Sen. Jim DeMint to Head Heritage Foundation

[Proud Public Servant]

Source: Wall Street Journal

South Carolina U.S. Senator Jim DeMint will replace Ed Feulner as president of the Heritage Foundation. Mr. DeMint will leave his post as South Carolina's junior senator in early January to take control of the Washington think tank, which has an annual budget of about $80 million.

Sen. DeMint's departure means that South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a Republican, will name a successor, who will have to run in a special election in 2014. In that year, both Mr. DeMint's replacement and Sen. Lindsey Graham will be running for reelection in South Carolina.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323501404578161613763222762.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

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Now there's a surprise...

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. Yes it is ...

a surprise!

[banned from Kos]

2. Excellent. There won't be a seat gain but Mr. Tea Party is no longer

relevant.

[GoCubsGo]

5. Unfortunately...

Sarah, Jr. will likely nominate some other teabagger to replace him.

[lastlib]

39. Go with God, Jim.--or not

(just GO!)


getdafuckoutahere!! you idiotic crazyperson fuckwad!

[Enrique]

3. wow, with 4 years left to serve

call him Jim DeQuit. Maybe he doesn't like the filibuster reforms Reid is threatening.

[CatWoman]

6. he will net $8 million for stepping down

just heard on Stephanie Miller

[subterranean]

14. That was Dick Armey she was referring to.

He will receive $8 million over the next 10 years for stepping down as head of the freedomworks tea party group. Think of it as the rich people's version of unemployment benefits.

[CTyankee]

11. Getting a cushy job in D.C. is the whole point of being in congress for most of these GOP

bastids. Esp. Congressmen...who wants to spend all your time raising money and going back and forth to your little district when you can have bright lights and big city and LOTS of money,.

DeMint was just cashing in.

[GoCubsGo]

23. Yep. He'll be a bigger fish in a smaller pond now.

Instead of being one of a hundred, and a lower man on the totem pole, he's now Top Dog somewhere else. He's also not as popular here in South Carolina as some might believe. I'm pretty sure he had a hand in getting that whacko, Alvin Greene, nominated as his opponent in his last Senate race. Believe it or not, DeMented stood a really good chance of losing to the other Dem who ran in the Democratic primary. I'm guessing you are correct about the fund-raising and the money. The opportunity to get out came along, and he jumped on it. I would say "Good bye and good riddance to you," but considering who will be appointing his replacement, I don't the next guy will be any better. In fact, he (or she) could be a lot, lot worse.

[CTyankee]

25. Oh, I'll bet he had this whole thing figured out long ago and was just waiting for The Offer.

Nothin' new here...but it is good to have your background info. Maybe the handwriting on the wall came earlier than he thought it would and it was time to get a better offer.

[GoCubsGo]

29. I think that is the most likely scenario.

The Tea Party's popularity is waning here, just like it is everywhere else, on top of it all. It wouldn't surprise me if he might be trying to dodge some ethical issues, as well. Like virtually everyone else who is left in his party, DeMented is as crooked as they come.

[Old and In the Way]

15. He's a private service Republican.

Cashing in on his faithful voting record, built on protecting the financial interests of the top 5%

[BlueStreak]

4. And if we go off "the cliff" maybe more of them will et demoralized

After all, what have the teabaggers accomplished? They have created a lot of animosity, but what have they accomplished? They ensured we hold the Senate in each of the last two cycles. They couldn't stop the ACA. They are going to lose the Bush tax cuts.

OK, they did stop the international disability treaty. Very impressive.

[onehandle]

7. Senator Nikki Haley?

I have a bad feeling about this.

[factsarenotfair]

10. I had the same thought. :) n/t

.

[GoCubsGo]

24. As you should.

It wouldn't surprise me if she were to try to find a way to appoint herself.

[MissNostalgia]

8. Good riddance

I truly wish SC would wise up but I already know they will vote in another bigot like HerpDerpmint.

