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| Johnson (left) and Dingell |
Some jokes making the rounds among supporters of Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer’s re-election center on how the old geezers in Congress who are trying to push Brewer out have the chutzpah to claim it’s time for a “fresh face” at the helm of the MDP.
A leader of the campaign for “new blood” is 86-year-old Congressman John Dingell, who has been in the House since 1955, making him the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history. The do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do crowd also features Rep. John Conyers, 83, who was first elected in 1964 and shows no signs of quitting.
Another key player in the push to replace Brewer is 81-year-old Congressman Sandy Levin, whose political career began in the 1960s and who has served in the House since 1983.
Levin’s brother, Sen. Carl Levin, is a relative youngster in the anti-Brewer bunch at age 78. He, too, has been in politics since the ‘60s.
And then there’s Debbie Stabenow who, in comparison to the grey-beards of the delegation, seems relatively young. But it should be noted that the senator, though just 62, first entered politics 39 years ago. She has served in five different offices at the county, state and federal level.
So, Brewer, at age 57, after serving 18 years as party chair, is told by these senior citizens that he should step aside and allow someone new a chance to take the reins.
It should be noted that Brewer is 16 years older than his boyish-looking challenger, 41-year-old Lon Johnson, but he’s three decades younger than the oldsters in the congressional delegation. In fact, Brewer was first elected state party chair in 1995, the same year that Dingell celebrated 40 years in Congress.
The snickering in some circles over this situation reminds me of a joke making the rounds on Twitter today in the wake of the pope’s sudden decision to resign. In what other institution other than the Vatican could a retirement by an octogenarian be considered a surprise?
The answer: The U.S. Senate.
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