Rep. Stupak to Retire

Michigan Democratic Representative Bart Stupak is set to announce his retirement today. According to Washington Post's Chris Cillizza writes:

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.

Sorry, it is not exhaustion alone (although admittedly that could be part of it), but the fact is that Stupak's swing district (Obama won it with 50% of the vote in 2008, but Bush won the district in 2000 and 2004) was likely going to hammer him for his switch on the health care vote. After repeatedly saying he wouldn't vote for a bill that included funding for abortion, Stupak was "bought" off with a promise from the President in the form of an executive order that is barely worth the paper it is written on.

Stupak had to retire or he was going to lose and lose big.