Two In One Day-- Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) Retiring?

I don't know how trustworthy this somewhat shady right-wing teabagger blog is but The Vail Spot is reporting that hot on the heels of Evan Bayh's pathetic departure from the public forum, Barbara Mikulski (age 74 years old and ailing) is also on the verge of announcing her retirement. He claims to have "impeccable" sources but I'm not claiming he's an impeccable source, so take it with a grain of salt. Mikulski, unlike Bayh, is a dependable vote for the interests of working families. In the 111th Congress, for example, she's tied with Patrick Leahy as the 23rd most progressive member of the Senate. (Bayh, in contrast, is the 58th, between Blanche Lincoln and Ben Nelson.)

Presumably Chris Van Hollen would try for the Senate seat, although Maryland progressives would no doubt prefer Donna Edwards. Edwards is not just the BEST member of the Maryland delegation, she would also be the first African-American to serve in the Senate from a state that is nearly 30% African-American and where African-American voters keep the Democrat Party in a state of dominance. The fact that a woman would replace another woman, who was, in fact, Maryland's first woman Senator, isn't the worst of ideas either.

I wonder if Mikulski will decide this is the right time to also come out of the closet. It would be nice that not every gay senator is embarrassed to stand up proudly and just be themselves-- and something tells me we won't be hearing from Lindsey or Miss McConnell along those lines any time soon. I'm not sure when this video, released today by Maryland Democrats, was shot, but in it Mikulski says she's neither shy nor retiring. (She should come out anyway; people would love her for it.)