Jim DeMint-----something is very fishy here -can you help?

[Always Randy]

This man's term expires in 2016----4 more years----and i am certain that the Heritage Foundation could get by for a few of them. What is most remarkable is that his seat is a very "safe" Republican seat. His predecessors are Strom Thurmond (36 years a Senator) and Fritz Hollings (38 years). What else is happening in Jim DeMint's life that would cause him to step out so early. He also resides in the same house in DC with Mark Sanford. And , of course, this is only speculation, but how far is Greenville, SC from the Appalachian Trail.

[Mr.Bill]

1. It's about the money.

He's going to make way more money than a Senator.

[Always Randy]

4. nobody makes more than a senator

and the power trip is sensory overload-----something is up----a scandal is brewing

[former9thward]

8. There are probably a million people that make more than a Senator.

They make 175k a year. Hell, there may be 5 million or more people that make more. As far as power goes I don't see Buffet or Gates running for office. Either one could buy a seat if they wanted.

[DrToast]

14. Uh....he's going to make $1.1 million

That's quite a bit more than he's making now.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. I posted another thread about this fishy story, still have no idea.

But...There are some online money guys who are looking at DeMint's Finance Comm. role, and thinking he left before the financial storm hits the fan.
I had not thought about the "potential scandal " angle, but now that you mention it, it should have popped up right away, given the track record of these ULTRA conservative folks.

[Sunlei]

7. interesting.

guess we will know if Republicans fight for the position, or no one wants the seat or they try to place a patsy 'throw-away' Republican like Romney, to take the fall.

[HereSince1628]

3. IMO, he's a Koch-puppet, making this a Koch-solidation over at Heritage Foundation.

Koch's have wanted control of the rights major think tanks for years.

[Always Randy]

5. he still won''t be driving the bus

this does not fit his ego

[Sunlei]

6. agree something is fishy, they 'created' a cushie position for him and we probably will never know.

It's not the money all the perks of his political position already have him set for life. Could be something criminal that quitting the position takes away the chance of reveal?

[Coyotl]

9. Maybe his friends in Honduras aren't such nice people after all?

Is he a tool? Yes. So, he's likely just doing the bidding of others, and getting a big pay increase and drawing a Senate pension too.

[Sunlei]

13. friends in Honduras?

hmmm, a lot of drug billions moved around over the years. In todays Admin. that is now tracked and noticed. (by recent Pres. mandate)

[busterbrown]

10. I think many of these guys who are just about right wing corporate money might be running

for the hills. Things are gonna change and he’s getting out before the storm hits....
What Storm? The storm in which low information voters (excluding tea baggers and extremists)
finally get it. That govt. is a huge part of the solution!

[blue_heron]

11. C Street ??????

total speculation......but maybe another scandal is about to erupt from The Fellowship? And they thought it could be covered up if Romney was elected, but now it's going to ?????

[sellitman]

12. He is running for President in 2016

This will free him to do that. Plus pay him Millions.

Makes total sense.

[customerserviceguy]

26. I think you've hit on it

Also, he knows there's an easier time opposing Barack Obama from the outside than from the inside. He gets to try to openly play kingmaker in 2014 local races and collect chits for 2016.

[MzShellG]

15. His term expires in 2014.....

I'm so happy to be getting rid of him here in SC. But Nikki Haley will probably appoint another right wing nut to take his place. I do wonder why he's quitting in the middle of his term. I bet there IS more to this story.

[onenote]

17. His term expires in 2016. He was most recently elected in 2010.

[MzShellG]

20. I stand corrected.....

I couldn't recall if a US senate term was 4 or 6 years. Yes. I vividly remember the whole Alvin Green circus of 2010. But the fact that "DeMinted" had 4 more years makes this even more suspicious to me.

[GoCubsGo]

35. Miss Lindsay's term expires in 2014.

That may be what you are thinking of. There has also been talk about an election to replace DeMented in 2014, depending on what Sarah, Jr. decides as far as his replacement goes.

I haven't been that suspicious about this. I think DeMented is just jumping at an opportunity for increased power and income. I think the Heritage Foundation made him an offer he couldn't refuse, which was preferable to 24/7 fundraising. He has been a failure as a Senator, and would quite possibly not be one now, if not for the Alvin Greene fiasco. His Tea Party has an approval rating in the 30% range in his home state, and it has been declining elsewhere, too. I think he just saw the writing on the wall, and got out while the getting was good.

[MzShellG]

37. True. Youre right.

On both points. I hope there is a special election in 2014. Ms Lindsey seemed genuinely surprised by the announcement. And Deminted sure had been pretty quiet lately. Obviously operating under the radar.

[Generic Brad]

16. He's emulating Sarah Palin

Quitting elective office to, you know, keep his options open. I would not be surprised to see him on Fox News within 12 months as one of their new "pundits".

