Seriously, when was the last time that you saw a major political figure making a retirement announcement without his family there, or at least his entourage?

Something funny is going on here.

The current conventional wisdom is that he is doing this because he wants to avoid the two year wait that is required if he waits until after January 1 by the new ethics reform laws, but the fact is that he can do an awful lot, and get paid for it, as a “consultant” anyway.

Of further interest is that because he is resigning in an odd numbered year, Mississippi is required to hold a special election within 90 days, and with the DSCC flush, and the RSCC flat broke, this actually provides a small chance of a Democratic pickup in what would be a low turnout election.

There is the possibility is that some sort of scandal is brewing, most likely either something related to the VECO bribery that has ensnared the entire Alaska congressional delegation, or sex.

It it’s sex, it could be either the DC Madame, or the promised revelations by Larry Flynt.

My money would be on sex, particularly of the gay variety, since any bribery allegations would still end up seeing the light of day if he left.

Then again, this might just a big F$#@ you to Bush, who gleefully knifed him over his Strom Thurmond comments.