Who's more senior than Cochran? Here's a list of the current Senators in order of seniority. Cochran is 4th on the list.
I'm not impressed by this kind of stature, this excessive holding on to one's position of power, even into old age. The headline hints that the Tea Party challenges are disrespectful or disruptive.
The article has a ludicrous correction: "An earlier version of this article stated incorrectly the age of Senator Thad Cochran, as well as the number of the term he is seeking. He will be 76 on Saturday; he is not 76." His birthday is tomorrow, and we're not supposed to say he's 76? He is not 76. Correction! Good lord. Did the demand for a correction come from his office? What a nice showing of inane vanity and out-of-touchness. Grow up. You're 76.
Mr. Cochran, who has raised less than $1 million for his re-election, had been thought to be leaning toward retirement. But Mississippi Republicans said they believed [a challenge from Chris McDaniel, 41, a state senator aligned with the Tea Party] and pleas from powerful figures across the state that Mr. Cochran seek another term prompted the senator to mount what will probably be his final campaign....So maybe it's not Cochran after all but "powerful figures" who are pushing him, using him, but for what? Is this a way to weaken the Tea Party?
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AA: "So maybe it's not Cochran after all but "powerful figures" who are pushing him, using him, but for what? Is this a way to weaken the Tea Party?"
Meh.
It probably is a reaction on the part of the Republican establishment guys/gals to stick a finger in the eye of the tea party with whom they have a disagreement over some policies and alot of tactics.
On the other hand, given that this is Mississippi, application of the Buckley Rule would lead the objective conservative to say go ahead and run the tea party candidate in the general.
"We've gotta protect our phoney baloney jobs!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTmfwklFM-M
http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/06/university-sends-email-to-alumni-equating-the-tea-party-with-the-kkk/#!
Here's a tie in to the current insanity regarding the tea party. This "professor" claims that because middle aged white protestant men make up the TP they're just like the KKK. (He adds some other accusations, but they are only based on the MAWPM argument.) Lovely people.
Much of the country has been whipped into hysteria regarding the TP, apparently including many Republican politicians.
any excuse to attack the tea party. you can tell that our political aristocracy, from both parties, are worried about a popular wave of people who actually use the Constitution as their guide to return power to the citizens.
You'd think, in an environment like this, that the Democratic Party might put a candidate that is appealing.
But you'd be wrong.
RecChief:
Exactly. Both parties have elements which desire accumulation of capital and control through authoritative manipulation and intervention. While it is the character of the Left, it is also human nature, and a moral (i.e. voluntary) philosophy does not fully or perhaps sufficiently moderate the Right.
I'm beginning to wonder if the various powers that be (the media with help from the GOP and Dems) have successfully toxified the "Tea Party" brand. Has it reached a point where being considered a Tea Party person is almost as undesirable as being considered a member of the KKK or Al Qaeda? If so that's pretty sad, because it seems to me that it wasn't long ago that it was considered a good thing.
He's 76 but reads at a 78 year old level, to quote Imus.
Thad Cochran, Bitter Clinger.
Hint for Tea Party. Mention from time-to-time TEA = taxed enough already.
Don't beat it to death, but neither let it be lost sight of.
When he loses the primary, "powerful figures" will align with Democrats to punish the disrespectful upstart.
A democrat would never ever win state wide election in Mississippi. The tea thing running against Cochran is a major homo hater too-natch.
The other southern senate tards are going down too-Landrieu, Pryor and Hagen-see ya.
Cochran is a major porker-right up there with the KKK dead dem from West Virginia.
It has nothing to do with intra-party ideological disputes. It's entirely about the possibility that Mississippi might lose the material benefits of having a very senior senator in DC.
I try to believe that's why SF continues to elect Pelosi, and CA to elect Boxer and Feinstein. Because the alternative (that CA thinks they are the best available people) is just too depressing.
If I were someone running against him, I'd've asked for the correction. Because, a lot of people are going to read "76? That's OLD! Time for some new blood."
I think Fred is right, NM keep Domenici around well past his acceptability to green-nanny state Californicators that have taken over the state politically because he brung home the bacon.
When the Tea Party challenges some Republican old white fart it's "disruptive" & "in-fighting".
But when lefty Ned Lamont does it to previous democratic VP candidate Joe Lieberman for a Senate seat in CT, it's just truth to power, man.
All depends on whose ox is getting gored, I guess.
Republicans have Powerful Figures.
Democrats have Influential Activists.
Ooooooooh, that makes me so MAAAAAAD!
So his challenger is the same age Cochran was when he became a senator 35 years ago.
If you've been in D.C. for more than two decades you've been in too long. The longer you are there the less effective you become.
It's time to retire for a lot of these guys.
So maybe it's not Cochran after all but "powerful figures" who are pushing him, using him, but for what?
They want him to maintain some visibility until he's old enough for the Supreme Court.
Should be no more than 2 terms!
Nobody but me seems to support term limits anymore, but Thad's been in the Senate more than a thad too long.
If there's any hope of the Republican Party breaking free of its unsavory establishment image, then dumping a politico who brings home the bacon (pork) is a good first step.
Cochran's ACU rating is 88%, so he's surely no RINO. But that makes him somewhat more "liberal" than other deep South Republicans (he's even slightly less conservative that my Sen. Burr, here in upper-South North Carolina).
But if the TP candidate says something about "rape rape" (oh, sorry that was Whoopi Goldberg) or praises the KKK, then Thad's my guy.
"The prototypical TEA Party member is a middle aged married woman."
The Tea Party rallies I have attended are filled with young mothers and their kids.
Some pics from one rally.
and another one.
A quick look at the oldest 25 shows 1 or 2 who are not way past their expiration date.
They tried term limits in CA but the state is too far left to make any difference. The Dems have an endless supply of neo-marxists to put up for election.
Misssissippi is the poorest state in the country...and least educated.
The on;y people who hate the Tea party more than the liberal Democrats, are the establishment Republicans. Scorpion, meet frog.
Titus: "Misssissippi is the poorest state in the country...and least educated."
Why can't they be more like Detroit? Or the Bronx? Or South Boston?
You know, the cultural elite.
Yes, please, weaken the Tea Party. Or enjoy 20 more years of Democratic dominance.
How difficult and disruptive to a person's life can a job be if so many at Cochran's age and above seek another six-year term? Responses along the line of "they are consumed by a passion for public service" will be met with derision.
It's time for people to wake up to the fact that being in Congress is barely a part-time job that pays well and comes with a staff whose main job is to worship the "member."
Those we elect should receive no benefits after they leave office. They can have 401ks to contribute to when they're in office, but not pensions, government paid health insurance, etc.
That might change things a bit, and would be built upon sound republican principle.
76 is nothing. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ, was planning to run for re-election to the Senate in 2014 before he died, unexpectedly at 91 years old, earlier this year.
He was a founder of ADP and didn't need benefits, but Congress included a bequest of more than $100,000 for his (of course younger) widow as an add-on to a bill this year.
You couldn't make this stuff up.
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