mel martinez resigns his senate seat!

[itsmeeeeeee]

and that means gop gov crist will be able to name his replacement.

he had announced that he wouldn't run for re-election, but resigning now ensures the seat will have a gop incumbent.

to me, that signals one of three things:

either he's got some kind of "problem" - health, scandal, etc. brewing...

or they are so worried that they'd lose the seat to dems in 2012 that they want him out NOW so they've got an incumbent with a better chance of keeping the seat gop in 2012..

or he's planning to run for gov.

or maybe a fourth reason - the guy just can't stomach his own party another minute? he's one of the few remaining moderates that hasn't been driven out of the party.

[itsmeeeeeee]

First on the CNN Ticker: Florida senator to resign seat
Posted: August 7th, 2009 11:15 AM ET

CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - First on the CNN Ticker: Florida senator to resign seat - Blogs from CNN.com

From CNN’s Rick DiBella and Mark Preston
Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Florida, will announce that he is resigning his seat.


WASHINGTON (CNN) – Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Florida, will announce that he is resigning his seat, three GOP sources tell CNN.

The sources said that Martinez will officially announce his intention to step down on Friday. The Florida Republican, first elected in 2004, announced in December of lat year that he would retire in 2010.

Florida law states that Gov. Charlie Crist may temporarily appoint someone to the vacant seat until the next general election. As of Friday morning, it was unclear what Crist would do. Crist announced in May he would not seek another term as governor, and instead would run for Martinez's seat.

Martinez is the only Hispanic Republican in the Senate. He joined eight other Republicans Thursday in voting to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Democrats currently hold a tenuous filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, with 60 votes. Martinez is one of six Republicans who have stated they would not seek re-election in 2010, but the Florida senator is the only one who has decided to leave before the curtain drops on the 111th Congress next fall. The five other Republicans who are retiring include: Missouri Sen. Kit Bond, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning and Ohio Sen. George Voinovich. Two Democrats will not run in 2010, Illinois Sen. Roland Burris and Delaware Sen. Ted Kaufman.

Republicans must defend 19 seats next year, while Democrats must protect 18.

Full statement from Martinez:

Because you're a friend, I wanted you to know first about the decision I will announce today to step down from public office.

Twelve years ago I offered myself as a candidate for public office in Florida out of a deep sense of appreciation for what America and the people of Florida did for me as a young immigrant to this country.

In 1997, Kitty and I decided it was time to give back and we entered the public arena, first as Mayor of Orange County, then as a Member of the President's cabinet and now as a United States Senator. Through those experiences I have gained the greatest respect for the people of Florida and have enjoyed serving their interests.

When I began my term as Senator, I promised I wouldn't simply warm a seat; I promised to take on the difficult issues and work to make a difference. Keeping that promise has meant pressing for help and assistance for families struggling to keep their homes, their jobs, and their confidence that our country is safe.

And on that note, I am especially grateful to the men and women of our military and their families whom I have had the distinct honor of representing in Washington and I thank them for their service to our country.

As a US Senator, I have also had a platform to speak against the oppression of the Cuban regime and my hope for a better future for the people of Cuba. I will continue that lifelong passion in the next phase of my life.

I will always be grateful to the people of Florida for bestowing on me the singular honor of representing them in the United States Senate.

My priorities have always been my faith, my family and my country and at this stage in my life, and after nearly twelve years of public service in Florida and Washington, it's time I return to Florida and my family.

So today I am announcing my decision to step down from public office, effective on a successor taking office to fill out the remainder of my term.

I have enjoyed my time in the Senate and have the utmost respect for my colleagues and the institution. I especially thank Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for his guidance and insight.

I look forward to continuing to be an active and constructive voice on issues vital to Florida and our nation, and being an active member of Florida's Republican Party.

Lastly, Kitty and I would like to thank you for all your support. You have been helpful in countless ways. As I begin this new chapter in my life, I look forward to seeing more of you and your family.


correction for my previous post about his term ending in 2012 - it's 2010, not 2012...

wants to return to florida, eh. are you planning to run for governor, mel? leaving now to secure that seat for a gop incumbent in 2010?

probably both.

[EvilMonkey]

He's pulling a Palin, a real reason will surface soon enough.

