Dingell plans another run in 2004 (Conyers hasn't said one way or other)

AP ^ | 6-12-03

[Dan from Michigan]

Dingell plans another run in 2004

The Associated Press
6/12/2003, 4:04 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. John Dingell, the longest-serving member of the House, said Thursday he intends to run for re-election in 2004.

Dingell, a Democrat from Dearborn, Mich., made his intentions clear in a letter to the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, which had listed him as a member who was "expected to be considering retirement" before the 2004 election.

"My name on a retirement list? A Republican fantasy," Dingell wrote. "While the thought of a Congress without me might make a few corporate malefactors sleep better at night, the only list I am on is the list of members who plan to be re-elected to the 109th Congress."

Dingell, 76, has served in the House since a special election in 1955. He was briefly hospitalized last month so doctors could open a blocked artery.

U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, was another Michigan representative mentioned in Roll Call's story. A spokeswoman for Conyers said she wasn't familiar with the story and couldn't immediately say whether Conyers plans to run in 2004.

[Dan from Michigan]

Dingell's district is heavily DEM, even more so with redistricting. I'd rather have him there than Lynn Rivers

As for Conyers - PLEASE RETIRE!!!

[DownWithGreenspan]

Sounds like Old Dingleberry's a bit full of himself (50 years living off the taxpayers will do that to you, I guess), but he would almost certainly be replaced by somebody even further out on the loony-left fringe if he were to step aside. His old Dearborn-Monroe County district may have been winnable for the Republicans, but not this one, which now includes the wacked-out wingnuts from the old 13th district (Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor).

As for Conyers, he'll likely be replaced by an even BIGGER racist Democrat when the time comes. Neither of these districts are on the Republican takeover map, Dingell's fevered imagination aside.

DWG

[jagrmeister]

Looks like Old Man Dingell wants to use the House as a retirement home. Naturally, he's not capable of critical thinking or devising solutions to the nation's problems- he just wants to hang out in the Capitol on the taxpayer's dime.

[BillyBoy]

I think Dingell's going for the Guiness Book of World Records for "longest-running congressman" or something. He was there when IKE was President! The old geezer really has no other reason to run. It doesn't matter anyway, before he held the seat his daddy had it. I heard his son's (Chris Dingell?) is a state senator and will be the "heir apprent" if John retires (or more likely, drops dead in office). The seat will be represented by a "Congressman Dingell" for a century at least.

I agree that Rivers would be worse, but god I am sick of tbe Dingells. I wish they'd fade into obscurity like the Stevensons.

As to Conyers, he sucks but you can beat whoever Detroit picks to succed him will be just as bad. I heard Levin's from Detriot, so even if a white candidate managed to win there, they would pick a complete scumbag. More interesting would be if Charlie Rangel finally decided to call it quits in NY. His district has actually changed.

Speaking of Levin, he just got relected and I'm betting this is last term. When that Senate seat is finally up for grabs, it should be an intersting race. 2002 wasn't the year to get rid of 'em. 2008 is. ;-)

[BillyBoy]

I think Dingell's going for the Guiness Book of World Records for "longest-running congressman" or something. He was there when IKE was President! The old geezer really has no other reason to run. It doesn't matter anyway, before he held the seat his daddy had it. I heard his son's (Chris Dingell?) is a state senator and will be the "heir apprent" if John retires (or more likely, drops dead in office). The seat will be represented by a "Congressman Dingell" for a century at least.

I agree that Rivers would be worse, but god I am sick of tbe Dingells. I wish they'd fade into obscurity like the Stevensons.

As to Conyers, he sucks but you can beat whoever Detroit picks to succed him will be just as bad. I heard Levin's from Detriot, so even if a white candidate managed to win there, they would pick a complete scumbag. More interesting would be if Charlie Rangel finally decided to call it quits in NY. His district has actually changed.

Speaking of Levin, he just got relected and I'm betting this is last term. When that Senate seat is finally up for grabs, it should be an intersting race. 2002 wasn't the year to get rid of 'em. 2008 is. ;-)

[Dan from Michigan]

Chris Dingell(who really isn't a bad guy) is a judge right now. He's from Trenton(in Conyers or Kilpatrick district), although he may move to Taylor or someplace like that and run. If John Dingell doesn't run, I suspect a fight between Ann Arbor/Ypsi and South Wayne/Monroe.

Ann Arbor - Rivers is the most likely candidate. Liz Brater (state senate and former A2 Mayor) is another top tier candidate(worse than Rivers).
Wayne/Monroe - The dems don't have any strong Monroe candidates(Monroe is historically dem, shifting right). In Wayne, Chris Dingell is likely to run. Ray Basham is another one who I think may run.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Old *ping*

Can hardly crow about what will happen if these two guys retire. Conyers is a disgrace to Congress and a discredit not only to African-Americans, but to human beings everywhere. He has the singular distinction of presiding over the largest population outmigration (read: fleeing) of any Congressional district in U.S. history. He'll probably opt to die in office before giving up the seat. It's sad to say, but of the 5 African-Americans elected from Detroit since 1955 (when they were first elected), 1 was a bonafide crook (Charlie Diggs, Jr.), 1 was a bonafide Communist (George Crockett), 1 was a bonafide open racist (Barbara Rose-Collins), and as for Conyers and Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick... Terrible shame.

As for Dingell, he'll have to beat Robert Byrd (who just served 50 years in the House and Senate as of January) to match length of service and a few others. Ultimately, the longest-serving member in both the House and Senate was DINO Rep. and Sen. Carl Hayden, who was the lone House member from Arizona when first elected after it became a state in 1912 and served an incredible 57 (!) years until his retirement in 1969 (from Theodore Roosevelt to Nixon). Had he run for reelection, he would've died only 3 weeks short of serving for 60 years. Dingell will have to serve until January 2013 to exceed Hayden's service (he'll be nearly 87 by then, but I doubt he'll still be with us at that age. His daddy died at the relatively young age of 59 after having served almost 23 years).

[Impy]

The thought of Conyers being Judiciary Chairman is a nightmare of mine.


Dingell is better than any other dem that would replace him but damn 50 years is enough.

[Impy]

Carl Hayden was a DINO?

[fieldmarshaldj]

"Carl Hayden was a DINO?"

Hayden was a Sheriff in Territorial Arizona. Do you think he was a liberal ? He was largely responsible for spurring on the development of the state throughout the 20th century. I'd imagine the only reason why he was a Democrat at that time (early 1900s, when he first entered office) was because AZ (due to heavily Southern influence) was hostile to Republicans (unlike neighboring New Mexico, which was GOP-leaning because of Hispanics, and not the ones we think of today, but the ones who received original land grants from the King of Spain at a time when yours and my ancestors were probably farming some meager plot of land in some fill-in-the-blank European country, these were the guys you properly addressed as "Don" in front of their names). Hayden would've been more at the mercy of the voters as a Republican, and likely would never have gotten nearly as much accomplished. The reverse would hold true now.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"Dingell's district is heavily DEM, even more so with redistricting. I'd rather have him there than Lynn Rivers
As for Conyers - PLEASE RETIRE!!!"

---

Agreed on both counts. There is no way we could ever win in Dingell's district as redrawn in 2002, and he is much better than any of the RATs who would replace him (especially the pro-infanticide Lynn Rivers). Dingell is liberal on most issues, but he is as pro-gun as they come and is not a leftist extremist on social issues. I hope he serves for another decade.

As for Conyers, I can't imagine his replacement being as bad as he is (unless Cynthia McKinney moves to Detroit).