House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today praised Rep. Bud Cramer, of Alabama, a moderate Blue Dog Democrat who said yesterday that he would not be seeking re-election.

Cramer had served in the fifth district since 1990 and won by hefty margins in recent election cycles.

"Congressman Bud Cramer has been an independent voice for his district, and a prominent moderate leader," Pelosi said in a statement. "He has been a valued member of the appropriations and intelligence committees, and as a leader in the Blue Dogs Caucus, a voice for fiscal responsibility. He will be missed."

Cramer explained his decision in a statement yesterday.

"This was a difficult decision, but after 28 years of public service it is time for me to step aside, spend more time with my family and begin another chapter in my life," Cramer said.

At of the end of last year, Cramer had nearly $1.8 million in cash on hand, according to records from the Federal Election Commission. A spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said the political climate favors Democrats because there have been only seven Democratic House members this year who have said they'll step down, compared with 29 Republicans.

"We anticipate a competitive race but are confident we will hold the seat," said spokesman Doug Thornell. No Democratic candidate has emerged, though electoral precedence shows he or she will have a significant advantage going forward. Cramer was unapposed in 2006 and defeated his Republican opponent, Gerald Wallace, by a margin of 73 to 27 percent in 2004.

"The problem with the NRCC is that they're stretched thin," said a Democratic official watching the race. "They got just 5.7 in cash on hand and 29 open seats that include vulnerable members. We expect there to be a battleground of 40 to 50 GOP seats, so it's going to be really hard for them to compete there."