BozWatch

BozWatch: Where's Leonard?

Swing State Project picks up on Roll Call's article on Iowa redistricting. Emphasis added:

Septuagenarian Democratic Rep. Leonard Boswell, who's been a prime candidate for retirement for a number of cycles now, tells Roll Call that he will be running again in 2012, regardless of what district he gets stuck into. Tom Latham, Bruce Braley, and Dave Loebsack all plan to "plow ahead" as well; only Steve King didn't comment, although his district, by virtue of geography (having the state's western half pretty much to itself) seems least likely to get messed with. A collision between Des Moines-based Boswell and Ames-based GOPer Latham seems likeliest to me, but with a commission making the decisions, almost any configuration seems possible.

The latest test of Blue Dogness happened this morning when the House passed the rule for debate on the "job-killing health care law" (sic; one more dose of petty). But two important things: 1) four Dawgs (Boren, Kissell, McIntyre, Ross) voted with the Republicans and 2) on the two roll calls (#9 and #10), Leonard Boswell was absent. Not decisive to the margin, but symbolically significant. Boz also missed the vote to cancel the votes by the two House Republicans who skipped their own swearing-in to attend an illegal fundraiser.

Speaking of blue dogs, anyone else remember when Steve from Blues's Clues quit to start a punk rock band?