Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) took his colleagues by surprise today when he announced that he is resigning from the US Senate to take over as president of the Heritage Foundation.
This is good news on both fronts, IMHO. Certainly, the Senate will be a better place without DeMint, whose extreme brand of wingnuttery did much to enhance the Senate’s dysfunction – the NYT reports that “[p]rivately, so as not to inflame him, several Republicans also said Mr. DeMint’s departure would produce few tears among them.” But this development should also make it clear to those journalists who in the past have looked to the Heritage Foundation for the “respectable” conservative side of things that they really should look elsewhere.
It’s also good news for DeMint.
The job switch should have substantial financial benefits for Mr. DeMint, whose 2010 net worth, $65,000, was among the lowest in the Senate. Edwin J. Feulner, the current head of the foundation, in 2010 earned $1,098,612 in total compensation.
Say no more!
kirth says
Unfortunately, in the Bizzarro World we inhabit, having a former senator, even a completely unhinged one, will probably enhance Heritage’s reputation among those people.
johnk says
by DeMint. Nothing more, nothing less. Unsure of his earnings, but he does rank towards the very bottom in the Senate. That in itself doesn’t mean much, but DeMint left a Senate seat that was his for the taking for a very long time for the money.
bob-gardner says
…Demint voted against the treaty, and within hours is hired by the Heritage Foundation and will make about five times as much as he made as a Senator.
I don’t know how anyone avoids the conclusion that Demint was already negotiating with Heritage while opposing the treaty, and that there was a quid pro quo.
Does anyone think the Heritage job, at that salary, would have been available to him if he had supported the treaty against Heritage’s wishes?
SomervilleTom says
I’m shocked, just SHOCKED, that such a thought would enter your head.
You mean that creating an entire cultural and religious movement based on glorifying venal greed might result in one of its political leaders trading a vote for money?
Nah, couldn’t possibly be true. I’m sure if there were any truth to it, it would have been reported on Fox News.
Right?
fenway49 says
is that I don’t see him supporting the treaty anyway. It’s clear he was negotiating with Heritage while it was up, but not clear he changed his vote in any way.
stomv says
the idea of bribing Senator Demint over that issue seems more than a bit strange…
bob-gardner says
and several senators who had previously supported the treaty publicly changed their votes. So who knows exactly how the deal went down? The salient fact is that Demint had a clear financial interest in making Heritage happy while he voted and influenced his colleagues.
fenway49 says
what does Whosmindingdemint have to say about this?
whosmindingdemint says
This shocking news has given me an identity crisis: Since DeMint didn’t do more than say NO really loud as a senator, I think we can count on hime to doing nothing productive at all – which is what he’s good at – over at the Heretic Foundation, Besides, his mind will be occupied with how to spend a million a year, but no worries because there is no public scrutiny of His Ignorance any more.
Now I’m not a superstitious man, but if a blog handle is anything like a rabbit’s foot, then I need to choose a new one pronto!
How about “TrotCantortoCato” or some such? “SexboyShamblis@Motel6.guv?”
Open to suggestions…so have at.
fenway49 says
“Boehnerofmyexistence”
johnk says
Mitt took the work of the Heritage Foundation to lay the groundwork here in MA. Back when there was a real debate on health care, the Heritage Foundation was the response to universal health care.
mski011 says
DeMint sits on Banking Committee. Maybe he feared getting schooled by…
Mark L. Bail says
part of the Republican Welfare System that employees the once and future servants that did their bidding in the public sector.
striker57 says
Just an FYI. Joseph Coors, as in Coors beer and a right-wing nut job, founded the Hertiage Foundation. Joe Coors and his family were the Koch Brothers before there were Koch Brothers!
http://www.heritage.org/about/speeches/the-legacy-of-joseph-coors
One good reason I don’t drink Coors beer (that and its tastes like crap).
stomv says
their cans are the wrong size. Really annoying.
But mostly, it’s the taste of the Rocky Mountain Oysters.