FL-Sen: Open seat in Florida

Bombshell.

Republican Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida said Tuesday he will not seek a second term in 2010, citing a desire to spend time with his family.

“The call to public service is strong but the call to home, family and lifelong friends is even stronger,” Martinez said at a news conference in Orlando.

Martinez said his decision “was not based on re-election prospects” and noted that he has faced difficult elections and adversity in the past. He had been expected to face a strong challenge.

Martinez, already one of the most unpopular senators facing re-election in 2010, was slated for a tough re-election battle. While he claims his approval ratings had nothing to do with his decision, that is doubtful. It's easier to think re-election when people like you and your prospects are bright.

Martinez also seemed ill at ease in his own party. Remember, he was run out of the RNC chairmanship after less than a year because of his relatively pro-immigration views. And no senator owed more of his career to Bush than Martinez -- who appointed him as secretary of Housing and Urban Development in 2001, then got the enthusiastic support of Bush in the 2004 Senate primary (and general election, of course). And, he was appointed by Bush to chair the RNC in his and Rove's ill-fated effort to make their party appear more inclusive. Instead, the party's forceful rejection of Martinez's tenure merely reinforced their xenophobic hostility.

One other big factor is likely in play -- it's no fun playing defense, especially when you're part of an essentially powerless minority and a member of a party that was just repudiated nationwide and in your own state. With Democrats close enough to 60 votes that they can defeat filibusters on an issue-by-issue basis, there's little for Republican lawmakers to do than warm their seats. The GOP is slated for some time in the wilderness, and there are personalities who can't handle sitting around and doing nothing.

Note what else this means: The GOP caucus in the Senate will go back to being 100 percent anglo. There are already no African Americans in their entire congressional delegation, and the only Latinos left will be those three South Florida Republicans in the House.

(turneresq has a diary on the subject.)