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Updated 12:44 p.m. - South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, an influential Republican who has helped prod his party rightward, will step down from his seat in January to become the next director of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
NBC's Chuck Todd and Kelly O'Donnell discuss the departure of Tea Party favorite from the US Senate, and possible replacements South Carolina Gov. Haley could pick.
DeMint announced Thursday that he planned to succeed Ed Feulner, the longtime head of the Heritage Foundation, next month. The news of his departure was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
"I'm leaving the Senate now, but I'm not leaving the fight. I've decided to join The Heritage Foundation at a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadership in the battle of ideas," DeMint said in a statement. "No organization is better equipped to lead this fight and I believe my experience in public office as well as in the private sector as a business owner will help Heritage become even more effective in the years to come."
The Heritage Foundation said DeMint's "passion for rigorous research, his dedication to the principles of our nation’s founding, and his ability to translate policy ideas into action make him an ideal choice to lead Heritage to even greater success."
Since being elected to the Senate in 2004, DeMint has not-infrequently clashed with Republican leaders on specific pieces of legislation and the overall direction of the party.
His conservative obstinance made him a hero among the party's grassroots. DeMint wielded that influence through his Senate Conservatives Fund, supporting more ideologically pure candidates over candidates deemed more politically-able by Republican Party leaders.
DeMint had even been rumored in 2011 to be thinking of challenging Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell for the position of Republican leader, though he eventually declined.
Among DeMint's successes through his Senate Conservatives Fund was the championing of senators like Florida's Marco Rubio, Kentucky's Rand Paul, and Utah's Mike Lee. Among DeMint's failures were the two Senate candidates -- Richard Mourdock in Indiana and Todd Akin in Missouri -- who lost their 2012 bids in the wake of controversial remarks about rape.
"I think if you're interested in having Republicans control the Senate you have to back Republicans who fit their state and who can win in a general election not just in the primary," Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a moderate Republican, told NBC News about whether there were any lessons from DeMint's tenure on Capitol Hill.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.
DeMint had said he would leave the Senate in 2016, following the completion of his second term, meaning his departure in January will be ahead of schedule.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, another conservative Republican who enjoys grassroots support, will be allowed to name a replacement, who would have to face a special election in 2014 to serve out the remaining two years of DeMint's term. A variety of Republicans could jockey to replace DeMint, from Haley herself to a couple of her allies -- Tedd Pitts, her deputy chief of staff, or State Rep. Nathan Ballentine -- to U.S. Rep. Tim Scott or other members of the state's GOP establishment.
"Looking forward, Governor Haley will now appoint a new Senator, and I know she will make the right choice both for South Carolina and the nation," Scott Said in a statement.
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a relatively more moderate Republican who's expected to face a primary challenge, is also up for re-election that fall.
There is also the broader question of who, among the 45 Senate Republicans, will seize the mantle of conservative leadership in the upper chamber. Several of the senators whom DeMint helped elect have modeled their actions after the Palmetto State senator, creating their own political action committees and breaking on occasion with the GOP leadership.
NBC's Tom Curry contributed.
Leave a Comment:
The ship is sinking?
enojy the millions Heritage will pay and the money the US people will pay you for the rest of your life
Whatever the real reason he's leaving, dmint was ALWAYS the dullest pencil in the box, always ready to ride that dinosaur in his cave man suit, always ready to insert religion into statehood and always ready to lead the delusional against the tide of reason and provable truth.
Jim, Adios and please hurry...
Now if only Reid would join him on the way out the door, maybe we could get some actual bi-partisan work done for the good of the country instead of for the good of the party.
Sure JACK, cause it's the Democrats who've tied this Congress up in knots over the last 4 years, right fella??
Enought with this false equivalency. This GOP congress has been the most recalcitrant and obstructionist in the last 100 years. Their record breaking string of filibusters proves this beyond any doubt.
When you say "obstructionist" do you mean like refusing to bring a budget up for a vote in the Senate for the past two years?... Oh wait, I guess you couldn't mean that because the Dems have control of the Senate, not the GOP. And everyone knows that the Dems would NEVER be obstructionist.... i.e., no budget, kill EVERY bill that passes the House (if they even let it come up for a vote). Oh, and one more thing... isn't it interesting that the Dems LOVED the filibuster when it came to blocking Bush's judicial appointments (and all other things "W"), but now they hate it when it gets pointed at them for a change. I'd use the term "two faced" but I think "hypocritical" would be more fitting.
HALLELUJAH! And Ding Dong , the _itch is Dead!
That said, this is SC, so no one should expect a rational replacement.
I love the right wing Heritage Foundation
NAFTA
The North American Free Trade Agreement: Ronald Reagan's Vision Realized
November 23, 1993
Long-Standing Support for Free Trade with Mexico. Ronald Reagan first proposed a free trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico in his 1980 presidential campaign. Since that time, The Heritage Foundation is proud of the role it has played in articulating President Reagan's vision of free trade in Latin America and around the world.
Since the mid-1980s, Heritage analysts have been stressing that a free trade agreement with Mexico not only will stimulate economic growth in the U.S., but will make Mexico a more stable and prosperous country. Heritage has published over three dozen studies stressing the benefits of free trade in North America.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/1993/11/EM371-The-North-American-Free-Trade-Agreement
Heritage also wrote the Paul Ryan plan to outsource Medicare.
