More on Bud Cramer's retirement

The Huntsville Times has this article on Cramer's career.

This AP story reports that Cramer says he has been considering retiring from Congress for three years. It also has this interesting tidbit:

Acknowledging that his announcement stunned friends and colleagues — he said Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gasped when he informed her — he described wavering over the decision for two to three years. He also acknowledged that the seat could shift to the GOP, although he said the right Democrat can win.

Politico.com's Josh Kraushaar notes that "this will likely be one of the Republicans' top pickup opportunities" in the 2008 House race.

Doc's Political Parlor has a follow-up post on the potential contenders for Cramer's seat.