More Retirements-- Or Will Some Of Them Be Carried Out Of Congress In Boxes?

That Buck McKeon is finally retiring from Congress is no longer news in the L.A. area and especially not up in Santa Clarita. Everyone already knows he cut a deal with sleazy carpetbagger Tony Strickland and everyone knows that GOP McKeon-haters have drafted the most far right and extreme state Senator in California, bizarre hate-monger Steve Knight. And the McKeon family already has an office ready for ole Buck at the family lobbying firm, which Buck collecting clients for now. So will we see an outburst of Beltway hubbub when he finally makes the official announcement, the way we did this week when, in quick succession on Tuesday, Frank Wolf (R-VA), Jim Matheson (Blue Dog-UT) and Tom Latham (R-IA) announced that they would all retire after the current term expires? Depends if it's a slow news day or not.

Yesterday, The Hill was already speculating on who would be next and the first three words of their story was "Reps. Buck McKeon." That's quickly followed by another worthless Blue Dog who's long overstayed his welcome, Collin Peterson (MN). They they float the possibilities that John Dingell (D-MI), Nick Rahall (D-WV), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Don Young (R-AK), John Conyers (D-MI), Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Lois Capps (D-CA) could be next, why not mentioning anything about either Boehner or Pelosi. Their list is just based on age-- although they didn't mention Ralph Hall (R-TX), who will be nearly 91 and almost completely senile. Meanwhile, LoBiondo, Slaughter and Capps have all already announced that they are running in 2014.

Here's a list of the two dozen most elderly Members of the House who have not already announced retirements:

• Ralph Hall (R-TX)- 90
• John Dingell (D-MI)- 87
• John Conyers (D-MI)- 84
• Louise Slaughter (D-NY)- 84
• Charlie Rangel (D-NY)- 83
• Sam Johnson (R-TX)- 83
• Sander Levin (D-MI)- 82
• Howard Coble (R-NC)- 82
• Don Young (R-AK)- 80
• Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)- 78
• Alcee Hastings (D-FL)- 77
• Grace Napolitano (D-CA)- 77
• Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)- 76
• Nita Lowey (D-NY)- 76
• Hal Rogers (R-KY)- 76 (this month)
• Lois Capps (D-CA)- 75
• Maxine Waters (D-CA)- 75
• Henry Waxman (D-CA)- 74
• Steny Hoyer (D-MD)- 74
• John Lewis (D-GA)- 73
• Tom Petri (R-WI)- 73
• Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)- 73
• Jim Clyburn (D-SC)- 73
• Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX)- 73

The Everly Brothers will soon be tuning 77 (Don) and 75 (Phil). BB King is 88, Chuck Berry is 87 and Yoko will be 81 in February. Yesterday, Roll Call broke down the next batch of congressional retirements into 4 convenient categories:

• Health Issues: Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
• Old Guard: see above but they singled out McKeon and Peterson (who's only 69)
• Tired Young Bucks like Tim Griffin and Jon Runyan whip are just tired of the clown show Congress has become under Boehner
• Californians, citing two who have primary opponents, Mike Honda and Henry Waxman.