At last a Republican senator wises up!

After 2 years of Republicans purposely sabotaging & creating gridlocks for the Democrats and the bills, initiatives and proposals they created and supported for the improvement of citizens of this nation. Republicans rather have themselves and Democrat look inept or incompetent and claim that as a sort of twisted victory but they do not realize that it greatly harms the American people and denies them of improvements & new services that would benefit their lives.

But, the American people are not stupid, in the last election they voted in almost 60 Democratic Senators & more than 250 Democratic House Representatives. They know that the Republicans caused Congress to be inept and not maximize their potential over the needs of the American people. When a political party like the Republicans values and cares more about its twisted & counter productive agenda over the interests & needs of its people then the political party becomes obsolete, selfish, closed minded & a social pariah.

No one can either forget the failures and disasters of Bush & his Cabinet:
1. Failed wars
2. Failed Economy
3. Ignoring & denying intelligence prior to 9/11 indirectly causing more than 3,000 deaths
4. Betrayal of CIA agent Valerie Plame
5. Betrayal of U.S. soldiers by denying them body armor & vehicle plating armor
6. Failed preparations & reaction to hurricane Katrina
7.Torturing & Executing prisoners of war which only strengthens & enlarge terrorist groups
8. Failures in inspecting & repairing nation's infrastructure
9. Stripping citizen rights to sue corporations for malpractice or damages
10. Selling out to oil, weapon, construction & health care corporations over the rights & needs of the American People

Worst Presidents ever: 1. George W. Bush 2. Richard Nixon 3. Warren G. Harding…all Republicans of course!

It is so nice to see that the LIBERAL CNN structure is in place and fully operational. I will be visiting from time to time to see how everyone changes once they see there finances going to Washington and nothing coming back to them. It is a lovely day.

Purple Microdot- What are you talking about? The election was NOT razor thin. Obama won by a landslide-365EV to 173EV and 53% to 46%. Besides, I think Dems will win it.

Ever look closely at a lot of these comments. The sewage spewing hate mongers from BOTH side are something to behold.No wonder this country is in such a mess. Heaven help us!!!!!!!!!!!

Another republican has lost the will to live.

Don't worry, we'll elect another one just like him.

They know they can not win – trying to save face – rep had driven this country downhill they deserve what they got – you simply can not reward failure.

I would take a CIA chief with no intelligence experience and only an excellent and bipartisan record of management over repeated gross and blatant violations of the Constitution any day.

Goodbye Bush and Cheney, hello civil rights and liberties. Finally a chance to reclaim the best of America and our global moral high ground.

Thank you for putting Country first. It's our prayer that all Republicans stop being so selfish and self centered. You just can't get the job done.

I never liked Kit Bond; he was Ashcroft's partner in crime for years…I'm from St, Louis and I say GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH!

At least by then the US will know how corrupt and lying the Democrats really are! So, it won't be a loss for the Republicans at all – but a HUGE landslide AGAINST the Democrats. He's just clearing the way for new blood!

Bob the Observer, go bite down on a rat-tail file and pull it out of your mouth real fast.

You're really TCM aren't you?

Sweet, this will make Claire McCaskill the senior senator of Missoury, I love that woman, she is great!

Thank you….now we can get a democrat to replace him

Good, that's three more seats the Democrats can pick up. That'll make 62 seats in 2010!

I worked for Senator Bond. He is a wonderful man and he will be greatly missed by the state of Missouri. some may complain, but he has brought so much money to our state, and that is what we elected him to do. Senator Bond has been a champion in the intelligence community bringing the FISA bill through the Senate this past year.

He is a wonderful and I, and everyone else from Missouri, wish him nothing but the best. Thanks for your wonderful work as governor and Senator for our state. We will miss you.

jstar19-

You should say it more often, because you can't spell it.

Larry in Houston, TX.

This is all you need to see from a President? Put together a cabinet and then you'll vote for him again in four years? Sounds like a 50 yard stare.

That's how GW Bush got elected twice. "I'd still like to sit down and have a beer with him. Let's re-elect him!!!"

Let's see what he does with his first term on the job, then decide on our vote.
Doesn't that sound more like an open minded, educated voter?

Mick in Mesa, don't speak for all us Missourians. MANY of us would gladly help him pack up his things.

Hector, George H W Bush had no intelligence experience when he took over the CIA and his tenure was highly regarded.

They're not in power any more so they are jumping ship. Sore losers, all of them. Let them all quit so the Democrat majority can become even more filibuster proof.

If they aren't going to run for re-election in 2010, why don't they just resign now.

