Two Senate stories today.
In Florida, Sen. Mel Martinez, who already announced he will not be running for re-election in Florida in 2010, announced today that he will be resigning from the Senate as soon as a successor is named. The day after being one of nine Republicans to cast an “aye” vote for the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor setting up the political fun that we’ve come to expect from Florida. The current governor, Charlie Crist, already has announced he’s running for Martinez’s Senate seat. From the Miami Herald:
In an extraordinary turn of events, Gov. Charlie Crist, the leading Republican to replace Martinez in the U.S. Senate, will have the power to appoint someone to fill the remainder of Martinez’s term.
Crist has denied that he’d appoint himself. He’s expected to make an announcement on a fill-in before the end of the August recess when the Senate returns to Washington. Some names already surfacing: former Sen. Connie Mack, former Gov. Bob Martinez and former Secretary of State Jim Smith.
Some speculate that Crist might step down as governor, thereby elevating Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, who could then appoint Crist to the Senate.
Gov. Crist (R-FL)
The Note reports that Crist will not be naming himself to the Senate seat, which — technically — leaves open the possibility of his resigning and being named by his successor.
The name missing from any mention, of course, is Marc Rubio, who is running against Crist — and to his right. Rubio himself put out a rather interesting statement. He said: “Florida deserves an interim senator who will go to Washington and serve as a true check on President Obama’s push for more wasteful government spending, government-run health care and cap-and-trade.” The implication, obviously, is that the person who takes over will only be there until Rubio has a chance to run. Keeping this as an interim position, of course, is in Crist’s interest as well (so long as it is not Crist himself), so Rubio likely is right that it will be such.
Sen. Collins (R-ME)
The other senatorial news comes from Maine, where Sen. Susan Collins announced that she is not taking a position on the referendum in Maine to repeal the marriage equality bill passed by the legislature earlier this year. From The Washington Blade:
Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, told the Blade on Thursday during a brief exchange on Capitol Hill that she’s not taking a side on the “people’s veto.”
Asked whether she would be taking a position on the referendum, Collins replied: “I’m not. I don’t get involved in state issues.”
Again, the “leadership” in the Senate on LGBT issues leaves much to be desired — and this cop-out coming from one of the two Republican sponsors of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the Senate.
Collins could, of course, change her position on this, and here’s to hoping Maine activists are able to convince her to do so. In the absence thereof, there’s going to be more than a little consternation at Collins from the LGBT world.
Once you’re legislating from a state where the elected legislature has passed marriage equality, it really changes the standard for what is expected of federal officeholders. Not to get into a Seventeenth Amendment diatribe, but it’s interesting to note that — in the past — the state’s representation in the U.S. Senate would have been the decision of the state legislature.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Chris Geidner is the senior political writer at D.C.'s Metro Weekly and has written for The Atlantic Online, Advocate.com, Salon and other publications, as well as at his blog, Law Dork. Prior to moving to D.C. in 2009, he served as an attorney on the senior staff at the Ohio Attorney General's Office and had earlier worked for a leading Columbus law firm. An extended biography can be found
My sister lives in Portland Maine, with her fiance. They have two daughters, and are planning a marriage ceremony at their city hall. Unfortunately, they will need the permission of absolute strangers, via a vote, to perform this civil service. If Ms. Collins represents the state of Maine on a federal level she should indeed come down on the side of marriage equality in her state. She is elected by the citizens of Maine!