Turtle Talk

From the Washington Post’s Fix Column:

Updated, 10:38 am
Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak will not seek reelection this fall, a decision that comes hard on his front-and-center (and controversial) role in the recent passage of President Barack Obama‘s health-care legislation.

Stupak confirmed his decision to the Associated Press and is expected to formalize it at a news conference at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time in Marquette, Mich.

Stupak made the decision to retire while attending the Butler-Michigan State game at the Final Four. A series of prominent Democratic leaders made pleas for him to reconsider – including President Obama who called Stupak on Wednesday – but his mind was made up.

Sources familiar with Stupak’s thinking describe him as burned out from the long fight over health care in which he emerged as the leading voice of pro-life Democrats wary about the possibility that the legislation would allow federal funds to be spent on abortions.

Stupak eventually voted for the final bill after Obama signed an executive order re-affirming that no funds from the legislation would go toward abortions. In the wake of that vote, he was treated as a hero within the Democratic caucus. But the reaction toward him from activists on the right and left was significantly more vitriolic. Former Charlevoix County Commissioner Connie Saltonstall has announced she will take on Stupak in the state’s Aug. 3 primary.

“After selling his soul to Nancy Pelosi, it appears that Bart Stupak finally found the courage to tell her no,” said Ken Spain, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Stupak had mulled retirement for the last several cycles but had always found a reason to return. He was contemplating his next step in politics long before the vote on final passage of the health-care bill last month and actively considered a run for the state’s open seat governor’s race earlier this year before deciding against it.

But, with the passage of health care reform – the main issue on which he ran eighteen years ago – finally completed, Stupak decided his work in Washington was done.

His allies forcefully pushed back on the idea that his retirement was due in any way to the Tea Party movement’s focus on defeating him in the fall, pointing out that he had regularly – and easily — won re-election in the swing district.

Stupak’s seat, which takes in much of northern Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, will be a major takeover target for Republicans. Obama carried it with with 50 percent in 2008 but George W. Bush won the district in 2000 and 2004.

With Stupak gone, the Democrats mentioned as possible replacements include: state Sen. Mike Prusi, former Rep. Jim Barcia, state Sen. Gary McDowell and state Reps. Joel Sheltrown and Jeff Mayes.

Stupak is the 16th House Democrat to announce his retirement; 18 Republicans are calling it quits while a 19th — Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart — is leaving his 25th District to run in the 21st.