Red state, Blue state, doesn't matter, any republican running for office in 2010 is toast unless they get with the program and start offering up more than idiological objections to the president's programs. They've been invited to contribute if they have anything positive to contribute. The only ones who have a prayer of being re-elected in 2010 is if they are productive so let's get with it!

Hector, your whole comment is ignorant. So how many promises has any President made during a campaign that they were able to keep, very few. You would think you wetodd's would want the next administration to succeed with the way things are now. You knitwits better put your bitterness in check and do what you can to help get this country back on track or we will be known as the country formaly known as the United States. There are as many Republicans who are ultra corrupt as Democrats. And as long as thier is big money in politics, there will be corruption. The only thing we can do as cictizens is try not to elect these types. President Obama will do a good job, I am confident. We have nowhere to go but up. Now to the topic: it is sure strange to see all the Republicans hitting the eject button. Kind of tells you the state of the Republican Party. I hope the Republicans can find it in themselves to get back on track and get rid of these idiots running thier party into the ground, otherwise the party will continue to be a minority in politics.

After a year, he'll be working with lobbyist like the rest of the retired congressmen.

Let them all retire!

Wave good bye to another hypocritical holy roller everyone!

Will the last person in the GOP please turn off the lights before they leave…

Larry-

When the democrats win, it is usually to fix the screw ups that the republicans created.

For all the jubilation being expressed over this old man's retirement, there should be some concern for Missourians. Though he's a strong conservative that I don't agree with, this leaves Missouri's senate delegation with no seniority on the Hill. Like it or not, this isn't a good thing for Missouri jobs and the sort….

Good riddance especially to Brownback, he is a real nut case.

@Mark from Washington University. McCain hasn't taken any pork his entire time in the Senate. You need to get educated before throwing stones. Obama however has taken plenty, except for this year, when he suddenly got religion.

Darn I wish Bond would run again, just to see voters repudiate him so he can taste defeat at the ballot box as another red state is turning blue……

LOOK OUT , MISSOURI HAS IT'S SHARE OF DO NOTHING DEMOCRATS IN POLITICS, SOME ARE AS CORRUPT AS ONES IN ILLINOIS . THEY ALSO KNOW HOW TO LIE. VERY SUCESSFULLY .

Finally!

All the rats jumping the "Palinized" pirate ship.

Obviously it is just time for a new generation of politicians to take center stage. Even though most politicians have their own share of mess, some have been rolling in mess longer than others. Maybe new ideas and a new energy will arise. Maybe a new generation of republicans will serve the country better than the ones we currently have and the same for the Dems.

I love the ignorant comments that libs make, these next four years of watching Obama fail at making good on the ridiculous promises he's made will be SWEET!!!. Now I get to be the whinney citizen blaming everyting negative on the President no matter who else is involved. Thank you to Blagojevich, and Burris and Bill Richardson for showing us the tip of the Iceberg for lib behavior….whats next a CIA chief with no experience?!?!?

While it is good news for the home team that Bond is not going to run again, former Rep. Gov. Blunt will probably try to take his seat……and as we here in Missouri say, "Blunt Trama!!"

Must be something about not getting their way anymore that's got a bunch of repugs dropping like flies. There's a new Sherriff in town and his name is President Obama. I'm loving every minute of this!!!

The Senate is no fun.

Robin Carnahan will be the next senator from Missouri.

Mari January 8th, 2009 12:38 pm ET
…vile politics of hate, lies, fear and division.
_________________________________
Sounds just like the current Democratic party leaders.
Reid, Pelosi, Franks, etc.
Funny how those in power tend to let it go to their heads.
2010 will be interesting indeed.

Purple Microdot – yes, it was razor thin…but here's the deal…..when Obama runs again, it will be a landslide…The reason ? There is more people now, that will vote for him, because the GOP such as (Palin) & others) smeared him…..Now, they are finding out that since he put together a cabinet that is so impressive, so, in 2012 he will wn by a landslide….

When the Democrats WIN—–The United States LOSES.—–
The government is the problem,not the solution!!!!!

Let's clean the house and senate of all rethuglicans!

I agree with Purple Microdot that this may be one of the most interesting Senate races in 2010. But I do think the democrats have a chance. Claire McCaskill was able to unseat the republican incumbent. Of course whichever dem runs in 2010 will not be able to fan the flames of anti-Bushism like McCaskill did to win the seat.

please send in some modern thinkers – times they are a'changing!

It's interesting that so many Republican members of Congress are bailing out. Maybe they did not like what the Republican Cental Committe was trying to do, setting up a facist police state under Bush, and want to get far away from that treasonous cabal.

