FISCAL CONSERVATIVE LEADER DROPS BOMBSHELL ON PALMETTO POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint will resign his post as South Carolina’s junior United States Senator to take over the leadership of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington, D.C. think tank.
News of DeMint’s decision – effective was first reported this week by The Wall Street Journal.
“This is an urgent time,” DeMint told the paper, “because we saw in the last election we were not able to communicate conservative ideas that win elections.”
DeMint’s bombshell decision means that S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley will get to appoint an interim successor prior to a special election being held in 2014. Haley can appoint anyone to the post – including herself. However Haley would technically have to resign from the Governor’s Office prior to accepting the U.S. Senate appointment – meaning she would need to trust S.C. Lt. Gov. Glenn McConnell to fulfill her wishes.
South Carolina is one of thirty-six states in which chief executives appoint successors on an interim basis prior to the next general election. The other fourteen states require that special elections be held to fill the post.
DeMint’s surprise announcement is nothing short of disastrous from a taxpayer perspective. For starters, it deprives the U.S. Senate of one of its few fiscal conservative champions – and gives the notoriously corrupt and self-serving Haley the power to appoint his successor.
Talk about a lose-lose proposition.
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Senator Scott?
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80 comments
Details at WLTX.com
Oh my….who will dear Nimrata appoint??
Herself; it will be a disaster for SC and the Nation. Giving this crook a National audience and access to the same fools who elected DeMinted in the first place. It will turn out bad of us.
Damn – a politician who kept his word….imagine that.
How exactly is he keeping his word by resigning early Colonel?
He said he’d serve two terms and step down and it looks like that’s what he’s doing, a little early but two terms…
Only because he will make more $$$ at Heritage. DeMint looks after one person – DeMint.
Exactly. Once he heard Dick Armey was getting $8 million to leave FreedomWorks, he thought he would get a little slice of that conservative organization pie.
Oh…gotcha, that makes sense. I thought keeping his word would be saving us the politcal turm oil, special election et cetera by doing the job we sent him there to do for six years.
US Senator Nikki Haley (R)
Why wouldn’t she?
LOL! She’s going to Washington after all. Haley resigns after a deal with McConnell. He becomes Governor and appoints her to the Senate.
Couldn’t be a better script and the precedent is there.
An adult in the Governor’s office and Haley gets a free pass for a re-write.
This is win-win for both and most importantly, for SC.
You are correct. But, this is a disaster for SC and the Nation.
Haley is so crooked they’ll have to screw her into the ground when she dies.
Bill, she would fit in well with the criminal GOP establishment in D.C.
Good. Maybe she’ll appoint that lady that ran the Richland County elections – Lilian McBride. Couldn’t be worst than Demint.
The Heritage Foundation deserves him!!!
Its a great day in SC
It’s a great day in SC until Haley picks his replacement.
DeMint has issued orders that Tim Scott be his replacement. What is Queenie’s relationship to Scott? to DeMented?
Maybe she will appoint herself. She would make noise but overall be harmless. That would put McConnell in the govenor’s mansion for the next two years. That would be interesting. All the years that McConnell spent being at odds with our govenors, now he is?????
Got to be Tim Scott, doesn’t it?
Haley could get something right for once if she did that.
Thurmond can have Scott’s seat in the 1st District.
Since when did Republicans become quitters?
Since Palin the Quitter got picked for VP? Since Gingrich’s resignation didn’t stop him from running for president and even winning SC? Since Pawlenty bailed on the Romney campaign to work for as a lobbyist?
Quitting is part of the game, whether it is to avoid ethics probes or to make bank.
Smirks. You are right. Palin was a dumb bitch loser before she was a quitter. But she does have nice tits.
Word is DeMint was found with a dead girl or a live boy.
Traynor, why didn’t your momma teach you not to lie?
You guys are such tools. DeMint has more honor and love for his country than the two of you put together.
Tom Davis
If you don’t think she’s going to appoint herself you are kidding yourself.
