Districting out Tierney would be easiest move for Dems

Of all the current members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation John Tierney would be the easiest for Democrats to district out. He has baggage that's still fresh in the public sphere, he's not high profile, and his committee assignments aren't that beneficial to the state. Redistricting is not an easy task, especially when every current member has indicated that they will seek reelection in 2012. So one of the things redistricting boss Stan Rosenberg has to consider is the overall weakness and vulnerability of the members in the delegation. He has a really, really tough task before him.

Tierney is coming off a very embarrassing scandal that will be hard for him to dismiss down the road. If he faced a serious challenger, like a Kerry Healey-type candidate, in 2010, he may have even gone down in defeat. A 2012 challenge would be a wasted effort by Republicans because it's a presidential year. Oh yeah, Bill Hudak is running again, so there's that.

Some partisans may say, "What about Barney Frank? He doesn't bring anything to the table!" Wrong. He brings plenty to the table with his seniority, his knowledge of procedure, and his stature on committees. Thought of districting out Frank is certainly exciting to some conservatives but that just isn't in the cards. The Democrats, much like Republicans would if they were in power, will likely look out for their best interests and do their best to not get indicted.