If someone ever develops a Mad Men-type television show focused on the lobbying biz, the [Max] Baucus Retirement will provide a major episode.
Yes, Max Baucus announced his retirement at the end of his term, and people are mainly dancing in the streets. Democrats and progressives have never been happy with how Baucus runs the Senate Finance Committee and most were furious with his near-disastrous foot-dragging on ObamaCare. Next in seniority is Energy & Natural Resources Chairman Ron Wyden. Progressives should encourage him to stay there for two reasons. First, if he gives up his chair on Energy, it will probably go to Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and given Louisiana’s dependence on the oil industry, we will never get anything worthwhile on climate change out of her. But, secondly, Wyden teamed up with Paul Ryan to offer a partial privatization of Medicare overhaul plan that seemed like a horribly bad idea. Of course, if Wyden stays at Energy, then Chuck Schumer is in line for the Finance chair, and that comes with its own problems.
As for Max Baucus, he’s been a senator for 35 years. The best you can say for him is that kept the seat out of Republican hands for a very long time. Let us hope that former Democratic governor Brian Schweitzer runs for and wins the seat. I kind of like that guy and he sure as hell will be less of a mush than Senator Baucus.
