post, 2/14/13
But Lautenberg isn't leaving without settling some unfinished business:
http://www.mcall.com/...
Lautenberg, a self-made multimillionaire businessman who became a leading liberal voice in the Senate, offered no reason for his decision to retire from Congress, but vowed to keep working for constituents until his Senate term ends in January 2015.
"This is not the end of anything, but rather the beginning of a two-year mission to pass new gun safety laws, protect children from toxic chemicals, and create more opportunities for working families in New Jersey," he said in a statement made public Thursday. - Morning Call, 2/15/13
Morning Call also gives a brief summary of Lautenberg's profile:
Lautenberg was first elected to the Senate in 1982, after incumbent Democrat Harrison Williams quit in a bribery scandal.
Lautenberg had retired from the Senate in 2000, saying he was tired of chasing campaign contributions. But in 2002 he came out of political retirement at age 78, again helping the Democrats retain a seat after Sen. Robert Torricelli dropped his re-election bid amid corruption charges involving improper gifts from a businessman.
He was last re-elected in 2008 at age 84.
The World War II veteran was a co-founder, former chairman and chief executive of the payroll services company Automatic Data Processing. - Morning Call, 2/15/13
We will miss you Senator. You were a true progressive through and through. We'll probably be seeing a primary battle between Booker and Congressman Frank Pallone (D. NJ-6) so we shall have to stay tuned. Either way, it's solid blue so I am not too worried.