She has a lust for power and would not be reelected in 2014 because of the stolen credit fiasco.
Either way she has to win an election in 2014. She might have the job for 2 years but a special election would make it hard to hold on.
At least Congressional Republicans know she’s versed in the talking points and that she’ll sell out her vote at the drop of a hat, so she has qualifications there. No worries about any disobedience, just slip her some bennies and guarantee her reelections and she’ll do whatever the fuck you want.
Smirks, DeMented is elected to 2016. Doesn’t that mean we’d have to tolerate her until then?
DeMint’s bombshell decision means that S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley will get to appoint an interim successor prior to a special election being held in 2014.
What the fuck is he thinking?
He’s thinking about that 500% raise in salary he’ll be getting.
Remember, this is DeMented. He’s all about himself.
MP, you’re just another hyperpartisan tool like Smirks and Traynor.
There’s no way to look more foolish than to make cheap ad hominem attacks on Jim DeMint.
Congratulations, you’re just another lame worthless sniper and useful idiot for the liberal cause.
You accomplish exactly NOTHING with your cheap sniping.
Yes, he accomplished NOTHING in his 8 years in the senate…oh, sorry. Misread your comment. You weren’t talking about DeMint not accomplishing anything.
Somebody got to ole Jimmy, simple as that.
can you say Senator Ralph Norman?
Jakie is available. Andre?
Sanford!
TOM DAVIS
Dog Catcher is open?
A Governor appointing themselves will not win an election. Remember Donald Russell.
Then, by all means, let her appoint herself. Besides, she would have NO seniority, so at least she would do little damage.
DeMented wants Scott. If she appoints herself, she’ll p*ss off DeMented and get no support from him.
Now, that WOULD be a great day in S.C.
LOL… I don’t know which is funnier, DeMint running the Heritage Foundation, or the idea that Haley’s going to pick his replacement.
Serious question: Can Haley appoint herself? Or her husband? Maybe she’ll appoint Templeton… Oh man, our state is going to bite the bullet on this one, I can just smell it.
DeMint, be a champ and drag Graham out the door with you, please?
CNSYD, I didn’t know you retired.
Maybe she will appoint Loftis to remove the threat of a primary challenge for the governor’s race.
If she’s smart, she’ll appoint Trey Gowdy; however, that’s a big “if.”
Gowdy is only good at one thing and that is to be a prosecuter.
he’s wired that way.
He ain’t done shit for us here in Spartanburg area.
He’s another one who is damn good at looking out for #1
I saw Gowdy up close and personal when McCain ran for prez (who I supported & attended primary planning functions/meetings till bat-shit Palin came aboard. I made it plain that i was an independent but they needed worker bees so I hung around awhile again untill Palin showed up.
Gowdy is a vain Young Turk who looks out for himself first and foremost.
Bob Inglis was much more approachable and down to earth. Too bad he ain’t running as an Independent. He should.
Alvin Greene must be getting ready to snitch.
Book deal?
The Senate Rebulicans are impotent and completely fangless… With the advent of the new Senate rules, the Repbublicans will be completely powerless… now he doesn’t have to lick Reid’s boots every day.
Trey Gowdy, anyone?
NEVER!
See posting above………..
Spot on MountainPenelope!!!
We’re fucked regardless if she takes the seat or appoints someone. Another fucked-up day in SC… I couldn’t make this shit up if I tried…
Good riddance!
Will Queen Nimrata appoint herself to fill his seat?
MP, have you always been a shameless attention whore and partisan hack, or is today a special occasion that makes you feel like you deserve it more than usual?
From Mulvaney’s statement:
I have faith Governor Haley will appoint someone with the character, leadership, and conservatism Senator DeMint has provided South Carolinians for the past eight years.
Apparently he has more faith in Haley than most sentient beings.
So, Mulvaney wants the job. Hmmmm….
Mulvaney definitely wants to the job.
I agree with Ken too, I actually laughed when I read that part of his statement.
