Rep. Marcia Fudge was a strange choice to take on Pelosi.

An old school Congressional Black Caucus member, her only possible appeal seemed to be to the CBC crowd. But in an age when Rep. Maxine Waters, who makes Fudge look like Obama, can become a #resistance hero, why not give it a try?

Then the Lance Mason case came along.

I have an extensive article on Mason, but the short version is he was an Ohio Democrat with lots of pals who beat his wife so badly she needed surgery. Fudge, among others, wrote a letter to the judge in his defense.

Mason got a slap on the wrist. Got out of jail. Got a great job administering minority business development for Cleveland. (Reportedly with a little help from Fudge.) Then murdered his wife, rammed a cop car and is now in big trouble.

And Fudge decided to drop out of the race for Speaker of the House and endorse Pelosi.

Finis, as they used to say.