BTW, The only REAL Americans are the indigenous people, Athabascan, Iroquois, Cheyenne, Sioux, Apache, Yahi, Tinglit, etc, so shut up "REAL American, unless you are one of the native tribes.

And if you are, I hope you are hunting with wooden spears hurled with an atltl, and tipped with Folsom projectiles made of flint, otherwise your drivel about liberals and modern technology is just another example of conservative hypocrisy.

Maybe they has seen the handwriting on the wall…GOP is toast.

Now maybe Missouri,Florida & Kansas now will get to have a better choice…NO more bible thumpers or neocons…Just centrests who listen to the people, not the church.

I thank God that these comment forums are composed mostly of people who do not resemble the American mainstream. Bitter, bitter,bitter. Most sound like frustrated suicide bombers looking for a place to hate.

Wow, when those of us who work for a living venture in here, it's a real surprise to see what those who stay at home are like.

Campaign Diaries has a detailed analysis of what we should now expect from Missouri: which party has the best bench, which party has the best potential candidate and which party will probably go through a divisive primary process that will leave it bruised for the general election.

I see alot of freezers full of cash,but he cant remember what stores they were in.

typical republican screw everything up.THEN HEAD FOR THE HILLS.they have no clue how to fix bushes mess.

When the Democrats WIN—–The United States LOSES.

I think some of the Republicans know that their party is being taken over by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and his hate filled followeres, the far right so called Christrians, the likes of Sarah Palin and her followers and now we have another up and coming super star Republican….Joe the Plumber……..can't you see why he is going to Gaza? He's going so he can say he has foriegn policy experience so when Sarah runs for President she will call on Joe the plumber for her VP and with this so called Foreign Policy experience he will have under his belt, the far far out their right wing christrian collition will proclaim Palin and Jo Jo the next President and VP in 2012

Abandoning their colleagues, are they? Is this a testament to their generation, is it an willingness to 'change', to accept bipartisanship, to embrace inclusion and say no to derision?

Or then again, the poor souls could just be looking forward to some peace and quiet.

I'm a native Missourian and I'll admit that many people in out-state MO have a less-than-progressive view of the nation and the world. But there's also a lot of people here who are keeping up and making incredible contributions to science, technology, policy, etc.

It should also be noted that Obama had notable support in the rural areas of the state as well as the urban areas. Bush has done a terrific job of helping many rural voters see the potential in the progressive views of Obama.

@ Mick in Mesa: Don't forget that we elected a dead man over John Ashcroft for the Senate in 2000.

But why, he's a white republican – he's got another good 20 years of blundering in office left in him. Where are all the old coots going? Think of the graft he'll be missing out on!

ANOTHER FAT CAT DOING THE FAMOUS REPUBLICAN GOLDEN RULE——'STEPPING DOWN'

Mick – I don't think anyone from Arizona has a right to point out Missourians as non-progressive. Not only are we the nation's bellwether state and the home of President Truman, but we have shown our progressive nature in recent years as well. In 2006, we defeated our Republican Senator and voted in Democrat Claire McCaskill – one of only four U.S. Senators to not take a dime of pork in the 110th Congress: can't say the same for your Sens. McCain and Kyl. Also, we just elected a Democratic governor by a 20% margin, and was the closest of any state in the Presidential Election – not voting overwhelmingly for McCain as did AZ.

The "good" people of Missouri are much more progressive than you care to acknowledge – as one myself, I am offended by your puerile obstinacy and suggest that you formulate a reasonable argument before you attempt to belittle that which you do not understand.

Kit Bond has served Missouri for Decades. But I am now excited that we in Missouri will have the opportunity to elect someone fresh who can come along with the times and move out of the past. Whoever replaces him will hopefully work with Sen. McCaskill to help better our lives.

This will be an interesting seat to watch. I doubt that it will be won by the Dems, but the recent election between Obama and McCain was razor thin. I think that McCain won the state with a few thousand votes. Missouri is the new swing state – along with Ohio and Florida. Perhaps a "conservative" democrat could win this state. My advice to the GOP is to run a "moderate-convervative" for this seat. The best thing to do in this political climate is to work for the center. Missouri still has a large GOP base voter population and with a few percentage points from people in the political center – I think that the GOP can keep this seat.

Wow! Bond and Brownback! Now if Inhofe, Coburn and Bennett resign we might actually have a Senate that doesn't shove their personal religious beliefs off on an unwilling public. Good-bye, Kit!

