So what do you do if you’re in the midst of a high stakes budget battle?
If you’re Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), you apparently walk away
Sen. Jim DeMint has announced that he will resign from his Senate seat as of the end of the year. He has accepted a new position at the helm of the conservative think tank, Heritage Foundation.
DeMint was originally elected to the Senate in 2004 and had been re-elected in 2010. His current term was to expire in 2016.
Under the rules, DeMint’s successor will be appointed by the governor of his state. That means that DeMint’s successor will be chosen by S.C. Governor Nikki Haley (R). DeMint said about his departure, “I know I’m leaving the Senate better than I found it with some real leaders.”
DeMint had been a key player in the current tax reform debate. Specifically, he has opposed tax increases across the board and has been critical of his own party for hinting they might make concessions in that regard.
The outgoing Senator indicated that he was leaving because he could do a better job “on the outside” but speculation is that money might have influenced his timing. As a Senator, DeMint would have earned $174,000 this year; the outgoing President of the Heritage Foundation reportedly made a cool million in his last year.
DeMint isn’t the first high profile politician to defect while in office. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin infamously stepped down in June 2009 before the end of her last term and last year, former Senator John Ensign stepped down from his seat in Nevada. Just last month, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., (D-IL) also announced he would leave office (although his resignation in the midst of corruption charges was much more salacious).
It makes you wonder if one of the questions during the debate should be: Do you intend to remain in office, if elected?
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