Thinking about the Mikulski senate vacancy, and Van Hollen's bid for her seat, I am reminded about how Van Hollen's current congressional seat was held by a woman before he won it. I have never been happy about how Connie Morella was voted out of office as some sort of punishment for Newt Gingrinch and the Contract with America. Morella may have been a Republican, but she was so good at representing her constituents, most of who were registered Democrats, and if my memory serves, didn't even sign the Contract with America. If we lose another female representative to Van Hollen again, I'll be very unhappy. Plus, one can trace the current polarization and gridlock in Congress to the sort of behavior that allowed Van Hollen's rise to national politics, a need for both parties to vote out moderates because politics isn't about the country's best interests anymore, but a game to be won at all costs for one party or the other.
Look, Morella is the only Republican I have ever voted for, and I am no moderate (having changed my party affiliation back to Democrat from the Green party only so I could vote for Heather Mizeur in the governor primary), but the current political landscape is doing none of us, conservative, moderate, or progressive, any good. This is about the only thing left that I have a care about when it comes to politics, making sure our representatives are as diverse as the communities they represent. Which is why, no matter how good he may be, I won't be voting for Van Hollen for senate, since another white guy is not what the senate needs.
