Shamnesty Sen. Mel Martinez to retire
Finally, a bit of good news to report: GOP Sen. Mel “Shamnesty” Martinez will not seek re-election in 2010. Via The Fix:
Florida Sen. Mel Martinez (R) has decided against seeking a second term, a decision he will formalize shortly in the Sunshine State, according to an informed party source.
Martinez’s decision was based on a desire for more free time and a less scheduled life, said the source. The first term senator also was an almost certain Democratic target in two years time although those familiar with Martinez’s political prospects insisted his strengths in South Florida, coupled with his political base along the I-4 corridor, made his path to reelection possible.
You may recall his pledge in 2006 not to work aggressively to defend conservative values as RNC chairman:
Sen. Mel Martinez, who will become the new general chairman of the Republican Party after it lost control of Congress, said on Tuesday he would not be an “attack dog” in the 2008 White House race.
…”One of the things that I made clear as I discussed this job role with the president is I was not going to be an attack dog, and I don’t intend to, and I wasn’t asked to be one,” he told reporters at the White House.
That strategy worked out well, didn’t it?
DLTDHYOTWO.
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Trackbacks
- The Other McCain: Hasta la vista, Mel
- The GOP Doesn’t Need “Republicans” Like Schwarzenegger (UPDATE) « The Forum
- Amnesty Mel to Retire from Senate in ‘10 | The American Pundit
- WO’s Daily Roundup | Without Objection
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Good riddance…
Now to get McLame, Limp-Wrist Graham and the other Open Borders/American Worker hating Repubs out.
He is a fellow Cuban American, but he was so wrong on immigration and converted the RNC into RINO in 2004.
A shame. Hopefully a CONSERVATIVE republican will run and win in Florida.
Another one bites the dust…
Good riddance.
Another supporter of indentured servitude for Hispanics (under the guise of humanitarianism) leaves the stage.
Buh-bye.
Good luck electing a pro-enforcement candidate in Florida.
I think Senators should go back to being appointed. The problem is that these guys have to worry about getting elected so they don’t do the right thing (a la shamnesty).
Our founders set up a great system. We don’t have that system today. Senators were appointed by the governors of the state and did not have to be elected. Our governor has term limits so we would not likely have career senators like we have today.
If the senators were appointed, I don’t think that amnesty would have a chance in hell of passing the senate.
…Like they have one now…
Latah!
Buh Bye!
Piece of cake!
It is like the retirement of Sen. Warner of VA, after years of being a closet Dem, leaves before a certain re-election defeat. Cowards as well as sell outs.
On December 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 am, Flyoverman said:
Agreed, FM! My elderly relatives have winter homes in Ocala, Tampa and Miami, and from what I’ve seen, it will be no sweat!
Now lets get rid of McCain. What a putz.
Great news. The Mrs. and I fired him anyhow after his support of CS1.0 and CS2.0.
Do-LTDHYOTWO
Senor Martinez, come back when you can’t stay so long.
Now, let’s get Lindsey Grahamnesty out.
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
/major sarc
Sayonara Mel.
Hasta la Vista…your condo in Vera Cruz is ready…
I agree with this. Don’t know if I am quite putting this correctly, but for me, the old system with appointed Senators, kinda reflected the ideals of federalism at the legislative level.
I find myself in agreement with chapoutier. When left and right agree, it shows our country is way off track.
I’m writing in ACHefty.
Here is Martinez’s comments concerning my concern about the RNC not supporting conservative values and the need for new leadership:
“In the upcoming weeks Republican Senators for the 111th Congress will meet to vote on the leaders for the Republican Caucus, which will serve as the minority party for the upcoming session. During the 110th Congress Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) was selected as the Minority Leader for our party, and I have worked closely with him and the rest of the Republican leadership. Throughout the 110th Congress, Senator McConnell demonstrated strong leadership in the face of often difficult circumstances. I believe Senator McConnell’s experience and demeanor are well-suited to guiding the Republican Caucus through the policy debates we will face in the 111th Congress.
Regardless of whether Senator McConnell serves another term as Senate Minority Leader, I am confident that the leadership team that emerges from the Republican Caucus’s upcoming elections will represent our party’s core principles and will lead effectively our caucus in the coming years.”
In other words, no change. As far as I am concerned and as a Florida resident, I say good bye and let’s hope for a real change.
Hey Mel! You domestic terrorist you! Why don’t you take a few of your buddies with you?!
Awww, shucky-doo!
Good. Now, everyone pray for me. I have long considered tossing my hat (yes, I wear hats) into the ring. This may make the decision easier. I need wisdom considering whether I will run in two years.
