More on the 15th

The Toledo Blade's Editorial states that Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce's (OH-15) decision to not seek re-election was the right thing to do. Here are some excerpts from the Toledo Blade:

U.S. REP. Deborah Pryce (R., Upper Arlington) can clearly read the writing on the wall. The 56-year-old lawyer is getting out of Congress on her own terms after almost losing last year's race for a ninth term in the 15th District, which includes the western half of Columbus and the surrounding suburbs.....

...... In any event, her departure comes at a time when an era is passing. She won't be the only prominent member of her party heading for the exit. Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R., Ill.) is leaving Congress as well. That means at least three key House figures from the days when the Republicans controlled Congress will be gone by January, 2009. Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas left under a cloud last year. Only Roy Blunt of Missouri, the GOP's former whip, remains.

What all of this means isn't certain, but it appears less and less likely that Ms. Pryce's fellow Ohioan, House Minority Leader John Boehner, will reach his goal of becoming Speaker anytime soon.

**** Republican Senator George Voinovich of Ohio still hasn't said a peep about his recent trip to Iraq. He must still be waiting to get his talking points from the White House.

ABC News:
A military airplane carrying four members of the U.S. Congress came under fire over Iraq on Thursday but the plane was not hit and no one was hurt, a spokesman for one of the lawmakers said on Friday.

The C-130 cargo aircraft conducted evasive maneuvers after a nighttime takeoff from Baghdad, said Ken Lundberg, spokesman for Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, who was on the plane.

In addition to Martinez, the plane was carrying fellow Republican Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and James Inhofe of Oklahoma, and Alabama Rep. Robert "Bud" Cramer, a Democrat......

Is this an example of how well the surge is working?