And the hits just keep on coming. Another one bites the dust, and another one, and another one, another one bites the dust.
Yes, cause for much celebration though let's all keep in mind that this is South Carolina after all and he will be replaced with an other dirtbag just as if not more offensive.
Every time I see "Heritage Foundation" I immediately think about the "Heritage Club" from the movie 'Trading Places'.
It's probably a more accurate comparison than we know.
Just imagine The Kochs as the Duke brothers.
Awesome that he's leaving. Good riddance!
But you know what sucks? We taxpayers get to pay his congressional salary and full health benefits for the rest of his life!
That's probably one reason people in congress don't really care what a crappy job they're doing - or whether they do anything at all - they're paid the same either way, even after they leave.
GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!! Lindsay Graham you can leave too and take Mitch McConnell with you!
Is there any hope they can hire Vitter as an assistant, perhaps put Grassley and McCain on the Board of Trustees so they will all leave the senate too. Come on Heritage Foundation, help out a little more.
This is bad. The republicans see that their decades of poor policies and ideas are not working. They see that they cannot continue to accomplish anything based on their failed ideologies. But they aren't willing to change their thinking, they just plan on moving to the private sector where they don't have to make policy, can earn a ton of profit, and continue to sell their terrible ideas to the public through marketing. We have enough misinformed voters, we don't need waves of conservatives entering the private marketing field to misinform even more Americans.
Thank God, or whatever, for small favors. We need him like we need smallpox.
Wow, after reading the posts here, I am so glad I am a conservative. At least they don't get as ugly as liberals.
Yea, cause yours is the party of love, tolerance, open mindedness, objectivity and peace, eh fella???
Apparently you've never bothered to read some of the lovely posting from your fellow Righties, spewing vitriol, racism, bigotry and shear blinding stupidity on a daily basis. If I had a dime for every racist remark uttered by the Right on this vine I could have retired by now. Please spare me the self righteous claptrap, you ain't fooling anyone on here.
Oh but you do. Just keep reading.
@Ozzie Boy, Jazz is being sarcastic and funny. He is pulling your leg making a joke. People can't be that delusional can they?
Another GOP loser bites the dust!
I hear did a sheep,,ya l,ao
The h foundation right wing non think tank,,losers
The right wing think tanks have been very effective over the years at framing the debate. Progressives need to do the same. I'm glad to see him go but don't think for a minute that he is no longer a threat to progressive ideals.
At least that's one less whack job in congress to screw things up. Seems fitting that he would be going to one of the biggest sources of right wing propaganda and misinformation, second only to fox "news".
Good leave now and let Congress work with President Obama Senator DeMint you never offer any new ideas just like your party your party lost and now you are taking easy way out looking for a do nothing job where you have all the say
So there will have to be a GOP primary, and the extreme nut jobs will win and put in an Akin type, who will then open his mouth and put his entire leg in it, and the Dem will win. (one can dream)
Even though he rants incessantly about federal spending, one can bet he'll keep his federal pension and health care benefits. A true, right-wing, tea-party ideologue like DeMint should renounce any such benefits. Fat chance. He'll be feeding for the rest of his life at the federal trough he supposedly disdains and opposes. So Republican, so hypocritical. So DeMint.
So much hate and vitriol from the Left here. Sen. DeMint has more integrity and love of country than all of you hateful losers combined. The man did his best to return this country to its founding principles of limited government and individual sovereignty. It's not his fault the majority in this country voted for "free" stuff over freedom. Now you can all enjoy our ride to national economic suicide.
laughable
Spoken like a true teabagger.
An more sanctimonius preaching from the Right me something smart guy, where the hell were all you Tea Crazies when your boy Dubya was pissing away hundreds upon hundreds of billions on an unnecessary war in Iraq? Where was your sense of fiscal conservancy then?
Free stuff??? The Right just LOVES free stuff. Like all the unnecessary military bases that are scattered throughout the South where GOP congress people brought home the bacon for their district. I'll remind you of this next time there's a hurricane down Dixie way and you clowns go pleading to the Feds for assistance.
Limited government?? You're joking right??? Reagan doubled the size of government as did Bush and the Right said not a word. 5 minutes after Obama is sworn in the Tea Party rears it's ugly head condemning all that Obama does and conveniently ignoring all the damage done by previous administrations. HYPOCRISY is thy name.
...and thus begins the jumping off the sinking ship by the rats that helped it start sinking...pay attention the rest of you republicans...you have pissed off the American public to the point that you may not have the same job after the upcoming elections...NO MORE CAREER POLITICIANS...TERM LIMITS..THEY PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY AND RETIREMENT THE SAME AS THE WORKING CLASS,,,NO MORE VOTING THEMSELVES A PAY RAISE...NO MORE LOBBYISTS!!! WE the people must reform our government since the whiny a** , self serving, idiots we presently have are only interested in lining their pockets.
He's going to work for the same group that originally proposed the ACA which was put into effect in Massachusetts under Romney. Got anymore of these, Jim? I'm a supporter of Obamacare so if you have anymore ideas I'd sure like to hear them.