Andy Hefty
An early Christmas present, thank you senator.
Hey Mel, are you gonna take with you all of the illegals that you allowed in?
Unfortunately, follow amnesty supporter, McCain fanboy, and fiscal retard (Citizen’s insurance fund) Charlie Crist is expected to the be the frontrunner to run from the GOP side. So we’ll get 1 liberal running against another in 2010.
I’m a naturalized (and grateful) US citizen. If you want this problem fixed, I guarantee you that legal immigrants like me would do a much better job of coming up with firm, fair guidelines to fix this problem once and for all.
Our Congresspeople are much too concerned with the possibility of losing votes than they are with the safety of American citizens and the protection of its culture, traditions, and language.
The vast majority of legal immigrants I know (including Latinos) want this problem fixed, and NO amnesty.
planego (#29) On behalf of those who have been here a few generations, welcome! I hope that things go well for you and your family.
We are thinking along similar lines.
sorry, that’s planetgeo–I’m not wearing my glasses.
I would have preferred the voters of Fla. and the RNC throw his butt out to send a message. However, quitting, just as good. Adios mel and good riddance!!!
Good Riddance!
Bye Mel!!! I have a long list of others who should join you in retirement starting with Kennedy.
Damn straight. We’ve gotten rid of the Latino voters with our idiotic belief it’s actually possible to round up 10+ million people and ship them out and our villification of desperately poor people who came here because we wouldn’t enforce our border. Now let’s get rid of everyone who doesn’t toe the absolutist Malkin line. Purity withing the ranks, that’s the ticket. When the purge is over the 10 of us remaining will have a great party.
Adios Mel. I only wish you would leave now and not wait until 2010. You don’t need to damage the Republican Party any more than you already have.
one down about 40 more Rinos to go.
Andy Hefty–what kind of impetus will it take to get you to throw that hat?? Every good conservative deserves the support of those who are reall tired of RINO’s.
I’m in AZ so I’m working against Mclame. I’m going out on a limb and promising he’s seen his last term!! Time for the “good old boys” to retire!
I don’t care if you run or not, I’m still writing you in.
chapoutier said: (#19)
I agree with this. A friend of mine says that when the senators were no longer appointed by the states, the states lost the influence they were supposed to have in the overall balance of political power.
Anyone for a movement to repeal the amendment that provides for direct election of senators?
When a real conservative there throws his or her hat in the GOP ring… they just need to ring the bell, pointing to places where Gov’t Health care is Rationed and only provided to those who are considered.. “Worth it”. Like what we sill se starting to spread here with the democrats in office…and total control.
How many Grand-moms and grand-dads want to be denied or delayed in receiving dialysis or other mandatory treatment, so that an young thug Illegal alien MS-13 gang member get’s their’s first.
Legal immigrants, including most Latinos, would oppose amnesty or any other line-cutting proposal. Martinez swayed the Latino primary vote over to McCain based upon his “favorite son” status, not his support for amnesty.
The man was skillfull at political games, but incredibly dense on policy. I have spent 3 of his 4 years writing polite letters to him and getting back hackneyed horse-hockey. Just a terribly misinformed and stubborn person. This is a man that despised facts about his own State, backed up by documentation. I honestly hoped he could be helped along to more sensible positions, but gave up a year ago. As an example, I used to send him charts and maps depicting the offshore resources, from the USGS, showing that our resources were primarily natural gas, but he adamantly refused to back drilling, because of potential oil spills. Can you imagine the economic boom and jobs for Florida that opening up drilling may have meant? He couldn’t. He got his “facts” from staff people and his political mentors.
I was looking forward to working on somebody’s primary challenge to him in 2010. Remember, the Florida primary gave you McCain and Martinez gave you the Florida primary results that ended Romney’s, Thompson’s, and Giuliani’s campaigns.
I like to think my strongly worded emails and phone calls to him during the Crapwich bill week helped.
As a Floridian, I told him I would work to support whoever would challenge him in 2010. And as a Floridian - I apologize for our primary results, CJrun. I didn’t vote for McCain in the primary.
What do you mean “us”, stranger? Go sit with the McCainiacs where you belong. There are a lot less of you in the conservative movement than there are people who want the border protected and illegals refused jobs. Once more, for the terminally stupid. If they can’t get jobs or welfare, we won’t have to try to deport them. They’ll leave on their own. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll save a little tax money on the 40% of the prison population here in Texas who are illegals, not to mention the ones collecting state and federal welfare benefits.
This is your chance Florida. Start building a true conservative party and find a candidate with principled values.
