Most Embarrassing

Many of the most embarrassing members of Congress simply retired, often to avoid being publicly humiliated by losing an election. Voters never got a chance to repudiate senators Trent Lott (R-MS), Pete Domenici (R-NM), Larry Craig (R-ID), or Wayne Allard (R-CO), nor House members Denny Hastert (R-IL), Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Heather Wilson (R-NM), John Doolittle (R-CA), Barbara Cubin (KKK-WY), Vito Fossella (R-NY), Rick Renzi (R-AZ), Duncan Hunter (R-CA), or Tom Reynolds (R-NY)-- to name a few who turned tail and ran (away).

Several of the most embarrassing members were defeated in their re-election bids, Al Wynn (D-MD) in a primary and, then in the general election last month Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), Tom Feeney (R-FL), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Robin Hayes (R-NC), Virgil Goode (R-VA), Bill Sali (R-ID), Thelma Drake (R-VA), Phil English (R-PA) plus 3 reactionary Democrats who spent the last session voting with the GOP, Nick Lampson (TX), Don Cazayoux (LA) and Tim Mahoney (FL) and one indicted crook, William Jefferson (LA). The Senate's most embarrassing loss was convicted felon Ted Stevens (R-AK), although the loss of hypocritical and sleazy Mormon Gordon Smith comes much to the relief of anyone who doesn't have an office on K Street and no one was eager to see extremist dim bulb Steve Pearce graduate from the House to the Senate; he lost his race by an astounding 22 points.

Yesterday CREW released its list of the most embarrassing members of Congress who were re-elected. Most of their selections are no-brainers: Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Gary Miller (R-CA), Don Young (R-AK) particularly. But how do you draw up a list of embarrassing re-elected members of Congress and leave off James Inhofe (R-OK), Mean Jean Schmdit (R-OH), Paul Broun (R-GA), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Lynn Westmorland (R-GA), Steve King (R-IA), John Kline (R-MN), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Howdy Doody (R-FL), the notorious Diaz-Balart Brothers (R-FL), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and John Shadegg (R-AZ)?

I mean I have no trouble at all going along with Ken Calvert (R-CA) or even Vern Buchanan (R-FL) but I really get the feeling that John Murtha (D-PA) and Laura Richardson (D-CA), while not angels, do not rise to the level of embarrassment, to merit being on this list for any other reason that Inside the Beltway Balance. If they needed a Democrat why not Charlie Rangel (NY), John Barrow (GA), Chris Carney (PA), or Dan Boren (OK). I mean Jim Marshall was the only Democrat to vote against health insurance for needy children. Is that not more embarrassing than Laura Richardson's personal housing crisis? How about Heath Shuler (NC) trying to out-xenophobe Tom Tancredo? Or Mark Pryor excusing his personal fundamentalist inanities by claiming he didn't have to pass an IQ test to get elected to the Senate?