Message to Congressmembers: Follow These Men!

[Corlyss_D]

House Members Leave Parents' Basement, Seek Real Jobs

The late nights, constant commuting and requirement that they run every two years has more and more U.S. House members eyeing the exit doors of Capitol Hill.

At least 10 members are leaning towards giving up safe seats to run for governor next year. Two certain candidates are Rep. Tom Osborne, the legendary former football coach who now wants to call the plays in Nebraska's capitol, and Rep. Butch Otter, who served 14 years as Idaho's lieutenant governor before coming to Congress and now wants to finally snag the big job. Both Republicans are favored to win.

Other members of the Aspiring Governors Club include Rep. Bob Beauprez, who hopes to succeed term-limited Colorado Governor Bill Owens. Mr. Beauprez has already distinguished himself by disagreeing with Governor Owens's support of a November ballot measure that would water down the state's limit on taxing and spending. Jim Davis, a Florida Democrat, held the ultimate safe seat: He won 86% of the vote in 2002 and was unopposed last year. But being a member of a minority party is frustrating so he is leaving his seat to run for the governorship of a state that has become so Republican that there is currently only one statewide elected Democrat: U.S. Senator Bill Nelson.

Rep. Jim Nussle is term-limited as House Budget Chairman and rather than head for the backbenches of Congress, he's running for governor of his native Iowa. As of now, he is the favorite to succeed Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack. In Nevada, Rep. Jim Gibbons wants to fulfill a lifetime dream of becoming governor. He first ran for the state's top job in 1994, but lost to an incumbent 53%-41%. This time he is running for an open seat and is considered the front-runner.

The election prospects of two other members are dicier. Rep. Mark Green faces a bruising GOP primary before he can earn the chance to take on Wisconsin's Democratic Governor Jim Doyle. In Ohio, Rep. Ted Strickland couldn't pass up the opportunity to run this year after the state's Republican Party became mired in a corruption scandal. But he first must defeat Mike Coleman, the popular mayor of Columbus, in a Democratic primary.

Two other House members are still weighing whether they should take on Democratic incumbent governors. Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois has spent almost 30 years on Capitol Hill, first as a staffer and then as a member, but he has been telling friends he wants a change of scenery and is eyeing the governor's mansion in Springfield. In Kansas, Rep. Jerry Moran looks like he thinks a decade in Congress is enough. He seems likely to challenge Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

With incumbents enjoying vast advantages over challengers, including carefully crafted gerrymandered districts, it's nice to know that the prospect of running a state can still get some House members to create an open seat. Of course, the problem is that there are only 50 governors and, with 435 House members, it's not a viable option for many.

-- John Fund

[Ralph]

So should Pataki run for the House of Representative? He sure ain't getting nominated for President.

[jbuck919]

They're all anticipating Corlyss' imminent libertarian utopia when everything except the finger on the nuclear button will devolve to the states.

[Ralph]

Why doesn't Corlyss run for SOMETHING? ANything!

[Corlyss_D]

Why doesn't Corlyss run for SOMETHING? ANything!

I'm an observer. I don't actually DO anything . . . I don't have the stomach for any job I'd have to do 24/7, i.e., fundraising.