[banned from Kos]

12. Rep. Tim Scott is the early favorite

[GoCubsGo]

31. My money is on Trey Gowdy.

His seat is heavily gerrymandered, so there is no worry of him being replaced by a Democrat. He is also a teabagger, like the woman who will be doing the appointing, should she not appoint herself.

On edit: I forgot that Scott is an African American, who is also in a heavily gerrymandered district. I think you are right about his chances of getting the nod. What better chance for them to be able to say, "Look! See! We aren't racists."

[julian09]

35. Senate is statewide

Will Gov nominate herself? Who will Dems nominate to oppose whoever the repugs nominate for senate is the question?

If there are two senate seats open in 2014, good to have two strong Dem candidates on the ballots, get to work.
Obama did well in SC.

[GoCubsGo]

38. Yes, but if Haley chooses a US Congressman to replace DeMented...

...that seat would need to be filled through an election. I doubt Haley would chose someone from a district that could potentially be lost to a Democrat. There are two, not counting Jim Clyburn's district, that were relatively close races last month. She would not risk her party losing one of them.

As for Haley appointing herself, I would not put it past her. I doubt she will, because it would likely create a firestorm. Most people here can't stand her. And, there is no nomination here. It is an appointment. Whoever the governor appoints will become Senator until the end of DeMint's term in 2016.

As for "strong" Democrats in South Carolina, there aren't many of those. Good thing they have 2 years to look for a couple of them that are willing to run, especially since we will be electing a new governor then, as well. I suspect Vic Rawl may try again.

[factsarenotfair]

9. I wonder if Nikki Haley will appoint herself to the Senate.

Maybe it's part of a plan for her to run for V.P. in 2016. I think she's VERY ambitious.

[NewJeffCT]

17. She's got a net negative approval rating

from what I saw on DailyKos the other day - 38% positive, 41% negative - in a very red state. Maybe she figures it would be easier to win re-election to the Senate than it would be to be re-elected governor?

[factsarenotfair]

21. Good point. Also, the GOP desperately needs female and minority faces in D.C.

And she has an immigrant, bootstrapping family background as well. Oh, and her husband is in the military. Hmmm...she's actually got a lot of the bases covered if she wants to pretend she cares about the 99%.

[NewJeffCT]

27. Did anything happen with the rumors

of her having multiple affairs?

[factsarenotfair]

30. I haven't seen anything about that lately.

The last news I heard about Nikki Haley was the breaching of personal info from S.C. tax collection, which she actually took responsibility for.

[NewJeffCT]

33. wow, that's very rare

A Republican taking responsibility for wrongdoing?

[iandhr]

13. Maybe he doesn't know that some of Obamacare comes from the Heritage Foundation.

[NewJeffCT]

18. I'm sure he does

but, since it has the name "Barack Obama" attached to it now, it makes it an evil socialist, commie, fascist, nazi, Muslim plan. Don't you see?

[iandhr]

19. Of course

I was mocking him.

[tosh]

16. So...maybe there is a god after all.

[SaveAmerica]

20. Please take Graham with you, DeMint, pack of liars

Was he in there long enough to get lifetime benefits?

[liberal N proud]

22. He probably thinks he can do more damage from there

And have access to more cash and not have to share back home.

[Vogon_Glory]

26. What Do You Bet that DeMint Is Already Running For President in 2016? n/t

[Roland99]

37. He'd have an even worse chance than did Santorectum

[wilt the stilt]

28. kind of a dimwit

I always thought at least most of the people are smart at the Heritage foundation. This guy is a dimwit.

[TygrBright]

32. ooooo! Early holiday gift!! THANKS, Santa!

Not only do we get to miss ol' Jim's hateful bile from the Senate proceedings, but he's off to destroy any remaining credibility the Heritage Foundation might have had with real conservatives.

It's a two-fer!

happily,
Bright

[Mr.Turnip]

34. Wow, that's a big surprise, don't let the door hit ya Jim!

[lastlib]

36. Lunatic in charge of the asylum....

...Good Move.

"It just might be a lunatic (they're) lookin' for."

And he's out of the Senate--yeah, they may appoint another crazy to replace him, but in the totality it's still a net loss for the GOP/TP.

. . . .