A string of retirement announcements signals a shift on the Hill, but a GOP official say it's "normal and expected."
Latest GOP hit: Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois added his name Friday to a rash of retirements among House Republicans, magnifying the party's electoral challenges and raising questions about a rush for the exits.
Other hits: Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois, Rep. Deborah Pryce of Ohio and Rep. Charles W. Pickering Jr. of Mississippi have all announced in recent days that they will not seek reelection. In the Senate, Wayne Allard, R-Colo., has already announced plans not to seek reelection, and other weighing the same option include Sen. John Warner of Virginia and Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.
Opinion from within: "I think our party's chances for winning the majority back next time are pretty bleak at the moment, and I will admit to you that being in the minority is less fun," LaHood said in an interview. "People are going to continue to have heartburn over the war."
Opinions of party officials: Julie Shutley, a spokeswoman for the House Republican campaign committee, called the retirements "normal and to be expected." She said that in each of the last three elections about 30 lawmakers, including members of both parties, had chosen to retire.
A psychological edge: "Every vacancy creates opportunities," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the House Democratic campaign committee. He argued that the retirements would contribute to a "psychology" of demoralization among Republicans.
Hastert's parting words: "Together, we have made a difference. We have made history, and I thank you," he told supporters Friday in front of the Kendall County courthouse in the northern Illinois district he was first elected to represent in 1986. He held the speaker post from 1999 to 2007 -- longer than any other Republican in American history.
NEW YORK TIMES