Meehan Has Left The Building

Massachusetts Democratic Representative Marty Meehan is resigning from Congress to become the chancellor of UMass-Lowell. The coverage has focused on the fact that this creates a truly competitive Bay State House race for the first time in five years (Gov. Deval Patrick needs to call for a special election within 160 days). That's true (there are undoubtedly a lot of talented Massachusetts Dems who have been yearning to advance in the Party), and it should be interesting. But I just want to point out that Meehan is the point man on the effort to repeal the military's odious Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. He's got 116 co-sponsors and rumors of momentum. I hope that the other Representatives working on this issue can keep this issue moving in his absence.