# Mel Martinez (R-FL) resigns. Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 7, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655 "2009-08-07T16:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/1 "2009-08-07T16:31:55Z")
[Courtesy of CNN](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/07/florida-senator-to-resign-seat/). He says he wants to return to his family, but that’s almost always a lie. Is it because of the Sotomayor vote? Something else? Whom will Crist appoint to replace him? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/2 "2009-08-07T16:45:55Z")
Hiking the Okeefenokee Trail, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/3 "2009-08-07T16:52:37Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > [Courtesy of CNN](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/07/florida-senator-to-resign-seat/). He says he wants to return to his family, but that’s almost always a lie. Is it because of the Sotomayor vote? Something else? Whom will Crist appoint to replace him? Well, Crist does want the job. Maybe he’ll appoint himself. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/4 "2009-08-07T16:58:49Z")
Martinez had already announced he was not running for re-election. I don’t know why he quit, overall, he seemed to find national electoral politics a frustrating experience, so maybe he decided he didn’t feel like playing out the string for another year and a half. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/5 "2009-08-07T17:00:06Z")
I hear his resignation speech is in the works: > [@](#): > > Hi Florida, I appreciate speaking directly TO you, the people I serve, as your Senator. > > People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing’s more important to me than our humid State. Serving her people is the greatest honor I could imagine. > > Life is too short to compromise time and resources… it may be tempting and more comfortable to just keep your head down, plod along, and appease those who demand: “Sit down and shut up”, but that’s the worthless, easy path; that’s a quitter’s way out. And a problem in our country today is apathy. It would be apathetic to just hunker down and “go with the flow”. > > Nah, only dead alligators “go with the flow”. > > And so as I thought about this announcement that I wouldn’t run for re-election and what it means for our penis-shaped state, I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks… travel around the state, to the Upper 47 (maybe), overseas on international trade – as so many politicians do. And then I thought – that’s what’s wrong – many just accept that lame duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck, and “milk it”. I’m not putting Florida through that – I promised efficiencies and effectiveness! ? That’s not how I am wired. I am not wired to operate under the same old “politics as usual.” I promised that six years ago – and I meant it. > > Remember Florida… America is now, more than ever, looking South to Retirement. It’ll be good. So God bless you, and from me and my family - to ALL Florida - you have my heart. [Cite.](http://community.adn.com/adn/node/142176) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/6 "2009-08-07T17:00:08Z")
I was wondering if it’s an attempt to short-circuit Crist. Since Crist can’t exactly nominate himself to fill the post, whoever he picks will be the person he’ll have to run against next year. So, does Crist pick someone who will best serve the needs of Florida, or will he pick someone who he can easily defeat come the election? ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/7 "2009-08-07T17:08:41Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I was wondering if it’s an attempt to short-circuit Crist. Since Crist can’t exactly nominate himself to fill the post, whoever he picks will be the person he’ll have to run against next year. So, does Crist pick someone who will best serve the needs of Florida, or will he pick someone who he can easily defeat come the election? Wow, that would be…crafty. Does Martinez really dislike Crist or something? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/8 "2009-08-07T17:10:23Z")
I would guess that Crist nominates a trusted friend and adviser who has no designs on keeping the office and will step aside. I assume that’s the same function being fulfilled by Joe Biden’s ex-adviser Ted Kaufman, currently the Senator from Delaware. Arguably it applies to Roland Burris as well. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/9 "2009-08-07T17:13:04Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I was wondering if it’s an attempt to short-circuit Crist. Since Crist can’t exactly nominate himself to fill the post, whoever he picks will be the person he’ll have to run against next year. He could pick himself. I don’t think it’s against Florida law, and it would also mean that someone else would have to make tough financial decisions for the next year. > [@ivylass](#): > > So, does Crist pick someone who will best serve the needs of Florida, or will he pick someone who he can easily defeat come the election? He picks someone who will serve out the rest of Martinez’s term and then bow out. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/10 "2009-08-07T17:52:28Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > [Courtesy of CNN](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/07/florida-senator-to-resign-seat/). He says he wants to return to his family, but that’s almost always a lie. Is it really? Spending time with family seems a perfectly valid reason to resign, especially when coupled with the fact that Senatoring is much less fun when your party can’t even filibuster. (And yes, I know that “Senatoring” isn’t a word. But it should be.) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/11 "2009-08-07T17:58:26Z")
He’s trying to hide something, and we’ll know what soon. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/12 "2009-08-07T18:55:59Z")
He is running away with Palin. It all makes sense now. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/13 "2009-08-07T18:56:19Z")
The Miami Herald has Crist’s first (and rejected) preferred pick: [Connie Mack](http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2009/08/mack-rejected-crists-offer-to-replace-martinez.html). Apparenlty he also [doesn’t want](http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2009/08/mel-martinez-dont-pick-yourself-charlie-.html) Crist to pick himself. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/14 "2009-08-07T19:14:58Z")
Nah, Mel isn’t energetic enough to have something to hide. I just think it wasn’t any fun for him. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/15 "2009-08-07T19:15:50Z")
Crist would not pick himself, he’s way ahead and cruising, why borrow trouble? By all accounts, he is not a member in good standing with the unspeakable evil wing of the Party, so, meh. ---
**Author:** ![strqwert44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@strqwert44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/strqwert44)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/16 "2009-08-07T19:16:51Z")
when you’re (you being a Senator/Rep) in the minority party in Congress it pretty much sucks…you’re basically riding shot gun while the other party is driving. As a lame duck, Mel probably got tired of sitting on Capitol Hill while wielding no real power. source: friends who are Dem. staffers on the Hill. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/17 "2009-08-07T19:31:12Z")
Maybe Palin is moving to Florida. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/18 "2009-08-08T16:28:29Z")
ITR champion wrote: Is it really? Spending time with family seems a perfectly valid reason to resign… Spending time with family is a perfectly valid reason to resign. CC didn’t say it isn’t, just that it probably isn’t the real reason. With politicians, it usually isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/19 "2009-08-08T16:49:18Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I would guess that Crist nominates a trusted friend and adviser who has no designs on keeping the office and will step aside. I assume that’s the same function being fulfilled by Joe Biden’s ex-adviser Ted Kaufman, currently the Senator from Delaware. Arguably it applies to Roland Burris as well. the problem is that your opponents can you this against you. "Crist put his own political ambitions ahead of Florida’s best interests! "-kind of thing. Best of all they can start hammering him on it before the campaigning really starts by claiming he abused his power as govenor because his policies would not stand up against a real fight for the seat. I think Mel reallly and truly screwed Crist with this. He just went from an alomst sure thing to a race to the finish because anything he does to keep himself in the race can be turned on him by opponents from both sides of the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655/20 "2009-08-08T16:58:13Z")
> [@Thin\_Ice](#): > > ITR champion wrote: Is it really? Spending time with family seems a perfectly valid reason to resign… > Spending time with family is a perfectly valid reason to resign. CC didn’t say it isn’t, just that it probably isn’t the real reason. With politicians, it usually isn’t. Spending time with your family is a great reason to _retire_. Serving one last term (especially in the House, where that won’t take long), and then returning to your spouse and kids is not uncommon. However, politicians don’t resign unless they’ve got a great reason, and it seems odd to announce your resignation a year and change before you would have left office anyway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mel-martinez-r-fl-resigns-why/505655.md?page=2)