Apparently sources are saying that retiring Florida Republican senator Mel Martinez has decided to resign early, prompting Governor Charlie Crist to appoint someone to serve the remainder of Martinez’s term, which ends in January 2011.
I wonder if Crist has the balls to appoint himself? He could kill Marco Rubio’s momentum (if he ever had any) quick and early.
UPDATE: Based on some additional comments below, if Crist appointed himself, he would have to run on a voting record he currently does not have in the Senate. Would Crist vote lockstep with the GOP minority? Or would Crist be one of those independently-minded Republicans that the Administration can count on for support?
Yes, it would give him incumbency, but it would also give Meek a very clear target – would Crist vote with the leadership of his party (I almost guarantee he would), and if he did, there are issue ads begging to be made about health care, the environment, foreign policy, etc.
I’ve seen no sign of Rubio having momentum, and appointing himself would just lead the political media to right another round of stories about how rarely that works out (which could damage Crist in the process).
This seems to me to be the time for an old caretaker. How is Connie Mack III’s health? What’s Clay Shaw up to these days? Given the latter’s many years on Ways and Means it’d be easy to argue he’d be a unusually competent pick to serve in the middle of the health care debate.
That’s a lot of swamps he’s using. I wonder what’s in his hand of cards…
Folks are right on the obvious downsides of that kind of move — he would face a lot of difficult votes in the Senate that could hurt him in the general or in a primary, he would face voter backlash for giving himself the job, he would lose the less ideologically charged platform of Governor, and he could be painted as bailing out on the job he was elected to after promising to serve out his term.
(Additionally, it could complicate the Republican state political line-up by elevating Jeff Kottkamp (the current Lt Gov) to the Governor’s seat. Kottkamp is currently running for AG (instead of Governor) — but that would probably change if he were to become Governor.)
So who would be Crist’s politically best choice? Definitely a place-holder.
His best bet would probably be to try to undermine Rubio in the primary by appointing a hard conservative, ideally a Cuban-American to the seat. Al Cardenas (lobbyist, former State Republican Chair, who recently endorsed Crist)? Former or current State Representatives like Manuel Prieguez, Alex Villalobos, Gustavo Barreiro or Gaston Cantens, Alex Diaz de la Portilla, ?
Or he could go to more establishment choices like former Senator Connie Mack, former Governor (and Bush drug czar) Bob Martinez, or former House Speaker Allan Bense.
Martinez’s resignation presents Crist with both an huge opportunity and many pitfalls. It will be fascinating to see how he handles it.
O
Young has more seniority than any other House Republican. This would be a nice way for him to go out. Republicans have been worried about replacing Young for a long time. This might be a better time than most.