The latest Republican retiree from the U.S. House is eighteen-year Rep. Amo Houghton (N.Y.), who announced that he was calling it quits this year at age 77. One of a gradually declining number of "wet" GOPers in Congress who was one of eight Republican House Members to oppose a ban on partial birth abortion, Houghton is likely to be succeeded in his heavily Republican upstate district by either State Sen. Randy Kuhl or State Assemblyman Brian Kolb-either of whom, pundits and pols agree, would be an "upgrade" for conservatives from Houghton.
