Sen. Olympia Snowe, one of the last moderate republicans left in the GOP, won't run for re-election, thanks to the ideology of our politics. Healthcare legislation wouldn't have passed without the help of Snowe and her Maine counterpart, Susan Collins (she didn't vote for the final bill but she and Collins were the only 2 republicans to participate at all). Many liberals didn't like her because she was against the public option. Ideology. Bad.
"I am well prepared for the electoral battle, so that is not the issue," said Senator Snowe, who won her last race with 74 percent of the vote. “However, what I have had to consider is how productive an additional term would be.”
“Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term,” she added. CSM
Obama's statement:
For almost three decades, Olympia Snowe has served the people of the great state of Maine. Elected to the state House in 1973, Olympia went on to be the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress. From her unwavering support for our troops, to her efforts to reform Wall Street, to fighting for Maine's small businesses, Senator Snowe’s career demonstrates how much can be accomplished when leaders from both parties come together to do the right thing for the American people. Michelle and I join Mainers in thanking Senator Snowe for her service, and we wish her and her family all the best in the future.