I am wondering if these Rebubs are retiring in large numbers because the gravy train has dried up for them and the ship has come in for the Dems. Dems are looking into all the graft of the Republicans and booty is not that easy to come by if you are a Republican these days. Honesty is in short order on both sides of the aisle, if you ask me. Professional politicians are a joke.
I might cry. For joy.
Downside, FL has a decent chance of electing another Dem Senator.
Good repsonse. And don’t forget the $B’s we spend educating thier illegal and anchor baby children. He acutally beleives the false dichotomy of choices bush spouted that we can only legalize or deport them all. Of course it was by design to get weak minds to buy into amnesty. Anyone who has researched the issue knows the real solution is ELIMINATION OF THE MAGNETS (no welfare, no anchor babies, no citizenship, and no jobs). It halts further illelgal immigration as there is no beneift to them to come illegally, and allows for ATTRITION of those here over time (and they will leave on their own when the gravy train ends). Oh, and one last thing, there are many thousands of families out there who have had their lives wrecked and/or loved ones killed by these “poor people who only came here to work”. With those millions of workers are 100’s thousands of murdering gang scum we allowed to walk across our border.
Problem is that he still has 2 years to do as much damage as he possibly can.
Dear Sen. Martinez,
You wouldn’t know our party’s core principles if they jumped up and bit you on the ass. Now hurry up and leave already.
You’re kidding right? You’re a frickin’ poodle.
I apologize in advance for the length, but this is a letter (purportedly) from Martinez, in response to a citizen’s inquiry about Obama’s citizenship. Notice, that first he says all the nice things, then he says it’s the citizen’s duty to vet the candidate, quoting a decision from the court, that specifically denies a citizen standing in court to verify Obama’s citizenship. I don’t have a worthwhile opinion on the citizenship question, but can verify that this is exactly what it has been like to deal with Martinez, in my experience (via the Pat Dollard site):
“From reader Tom In Fla:
“I don’t hold out too much hope that the truth will come out. The ruling class is protecting out for each other. Check out this response I received from my Republican Senator:”
Thank you for contacting me regarding President-Elect Obama’s citizenship. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to respond to your concerns.
Like you, I believe that our federal government has the responsibility to make certain that the Constitution of the United States is not compromised. We must fight to uphold our Constitution through our courts and political processes.
Article II of the Constitution provides that “no Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President.” The Constitution, however, does not specify how that qualification for office is to be enforced. As you may know, a voter recently raised this issue before a federal court in Pennsylvania. On October 24, 2008, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania released an order in the case of Berg v.Obama.In that case, the plaintiff, Phillip Berg, raised the same issue that your letter raises regarding proof of the President-Elect’s birthplace. Through his lawsuit, Mr. Berg sought to compel President-Elect Obama to produce a certified copy of his birth certificate.
The District Court dismissed Mr. Berg’s suit and held that the question of Obama’s citizenship is not a matter for a court to decide. The court further noted that voters, not courts, should decide whether a particular presidential candidate is qualified to hold office.
Presidential candidates are vetted by voters at least twice - first in the primary elections and again in the general election. President-Elect Obama won the Democratic Party’s nomination after one of the most fiercely contested presidential primaries in American history. And, he has now been duly elected by the majority of voters in the United States. Throughout both the primary and general election, concerns about Mr. Obama’s birthplace were raised. The voters have made clear their view that Mr. Obama meets the qualifications to hold the office of President.
After he is sworn into office, Mr. Obama will be our nation’s President and I intend to bestow upon him the honor and respect due any man who holds that Office. Yet, I am certain that there will be times when I will disagree and oppose President Obama’s policies. When that happens, you can be assured that I will pursue vigorously what I believe to be in the best interest of Florida and the nation.
I thank you for sharing your views with me and will keep your concerns in mind. If you have additional questions or comments, please contact me. For more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
Mel Martinez
United States Senator”
That’s the Mel Martinez I know.
Boy, he will be saaaaddddly missed,NOT!!!
Madmoney said:
Unfortunately, follow amnesty supporter, McCain fanboy, and fiscal retard (Citizen’s insurance fund) Charlie Crist is expected to the be the frontrunner to run from the GOP side. So we’ll get 1 liberal running against another in 2010.
planetgeo said:
I’m a naturalized (and grateful) US citizen. If you want this problem fixed, I guarantee you that legal immigrants like me would do a much better job of coming up with firm, fair guidelines to fix this problem once and for all.
If you do decide to run, Andy, all of us will be rooting for you at MM. Keep ‘em straight up thar.