GOP looking for Ike to take a hike: Republicans target Skelton
Ike Skelton
As a veteran member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton enjoys a powerful committee post and seniority befitting a lawmaker first elected the same year Jimmy Carter won the White House.
But will the tenured Democrat soon face something that he hasn’t seen in years: A viable opponent?
On Monday, Politico revealed a note from Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions announcing the party’s list of targeted seats to turn red.
The only name from Missouri was Skelton.
Skelton, 77, has won by a 60 percent margin in every election since at least 1996. As head of the House Armed Services Committee, Skelton is probably the most influential member of Missouri’s House delegation.
However, Republicans recently took out a radio ad attacking Skelton’s vote for “cap and trade” emissions legislation, which opponents say will hurt small businesses.
The district stretches from Jefferson City to the Kansas border, covering some 24 counties.
Reporter/blogger Jason Rosenbaum hears that Republican State Sen. Bill Stouffer, a farmer from Saline County, may challenge Skelton next year. A report from CQ Politics has Vicky Hartzler — a Republican former state rep who wrote a book on running a campaign “God’s Way” — weighing a bid as well.
Will either of them or somebody else be able to unseat Skelton, who has been winning re-election for three decades?
It certainly seems unlikely, but the GOP seems intent on making sure, at least, Skelton does not get a free pass.
Skelton is made vulnerable due to the far left tilt of the current Democratic Party. In 1976, Skelton was a ‘middle of the road’ Democrat. Now he is one of the last conservative Democrats left in Congress… or anywhere else for that matter.
As the far left leadership pushes harder and harder for every vote to shove cap and trade, tax increases and take over 1/6 of the economy, Skelton will be under even more pressure… votes that will be used against him.
When their best hope of unseating a member of the House of Representatives from the state of Missouri is Ike Skelton, you know what bad shape the Republican Party is in these days.
Skelton caved in the eleventh hour pressure and voted for the Cap and Tax bill. He needs to go and be replaced by someone who listens to his constituents and not the Clintons who called him.
So are you saying Skelton should run unopposed skippy?
….where do I sat he should run unopposed?
It’s time for Skelton to go. He’s been there way too long. A conservative Dimocrat? There is no such thing. This is a good example of why we need term limits.
My blog advocated targeting Skelton about 3 weeks ago:
http://theunablogger.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/%ef%bb%bf3-%e2%80%98sleeper%e2%80%99-house-targets-gop-should-pursue/
Skelton is no longer a conservative Democrat. He questioned his Democratic House leadership earlier in his career, but now when Pelosi says “Jump,” his only question is “How high?” Congressional Quarterly provides objective evidence. During the first half of this year, Skelton supported President Obama’s position 96% of the time, as much as Lacy Clay. The CQ party unity test showed that Skelton toed Pelosi’s party line 97% of the time, including his decisive vote for the controversial cap-and-trade bill. This record can’t be popular in a district that gave Obama only 38% of its votes. The district has an above average over-65 population, and 61% of adults are married, both excellent demographics for Republicans.
The political pendulum used to swing slowly back and forth…..i think the next election will show it now swings at a faster pace…better duck
you’ve got a state senator-farmer…
who nobody knows…
or a former representative…
who’s written a book on running a campaign titled Gods way…
vs. a seasoned veteran incumbent of close to 30 years service…
who’s head of the House Armed Services Committee…
who’s helped bring jobs and business to his home state…
and may be the most influential member of Missouri’s House delegation…
and has won his last several elections by 60 percent…
who would you put money on?
no contest.
I think that it is unhealthy for any politician to run unopposed, so I think that it is all to the good if Rep Skelton gets an opponent this time around. That said, I cannot imagine that there is any real chance that Rep Skelton will be unseated. There is a strong likelihood that, when Rep Skelton eventually retires, his seat will go to a Republican, but in the mean time I expect that it is fairly safe.