[onenote]

18. I think its pretty simple

If the repubs had captured the Senate, I have no doubt DeMint would have stayed in office. Among other things, hw was in line to become the chairman of the powerful Senate Commerce Committee. Now he faces at least two and probably four more years as "ranking" member of the minority. Having dealt with him and his staff, its clear to me that its mostly a power (and to a certain extent) money thing. He's not a lifelong politician and without the perks of being in the majority, I don't think the job holds that much interest

[Always Randy]

19. thank you for your think on this

I guess I am just used to seeing those "doth protest too much" be guilty of what they attack-----I also think that leaving the senate will marginalize him--in the senate he can vote-----he can make deals ---with his own and with Democrats-------Abe Ribicoff (CT) and Strom Thurmond while at opposite ends on social issues , put together some great deals on I-95---where Ribicoff's company got to make and install all those green exit and entrance signs and Thurmond got to pick the exits onto land he owned------there is so much more to this----I still smell a scandal

[mercuryblues]

31. this is what I

don't understand. He has always stated he would be a two term senator. Quitting in the middle of his 2nd term is not a good idea if he had planned on a presidential run. Demented is an obnoxious ass. There is something definitely suspicious about his quitting. I always suspected either him or his supporters were behind the Greene fiasco. He was not polling well against Rawl, a whoola! Rawl loses the primary to someone who didn't even have a web site, no ads, and no campaign at all. How convenient for Demented.

All I hear is that his is a safe republican seat. Of course he won his last election by a landslide; his opponent was A. Greene, who had criminal charges pending for felony obscenity. If SC had a strong Democratic Party leadership the political makeup of the state might look different. This seat was held by a dem, from 1980 to 2004 until Hollings retired. It is possible to regain this seat, if the state and national party invest in the race, not just with money but get some heavy hitters to campaign for whoever runs.

[rocktivity]

21. You're right to be suspicious -- I don't think it's a simple matter of more money

And if it's true what he saying about not wanting to be a "lifelong politician," why did he run for Senate in the first place?

I think DeMint is being REWARDED with the Heritage Foundation gig -- but why?

He's automatically eliminated himself as a 2016 presidential candidate: his resignation makes him an even bigger quitter than Sarah Palin.

Anyone who replaces him will not have the power or seniority that DeMint has accumulated, so that doesn't give the GOP an advantage.

Could it be that as the face of the Tea Party in the Senate, DeMint knew that his political future was forfeit, and he decided to jump before he was pushed?


rocktivity

[Kennah]

22. "Dead girl or live boy?" is some of the speculation.

[YayArea]

23. Time to bust out the genetic testing for all half-white/half-black kids in South Carolina

Someone's got some dirt on DeMint

[quaker bill]

24. Nah - he can't do much in the minority

He can go off the reservation all he wants and make far more money on the outside. The next two years is going to be all about governing to show that the Rs are capable of doing it. Demint wants no part of that.

[Jersey Devil]

25. He's broke by Congressional standards - net worth only $40k

according to financial disclosure forms reported on yesterday by MSNBC. Now he makes something like $170k per year. At Heritage he will make $1 million (or more) per year.

[Frustratedlady]

27. Does Heritage usually give out the information on salaries?

I agree, there's something rotten in Denmark.

As for an affair? Yuk! It would have to be someone who was impressed by power, as there isn't anything else there...at least, not visible.

I can't believe his net worth is $40K, either. With his age and position? Maybe he's hidden most of it on some island? Blackmail?

He's either getting a lot of pressure from his cohorts or the money was too impressive at Heritage, thus, the reason it was mentioned.

[Always Randy]

28. Linda McMahon spent 100 mill to get in in CT and failed

Adelson spent 150 mill=--Rove and company 400-500 million----to get their guys in----now this is all with full disclosure requirements----there have to be a few perks available to make Mr. Demint want to stay if all was well ------the catfish are jumping but the cotton is not that high

[bornskeptic]

30. You seem to have it backwards.

The Republican establishment isn't about to offer DeMint anything to stay in the Senate. hey're paying him millions to get out of the Senate. The Heritage oundation is the Republican establishment. Did you think it wanted DeMint for his intellectual credentials? He and his Tea Party allies are destroying the Republican Party from within. We'll probably never know the full extent of what he is getting, but the establishment will pay whatever it takes to get him out of the way.

[brooklynite]

29. This does NOT have to do with money...

...although the salary doesn't hurt. It has to do with POWER and INFLUENCE. DeMint could stay in Senate under Democratic Control, with no assurance that he'd get back into the majority, or he can become the voice and power behind the throne for the entire conservative movement.

[Always Randy]

32. The Appalachian Trail is just a few miles away from Greenville

Someone from DC or SC has some info to share here

[hack89]

33. He is an ideologue not a legislator

he can stay "pure" at the Heritage Foundation and not get in involved with all the compromising that will happen as Obama spanks the repukes.

And it pays a lot more.

[JHB]

34. With Delay taking his $8M parachute, there's an opening for the role of...

...Spokesman for Real-True Conservatives, which DeMint can better do from a welfare position at Heritage.

Especially if filibuster reform won't let him obstruct everything in the manner to which he has become accustomed.

[pbrower2a]

36. only one good thing to say about "Jim DeMented"

The Washington Post reports that he has about $40K in assets. He has not enriched himself as a Senator.

The lobbyists have more power over the political process, at least with Republican pols, than the elected pols themselves. That's one angle. The other is money. Power and money are addictive.