As I recall, the GOP did quite well in the 2004 Senate races. Consequently, those freshman will be up for re-election in 2010. Freshman are always more vulnerable, especially given the freshman won on the coattails of a president who is now wildly unpopular and will still likely be unpopular two short years from now.

good!

The old Republican dinosaurs are retiring. They have only themselves to blame for the death of the Republican party. The GOP has allowed itself to be highjacked by the hate-mongers of AM radio; they have appealed to the dysfunctional minority of our Nation who fears education, 'others' and is entrenched in some distant past when America 'was great'.

Republicans have lost and will continue to as long as they insist on their vile politics of hate, lies, fear and division. Our Nation spoke loud and clear, we reject their politics. We reject the AM radio-hate-mongers, Faux News and all that the GOP stands for.

2010 may be very similar to the last two election cycles when more republicans announced that they will not seek re-election. Being a minority party means less influence and little ability to shape policy. The republicans face an internal fight for the control of their party and many doubt their chances for a quick return. Leaving government for the more lucrative private sector has more appeal.

Bailing ship on the GOP.

This is a very happy day for this MIssourian!

Yeah, donkeys are better for traveling through treacherous mountains, to get to the promised land. Elephants' butts are too big. They gave W a blank check for 5 trillion dollars and they're complaining about Obma's 1 trillion stimulus package, that will actually, pull us out of the HOLE.

Good riddance.

However rethugs supporting Bush/Cheney and our countries ruination should be arrested.

Another bible banging thumper gone!

His pockets are filled now he can retire.

buh bye

No great loss!

Another rat fleeing the sinking ship!

Good – another plantation rethuglicon is going out to pasture.

Maybe the "good" people of Missouri will get a chance to elect someone that better represents the 21st century rather than the 19th. Wishful thinking given the state…

I too met Governor/Senator Bond on several occasions. I think he has had a good career, not as good as he could of had but better than most. We still need good Republican conseravtive senators to balance congress. Unfortunately, congress never works together and thus is the failure and cause of much of or economic issues. Sorry, its not the President's fault, it is congress. Obama will get things done only because he has a majority in congress. Getting things done doesn't mean getting it done right either.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, YEA! Trust me, he won't be missed.

He is probably tired of the direction the republican party is going. You thank the republicans for this . Look who they choose for the canidate of President and the one for V.P. They better come up with someting better for 2012. Lets hope and pray Palin wont be on the ticket or you all be doomed again.

If the Dems play their cards right, they can win these seats

Another one bites the dust!!

12 days till the end of the Bush administration

Let the bum go. Who cares?

Another GOP leaving the pack. Good bye and good riddence!!!

Even though Mr. Bond was instrumental in securing funds for a new and much needed bridge crossing the Missouri river, in my town, I am glad that he is stepping aside. My view extends to many members of the U.S. Congress. Often times on an individual and collective basis this "hallowed body" has significantly contributed, to our current economic crises by failing in it's oversight responsibilities of financial markets. In fact, I think it's time for term limits on federal legislators, and I have a ton of ideas on this issue, but don't want to belabor my comments on that topic, at this point in time.

Count me in as one of the Missourians he's disappointed.

Another one bites the dust…bam…

Another Repub. bites the dust.

Thank you!!!
I live in St. Louis, and the bright red glow from the rural areas of this state has been keeping me up at night. I know it's too much to ask because of the idiots who live here, but maybe we can get a Senator to represent our state that isn't a backwards puppet of the GOP.

TERM LIMITS, TERM LIMITS, TERM LIMITS.

WE HAVE TO PUT IN TERM LIMITS. SOME

OF THESE PEOPLE GET IN, LINE THEIR POCKETS

& SIT IN THE CHAIR, DOING NOTHING, ON OUR DIME.

Wow! All these elephants stepping down WHEN we need them to change the future and help out with this MESS. I'm glad McCain is STICKING around to help Obama out and confront him.

One more republican bites the dust! HOORAY!

Good. Let's get a Democrat elected to the Senate from Missouri.

One less republican to deal with.

I met Kit Bond once when he was governor, and at that time I thought he had a bright political future, but he has disappointed many Missourians over the last several years. I'm glad he's stepping down.

Another Republican bites the dust!!

How the mighty have fallen…

Now this is a real smart Idiot. I hope the rest of your party does the samething for the good of the country. God Bless You little Idiot.

I don't really blame him, because it will take years to do anything
for the Republican agenda, becase of what Bush has done to his party……That being said, maybe the Democrats will straighten things out, while it will take years for the Republicans still trying to scratch their heads…..I almost feel sory for them, but I don't…….They've lost touch with the mainstream Americans…..

Another Republican bites the dust…

How the mighty have fallen!!