Mel Martinez Tiptoes Out the Back Door

This week’s Friday afternoon bombshell has been delivered by Florida Senator Mel Martinez, who apparently will be resigning. Since it’s not often that politicians just up and quit (unless Sarah Palin is involved), there will undoubtedly be speculation as to why the senator is resigning.

At 9:55 am (EST) on September 11th, just after the second World Trade Center was struck, Jo Moore, former British press officer sent an email to her colleagues which read “It’s now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors’ expenses?.”  It is in her honor that I identify one story every Friday afternoon that our wonderful government tried (and failed) to bury. This week’s Friday afternoon bombshell has been delivered by Florida Senator and Republican Mel Martinez, who apparently will be resigning, effective once Florida Governor Charlie Crist appoints someone to fill his seat.  Senator Martinez revealed little about why he is quitting the Senate nearly a year and a half prior to his term expires in January 2011.  In a letter to supporters, Martinez said only that “After nearly twelve years of public service in Florida and Washington, it’s time that I return to Florida and my family.” Since it’s not often that politicians just up and quit (unless Sarah Palin is involved), there will undoubtedly be speculation as to why the senator is resigning.  Regardless of what he tells the press at this afternoon’s press conference, there are good reasons to believe that Senator Martinez has grown rather frustrated with many fellow Republicans' hard line on immigration. Senator Martinez recently pushed very hard for comprehensive immigration reform that would create a path to citizenship for the nation’s 12 million illegal immigrants, most of whom are Hispanic.  However the legislation failed, primarily due to opposition from his fellow Republicans.  That one of Senator Martinez’s last major acts as senator was to buck the majority of Republicans and vote to confirm soon to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor will no doubt add to this speculation. No matter what the Senator says at this afternoon’s press conference, Republicans across the country should call upon whatever spirits they possibly can in hopes that this story might not stay in the news cycle for too long.  Senator Martinez is the only Hispanic Republican in the Senate and on the heels of the Sotomayor vote, speculation that our one Hispanic Senator is quitting over disagreements over an issue as important to Hispanics as immigration could be devastating. Martinez’s resignation also puts Florida Republicans in an awkward spot since Governor Charlie Crist, who will appoint Martinez’s successor, announced that he would be vying for Martinez’s seat in 2012.  This raises the rather awkward possibility that Crist could resign the governorship and appoint himself as senator… or he could appoint a placeholder to keep the seat warm for him.  Neither option is particularly desireable. But the awkwardness pales in comparison to Senator Martinez’s resignation.  Ladies and gentlemen, Republicans officially have a full blown Hispanic problem.  Senator Martinez’s resignation should serve as a wakeup call to Republicans everywhere that it is time to seriously think about whether the way that many Republicans deal with issues like immigration is in the party's best interests.  If a broader party line on immigration and other issues important to Hispanics drives away Mel Martinez, I can only imagine what the broader Hispanic community must think of us.