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| Jim Kolbe Retiring from Congress |
| 2005-11-24 |
| U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, a leading proponent of free trade and the only openly gay Republican in Congress, announced Wednesday he won't seek a 12th term in 2006. Kolbe, first elected in 1984, acknowledged in 1996 that he is gay and has often disagreed with his party on gay rights issues. Kolbe, 63, released a statement Wednesday saying it was time that he and his district "walk down different paths." "I make this decision not out of despair or discouragement or even uncertainty about my political prospects for election," he said. "I have both the energy and the enthusiasm for the job I do, and I am confident that I would win re-election if I chose to run." Kolbe said in a conference call later he didn't have specific plans, but he had always wanted to teach or do consulting work. Because of self-imposed Republican term limits, Kolbe will lose the chairmanship of the powerful House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations and export financing in 2006, something that he admits factored into his decision to retire. He said the atmosphere in Washington was also another factor. "The mood on Capitol Hill is not a pleasant one. The mood in our country, politically, is not good," he said. "There's a diviseness that I think we haven't seen in a long time and I worry about that. I like to think that I've been a moderating influence on that." One of the proverbial "cardinals" in Congress - chairman of a panel that determines how much money Congress spends - Kolbe has been a strong proponent of free trade and a key backer of President Bush's Millennium Challenge Account that rewards poor countries that show a commitment to economic and government reform. Former state Rep. Randy Graf, a conservative who challenged Kolbe in 2004, has said he plans to run again in 2006. Kolbe said Wednesday he wasn't backing anyone, but when asked, he dismissed Graf as a viable candidate to win a general election. Other Republicans mentioned as possible candidates for the seat include Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll, former Republican National Committeeman Mike Hellon, former Pima County Republican Chairman John Munger and state Reps. Steve Huffman and Jonathan Paton. State Sen. Gabrielle Giffords has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #2 Never heard a bad thing about the guy. He seemed like a class act. Now if Arizona could just get rid of a couple of the other guys, it would be doing well... |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-11-24 17:05 |
| #1 Sounds like a rarity - a decent representative. But I think he is right to retire - 20 years in office is more than enough. Sadly, his good example will not be followed by many others. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2005-11-24 09:05 |