DeMented saw the handwriting on the wall. The candidates sponsored by the “kingmaker” (his description of himself) lost big time in November.
America is getting pretty fed up with his type.
Maybe S. C. will do so one day.
Does Ms Haley have any skeletons in her closet? The person who knows the most about those ghosts will get the nod.
That would mean she’s going to appoint Sic Willie.
Jesus help us!
LOLOLOLOL
The only reason the candidates lost “big time” is because they still haven’t figured out the way to answer as a democrat the simple question on abortion: I agree with my democrat opponent that of course it’s ok to jab a forceps into the skull of a baby that manages to live past the the free obamacare abortion pill and is born alive after Doctor Mengela at Planned Parenthood botches yet another abortion.
The Senate would be 51-49 if not for republicans snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Got to wonder the real reason behind his resignation. Are there going to be naked pictures, inappropriate texts/emails, or using public funds for personal reasons? Why would that bother us? Nikki Haley and Richard Eckstrom have done that and got elected.
Unless Nikki is planning on appointing herself, she’s probably studying the Rod Blagovitch (spelling?) case in Illinois to learn how to sell the seat without getting caught!
Please Nikki, appoint yourself, and get out of running the Governorship. And why is the Heritage Foundation allowed to keep it’s non-profit status when DeMint will get over 1 million a year in salary and perks?
SENATOR DARLA MOORE
SENATOR DARLA MOORE
SENATOR DARLA MOORE
SENATOR DARLA MOORE
SENATOR DARLA MOORE
SENATOR DARLA MOORE
SENATOR DARLA MOORE
SENATOR DARLA MOORE
She would be incredible, but Queenie is too small-minded and jealous to appoint her. Besides, Darla is an Independent and, most importantly didn’t contribute to Queen Nimrata’s campaign war chest.
For all the talk of hard-right wingers saying that Demint was one of the few in the Senate who saw things their way:
Demint just gave you THE FINGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As a BIG proponent of the flat tax, I would have gone to bat for Demint in a heartbeat but he would make a show once a year on April 15th and that was it.
If he had devoted more time to REALLY serving this state and country on that issue of no BS tax reform i would have had some respect for him but now we see his true colors
I do hope Ms.Karen Martin (head of the Spartanburg TEA party reads this since so many TEA partiers eat the peanuts out of Demint’s stuff.
Demint has left those poor misguided souls high & dry
So was his discovered affair hetero or homo?
Sic Willie, how is it that you didn’t see this coming? I am grievously disappointed!
His wife wanted him out of the C-Street brothel.
Maybe they can dig up Pee Wee Gaskins and give him the job.
By Smirks December 6, 2012 at 11:27 am
“DeMint, be a champ and drag Graham out the door with you, please?”
Wonderful idea Smirks!! It would alot of people a lot of money, time and effort in two years!! LOL
Just when did it become acceptable for elected officials to just up and quit during their term to go pursue other interests? i don’t give a damn if DeMint has 1 million and one reasons to go (one million dollar salary and to run in 2016 for president). he promised to serve the citizens of South Carolina and then he bolted. That sucks.
You gave your word DeMint, Put off your own personal pursuits until you keep it.
Exactly..love him or hate him, he has broken his promises to the people of this state.
mega dittos
So Ole Jimbo going to be in charge of a “think tank”………does anyone else think this is very ironic…?
The beginning of the end;Praise Fucking Jesus!:’The Tea Party’,’Libertarians’ Palin,’FITS.NEWS’,etc…
When Fits talks about how stupid South Carolinian’s are,he’s almost right,but forgets to include the dumbest motherfucker in the bunch-himself.At least Demint’s getting out;finally fucking realizing his shitty politics stink,in every place but South Carolina.No insight by Sicko,whatsoever;didn’t even see the obvious-the reelection of Obama! Absolutely pathetic that people look to this dumb blog for his brand of inbred-bastardized,redneck ‘news’. Now, he’s got this brain-dead blog running on Big T’s stale fart fumes…
You reap what you sow,and your crops are rotten.