Democratic sources say House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey will not seek re-election, reports AP. The Wisconsin Democrat, first elected to his seat in 1969, easily won his 20th full term in 2008 with 61% of the vote, but he faced a potentially difficult re-election bid this fall. Obey's decision came as a disappointing surprise for Democrats, who are trying to stem their midterm losses. He is expected to make an official announcement this afternoon.
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