Paul Sarbanes' retirement



Paul Sarbanes' retirement

Paul Sarbanes' retirement

Sen. Paul Sarbanes' announcement yesterday that he will not seek re-election to a sixth term is likely to trigger a game of political musical chairs in Maryland, where Mr. Sarbanes -- the kind of liberal Democrat who traditionally wins statewide elections -- appeared unbeatable.

His pending departure has unsurprisingly triggered rampant speculation about who will succeed him in the Senate, with former congressman and NAACP head Kweisi Mfume near the top of the list on the Democratic side. Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, who had been expected to face off against Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan in a bruising gubernatorial primary, is another possible candidate. On the Republican side, prominent names include Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and state Sen. E.J. Pipkin, who challenged Barbara Mikulski last year.

Mr. Sarbanes first ran in 1970 as an opponent of the Vietnam War and Baltimore's Democratic Party political machine. He upset 13-term incumbent George Fallon in the 4th Congressional District primary and went on to be elected to the House of Representatives that November. After being re-elected to the House in 1972 and 1974, Mr. Sarbanes defeated incumbent Republican freshman J. Glenn Beall to win election to the Senate, where he has served ever since.

Although we have rarely agreed with Mr. Sarbanes on policy matters, we found admirable his quiet manner and his refusal to grandstand. In an era in which many of his colleagues cannot keep away from the television cameras, Mr. Sarbanes has done much of his political work behind the scenes. This style was very much on display early in 2002, when Congress began examining the WorldCom scandal and other matters related to corporate malfeasance. While other congressmen and senators held well-publicized hearings that received plenty of attention from the press, Mr. Sarbanes plodded along, holding a series of hearings on business accounting and governance. In the end, Congressional Quarterly's Politics in America points out, he "essentially dictated terms to Republicans during abbreviated conference negotiations, and the statute that was enacted stands as the most sweeping overhaul of securities since the Great Depression." Aside from his role in pushing through the securities bill, Mr. Sarbanes is probably best remembered for his role in 1974 as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, where he drafted the article of impeachment charging President Nixon with obstruction of justice.

While Mr. Sarbanes has an extraordinary record of political success, one important cautionary note is in order: The last time an incumbent senator from Maryland retired was in 1986, when Republican Charles Mathias departed after three terms. Initially Gov. Harry Hughes appeared to have a chance to succeed him. But the Hughes campaign imploded due to the state savings-and-loan scandal, and Miss Mikulski was elected to the Senate. Other political up-and-comers, like Rep. Michael Barnes and Attorney General Steve Sachs, also bested by Miss Mikulski in the Democratic primary that year, faded into political oblivion. That's something the ambitious politicians looking to replace Mr. Sarbanes would do well to keep in mind.

When this story was posted in March 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


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Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand After the Tsunami in Southeast Asia last December, Peace Corps issued an appeal for Crisis Corps Volunteers and over 200 RPCVs responded. The first team of 8 Crisis Corps volunteers departed for Thailand on March 18 to join RPCVs who are already supporting relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and India with other agencies and NGO's.

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This Month's Feature Stories - only on PCOL Dream Come True - Revisiting India after 34 years The Coyne Column: Read Winning Vanity Fair PCV Essay Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil RPCV reunites with friend after 40 years RPCV reviews "Los Heraldos Negros" by Cesar Vallejo Photo Essay: Taking it to the Streets

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March 26, 2005: This Week's Top Stories PCVs in Kyrgyz Republic Are Safe 25 Mar The Coyne Column: A Good Friday Message 25 Mar Frederic Zenhausern developing "biometric bodysuits" 24 Mar Robert Blackwill calls for US co-operation with India 23 Mar Margaret Krome promotes alternate crops 23 Mar Al Kamen says allies disappointed in World Bank 23 Mar Ambassador Randall L. Tobias speaks at PC 22 Mar Becky Binns helps organize 30-hour fast 22 Mar Fred Poses meets with Vice-Premier in China 22 Mar John Hoff unionizes substitute teachers in Hawaii 21 Mar Bill Moyers takes time to "sit and vegetate" 21 Mar Tony Hall says Ethiopia may need more food aid 21 Mar Taylor Hackford's 'Ray' wins four NAACP Image Awards 21 Mar PCV seeks tap shoes for students in Moldova 20 Mar Adam Donaldson learns to believe in Baltimore 20 Mar Allen Andersson builds libraries in Central America 19 Mar Senator Sarbanes' quiet leadership will be missed 15 Mar

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March 26, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News Houston RPCVs sponsor "Around the World in a Day"on April 6 25 Mar Minnesota RPCVs need Photos for Exhibition 24 Mar Vasquez to visit DePaul University on April 6 22 Mar New Jersey RPCVs host exhibit in Maplewood on April 2 20 Mar Maryland RPCVs eat crab cakes in Annapolis 17 Mar Connecticut RPCVs held fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

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Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

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March 1: National Day of Action Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.

Make a call for the Peace Corps PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.

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