Tuesday's editorial bemoaning Bud Shuster's retirement and the loss of a committee chair for Pennsylvania was exactly the sort of insightful writing that one looks for in a newspaper.

Except for one thing: due to Republican House rules, Shuster wasn't eligible to be the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this session.

If you really want to know why he suddenly retired, note the following: Without the chair — along with the associated ability to dole out large amounts of the "other white meat" — Shuster is nothing.

And a nothing doesn't get invited to fancy restaurants by people like sometimes houseguest Ann Eppard, so why bother?

Oh, and he'd like to get his son's career moving while he still has a chance.