[itsmeeeeeee]

i wouldn't call him a palin - he was one of only 9 republicans who summoned the balls to do the right thing and confirm sotomayor, for example.

he's always been a moderate, reasonable republican. a real bipartisan. but the gop doesn't WANT those any more.

i doubt there's a scandal. i suspect he just wants out like specter did, and is doing it now at the pressure and behest of the party to get an incumbent in there that might be able to save that seat.

i find it telling that this announcement came one day after his confirmation vote. to me, that suggests an angry meeting with folks who said if you aren't going to help us, get the fuck out NOW!

think about it - he was one of a tiny handful of gop senators who probably would have voted for health care reform with snowe.

[EvilMonkey]

i wouldn't call him a palin - he was one of only 9 republicans who summoned the balls to do the right thing and confirm sotomayor, for example.

he's always been a moderate, reasonable republican. a real bipartisan. but the gop doesn't WANT those any more.

i doubt there's a scandal. i suspect he just wants out like specter did, and is doing it now at the pressure and behest of the party to get an incumbent in there that might be able to save that seat.

i find it telling that this announcement came one day after his confirmation vote. to me, that suggests an angry meeting with folks who said if you aren't going to help us, get the fuck out NOW!

think about it - he was one of a tiny handful of gop senators who probably would have voted for health care reform with snowe.

He's leaving mid-term, that's known as "pulling a Palin"

[itsmeeeeeee]

i know.

but i think this is different, because she just obviously couldn't cut it and decided quit.

and i'm suggesting that this might have been forced upon him by the party.

[EvilMonkey]

i know.

but i think this is different, because she just obviously couldn't cut it and decided quit.

and i'm suggesting that this might have been forced upon him by the party.

If that is the case it will just further solidify that the extreme right fringe is taking over. However, Crist has shown himself to be a pretty normal guy so I doubt he would have anything to do with such underhanded things.

[itsmeeeeeee]

If that is the case it will just further solidify that the extreme right fringe is taking over. However, Crist has shown himself to be a pretty normal guy so I doubt he would have anything to do with such underhanded things.

no, he wouldn't be involved, other than being the republican who gets to choose martinez's replacement.

this is very interesting because crist is on the royal gop shit list, you know - for supporting obama's stimulus plan. when he did that the gop leadership's heads exploded in unison and they declared war on him.

crist announced a long time ago that he was going to run for martinez's senate seat when his term as governor ran out.

and that's even MORE of the reason i strongly suspect that the gop is forcing martinez out NOW!

get this! now crist is actually being FORCED to appoint the very person he'll have to challenge for that seat.

although crist's dick is in a bit of a pickle - he COULD actually turn this against the party who's putting him in this uncomfortable position. i'm sure they are chucking at putting him in this position! they think they are sabotaging his run for the seat by filling what WOULD have been an empty seat, and probably an easy win, with an incumbent. but he could pick someone so weak, or maybe someone with a potential scandal problem, that he'd be able to defeat. (or on the other end of the spectrum, someone radically extreme enough to turn florida gop voters off - which in florida, would practically have to be an openly full fledged nazi - remember mint for brains?)

he's already said today that he won't appoint himself, which he COULD actually do if he wanted to leave the governor's office early. and that might be his wisest move, politically, if he re-thinks this. after all, he IS pretty popular with the people in the state. it's just the party and it's extremist base voters that hate his guts.

[SPRINGFIELD]

i know.

but i think this is different, because she just obviously couldn't cut it and decided quit.

and i'm suggesting that this might have been forced upon him by the party.

Ya think? How do YOU feel about blue dogs? Republicans are in trouble right now, and the last thing we need are people calling themselves republicans and toeing the Democratic line. Any "republican" senator that voted for Sotomayor ought to resign. Period.

[EvilMonkey]

Ya think? How do YOU feel about blue dogs? Republicans are in trouble right now, and the last thing we need are people calling themselves republicans and toeing the Democratic line. Any "republican" senator that voted for Sotomayor ought to resign. Period.

In other words, if you aren't a blatant racist redneck, get the fuck out. Is it your assumption that you never had the Latino vote to begin with and you will never get it, or do you simply not care about any other minorities if they aren't white?

I have to ask dude, why do you insist that your party keep taking steps back? You do realize that their approvals in the polls have their negatives at 80%, right? You have seen that there are only 4, yes 4 states that consider themselves Republican, right?

I understand you are upset but help us to see your logic.