'Junkies' aroused

One could almost hear the collective cries of "Gotcha!" from those subscribers who are political junkies and who quickly emailed me after reading the February 18 "Politics 2000" column. When I wrote of the latest doings of Michigan's former Rep. (1984-90) and now Republican State Sen. Bill Schuette, I made the observation that he was "as best can be determined [emphasis added], the only former congressman now serving in a state legislature anywhere."

BANG! Within days, the junkies pounced, more knowledgeable about their local areas than 1. Longtime subscriber and Northern Virginia resident Al Cobb pointed out that former Democratic Rep. (1992-94) Leslie Byrne, unseated after one term from her Northern Virginia resident by present National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Davis, bounced back last fall to win a seat in the Old Dominion state senate. Michael O'Connell wrote to tell me about now-State Sen. Raphael Musto in Pennsylvania, who in April 1980 won a special election to the Wilkes-Barre-area U.S. House seat after the resignation of veteran Rep. Daniel Flood (D.), but was ousted that fall.

But faithful reader Daniel Fox gets the gold medal. He wrote a nice letter, carefully listing ten former House members who are currently state legislators, among them Byrne, Musto, former Rep. (1986-94) and present State Sen. Arthur Ravenel (R.) of South Carolina, and North Dakota Democrat Rolland Redlin, an "LBJ Baby" who served one term from 1964-66 and has been a state senator since 1973. (Redlin also turned 80 last week on "Leap Day," February 29.)

Since I have written so extensively about the prospects of Democratic gerrymandering of congressional districts in California next year and have frequently mentioned him, I am particularly red-faced to admit I forgot the most notorious former congressman-turned-state-legislator of all: John L. Burton, who left his San Francisco House seat in 1982 to seek treatment for cocaine addiction and is now president of the Golden State Senate. Should Democrats maintain control of the state legislature this fall, archleftist Burton will be a key player in what is sure to be a reapportionment of the state's 52 U.S. House districts that may cost Republican control of the House.

Congratulations, fellow Junkies, you really got me this time.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Mar 10, 2000
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