Senator Snowe (R-ME) Retires from Senate

Olympia Snow, the senior senator from Maine and one of the few remaining moderate Republicans in the upper chamber of congress announced she will not seek reelection this fall. The decision is a surprise as Snow had won more than 60% of the vote in each of her previous senate elections and was favored again for victory this year. She explained her move in a press release: "...Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term. So at this stage of my tenure in public service, I have concluded that I am not prepared to commit myself to an additional six years in the Senate, which is what a fourth term would entail..." "As I enter a new chapter, I see a vital need for the political center in order for our democracy to flourish and to find solutions that unite rather than divide us. It is time for change in the way we govern, and I believe there are unique opportunities to build support for that change from outside the United States Senate." The move gives a boost to the democrats who should pick up the seat in the fall. The two declared democratic candidates are the former Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap and Jon Hinck--a member of the Maine House of Representatives and founding member of the environmental group Greenpeace USA. Read the full story here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-02-28/snowe-retirement-Maine-politics/53292996/1 Add TDC to your circles on Google+ https://plus.google.com/100134925804523235350/posts Join the conversation on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/thedailyconversation Follow The Daily Conversation on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/thedailyconvo