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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.
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The Heritage 'Stink Tank' = Heritage Fraud. Where's Sarah Palin, 'Queen of the Vile'?
Well sounds like the Heritage foundation is going to even come up with even more things to try to push upon the states with good old Demint at the helm. yipppeeee.....at least he wont be in the Senate anymore, now if we can get a few more of them to go, the senate might actually be able to work together.
Money talks and BS walks. He's both, they offered him the money so he's taking his BS and leaving. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Let's see... He steps down, but what you bet he gets to KEEP all the perks ( retirement, Health Care at my expense) etc. he and all those other sorry ass POLS in D.C. have????? We can only hope he's hit by a bus crossing the street real soon!
He's going back to being the Grand Wizard of the KKK
I sure do love watching the tea party self destructing. Voters are rejecting them, Others are quitting, Boehner is kicking some out of their prized House Committee Seats, and everyone sees right through their bat sh*t crazy attacks on the Middle Class. They are imploding because they can't fool anyone other than the most ignorant Americans any longer.
RIP Tea Party. 2009 - 2012.
You wont be missed!
Another clueless Teabagger flees the sinking ship. Good riddance.
Any self respecting academic or policy development professional would gag at the claim that the Heritage Foundation is involved in anything resembling research. Examples of Heritage Foundation "research" include a study that says teachers are overpaid, corporate management of schools is preferable to having educators making decisions about education policy, giving additional tax breaks to companies that have received tax breaks and failed to create jobs is the way to stimulate job creation. It is a PR firm for ALEC and the Karl Rove PACs.
DeMint is going for the high paycheck and the GOP right wing echo chamber, fine. DeMint has not listened to anything other than his own voice for years. So a gig like Rush Limbaugh suits him. But please do not insult us by claiming he is interested in any genuine fact finding or research.
This is great... The Tea Party was all set to Pull Romney's Strings and make him obey every whim the tea party could dream up for the next eight years... But instead... The Tea Party has made itself so irrelevant that even DeMint knows he will have more power being a teabagger outside the Senate.
Stay on top of this promotion by the Koch Brothers. The Heritage Foundation(Conservative think tank) is part of the Koch Foundation associate program. Senator Jim Demint is a tea party puppet to the Koch Brothers. Now he will be in charge of the Heritage Foundation at a million per year job.
It's a chess game for the Koch Brothers. They want to own America. We kicked their butts in the election, now they are making moves on their chess game. They have two desires. Either own America through the republican party or destroy the republican party.
Republican and Democrat voters need to keep a close eye out on this evil chess game they are playing. They are an insult to other elite rich people and the rest of us Americans.
Has FOX News offered DeMint a job and a book deal yet?
These posts represent the "progressives" in this country, name calling, wishing harm, KKK references, "vile", etc. A real open minded "inclusive" group of snobs.
What does DeMint's penis taste like?
Dave,
Republicans, and especially Uber Conservatives like DeMint are totally detached from reality. You have to get out of the right wing bubble of BS talk show goobers who spread complete nonsense that is easily debunked.
they deserve it. they are irrelevant radical non-thinkers who need to get out of the way so the country can move forward. now if only mcconnell had a golden carrot stick waved in front of him...
dont let the door hit your reich wing ass on the way out....cry-baby quitter
Skeletons in his closet ? does he think he can do more damage outside of the Senate ? Seems like we have too many radical right wingers who cannot accept changes, acceptance of values and scientific facts. I am going for the skeletons.....
Rats???
Sinking ships????
hmmm.
Looks like your typical abandon ship maneuver!? The Republicans lost badly in the battle for Washington - Now it appears they're regrouping to win the battle of ideas, for the heart, mind and soul of Americans!!?
Lobbying pays far better, and there is no public oversight. He'll fit in perfectly. Criminalize lobbying.
Here's what Jim DeMint said to Lush Dimbulb today:
Right.....the problem is that the American people were unaware that you teabaggers are a bunch of racist, homophobic, misogynistic, plutocratic theocrats who don't give a crap about the middle class and poor.
Jim, the problem is both the message and the messengers, not a lack of communication. The American people understand exactly what you neoconfederate nutballs stand for.
On the contrary, Jimbo, Americans understand EXACTLY who and what your are. That is why Romney was not elected and that is why we will take back the house.
DaMint was at the GOP/Teabegger "Caucus Conspiracy" America. Ask DaMint about the "TeaBegger Blood Oath" he took. Ask DaMint who else 'conspired' against the US Economy, the American People, the US Constitution, and the Office Of The Presidency. Read Draper's book America! It will really open your eyes, and alot of what the Teabeggers are doing in 2012 will make perfect sense.
good bye you tea party clown-don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rigorous, yet bogus research, that is.
I would hazard a guess that there is probably a "conduct" issue brewing with his current position and the influence he is under or has already started to use with regards to the Heritage Foundation. Also if you are trying to become the power behind the throne you best get off the throne before using that power. I'll also hazard that this new position is going to pay well above his "government" pay grade. I wonder; when DeMint leaves office if he will chooses to do the "fiscally" responsible thing and take the private benefits provided by the foundation instead of letting the taxpayer foot the bill. Anybody want to give odds on DeMint doing the "right" thing?
an early christmas present!!!! what a slime bucket....one more down, but there's more to go.
conservative think tank? if that isn't a contradiction in terms I dont know what is.
i'm in sc, was active in the re-elect campaign, and am watching and working hard to help this state turn blue....and it's happening! slowly, but surely.
now if he would take some of his buds with him....oh i guess that's asking too much....
bye bye red slime.
Good riddance to this fundamentalist Christian Ayatollah. This POS never contributed a single atom to the betterment of the nation and its people.
Good. Except the Republican governor will probably appoint somebody even worse to take his place.
Worse than DeMint? Impossible, they got the message. This guy supported every nutcase in the Senate races......and they all lost.
there already talkin Tim Scott and yes he is worse, he makes that nutjob down in florida Allen West look like a saint. So nothing will change.
jeff, maybe so, but it will give the appearances of "diversity".
True, but in south carolina diversity is just painting the little lawn jockey statue a lighter shade of brown and putting a sombrero on it.