Harman to leave Congress, join think tank

[kpete]

Source: MSNBC

Harman to leave Congress, join think tank

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell
NBC News has learned that Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., is expected to announce tomorrow that she will quit Congress to become the president and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington.

Harman will succeed the current leader, former Rep. Lee Hamilton, who has led the bipartisan think tank for 12 years.

Her California district is reliably Democratic. A special election will have to be called to replace her.

Harman, who has served as a senior foreign policy and intelligence voice in the Democratic caucus, was first elected to the House in 2000.

Read more: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/07/6005188-harman-to-leave-congress-join-think-tank-?ocid=twitter

[xchrom]

1. buh bye jane. nt

[cascadiance]

18. As Slade would say... "GudBye to Jane"....

Though the lyrics completely don't fit Ms. Harman! Needs a rewrite! Paging Symbolman!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFKZNo-mmpg

[tularetom]

2. WTF? She didn't know 3 months ago she was gonna do this?

She should have to pay for the election that will have to be held just months after she was reelected.

A remarkably self serving decision on her part, but not a bad move for the good guys.

Maybe they'll replace her with a real actual Democrat.

[TacticalPeek]

3. Something's up.

Gotta be.

Either health or scandal.

Weren't the people on MSNBC talking about 'hope she returns'?

[cascadiance]

16. I wonder if Julian Assange has something she's worried about coming out!...

with her being on Homeland Security committee as well as many other positions that would have her potentially having some skeletons that dwarf the ones already exposed earlier (her appeal to the NY Times not to publish their story on wiretapping in a timely fashion, and the wiretaps in her role of mucking with the prosecution of AIPAC officials spying on us, etc.)...

[EFerrari]

21. Or Hosni Mubarak. n/t

[bluestateguy]

4. CA-36: 59% (Kerry) -40% (Bush) in 2004; 64% (Obama) -34% (McCain) in 2008

http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/4161/

Democrats don't have much to worry about here, unless they put up Martha Coakley for the seat.

[leveymg]

5. Jane "Waddle Into" Harman replaces Lee "Mr. Whitewash" Hamilton

What DID the Wilson Center do to deserve this rude fate?

[Fuddnik]

6. 10 years too late.

[placton]

7. WOODROW WILSON is not some "bi-partisan"

tank - it's right wing to its core. Perfect place for Jane.

[Joanne98]

8. SEE YA!

[harun]

9. Policy changes come from the Think Tanks. Which of course are not

elected. The people in Congress are just their actors. We need to change this as to where policy comes from the people. It isn't like we are a bunch of illiterate's. We know what we want.

Grayson did a good job of bringing attention to this. He said we elect a President for change but none of the Think Tanks have changed at all.

The Koch brothers know this. That is why they concentrate their efforts with the Think Tanks, because that is where the ideas are born.

[Boojatta]

10. During election campaigns, should a new tradition be established ...

to raise money not only for a particular candidate or party, but also for a particular think tank?

[harun]

12. I don't know if our funds would be enough to sway them to our

world view.

We should create a DU Think Tank. Populate that with who we want and fund that.

[cascadiance]

11. Can we finally get Marcy Winograd in for her seat now?

Perhaps if she could she could wake up the local electorate as to what they've been missing to get someone in that actually cares about people she represents and not just someone that heavy amounts of campaign advertising have told them they should.

[KeepItReal]

13. Now that's what I'm talkin about!

I hope Winograd is able to get that seat

[zonkers]

17. You can keep Marcy. She got too trounced last election and could not get her message out.

[cascadiance]

19. Who would you rather have in her place?

I would say that corporate money was probably the biggest reason for her "not getting her message out". If she's in the race and Harman's money isn't, I think she has a big shot of getting that much more progressivism in congress, as I think she should be able to win that district. And she increased her share of the vote to 41% in last primary too, which isn't too shabby against a well-heeled Dem incumbent like Harman.

Now if Debra Bowen ran for the seat, I'd fully support her, but I'd rather keep someone like her in that critical Sec. of State seat in California to keep their elections honest the coming years.

Ted Lieu is running for another special election now. Janice Hahn and Betsy Butler perhaps, but they would also leave vacancies too.

I think Winograd would not steal from another democratically occupied political post and put someone who really has a progressive agenda in the congress. She'd be my first choice, though all of those others mentioned are likely better than Harman. Don't know Hahn or Butler as much, but met Debra Bowen once, and she sure is a bright person with proper priorities in place. I personally think Bowen should aim higher for when someone like Feinstein retires...

[MH1]

14. Rep. Jane Harman of California to resign

Source: LA Times

U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice), a leading congressional voice on anti-terrorism issues, plans to resign from Congress to head up the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a senior congressional source confirmed Monday, setting up a special election to choose her successor in a coastal district that stretches from Venice into the South Bay.

She is expected to leave her seat soon to succeed former Rep. Lee Hamilton as head of the Washington-based think tank, though no date was immediately announced. Her departure comes after her Democratic party lost control of the House, and it creates a rare open congressional seat in the Los Angeles area.

...

Harman said she would remain in Congress for "some weeks and do everything possible to ensure an orderly transition to whomever is elected to succeed me.’’



Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-jane-harman-congress-20110207,0,2276609.story?track=rss

[patrice]

15. I hope to hear from the WWICS/Harman on the matter of International Justice. nt

[onehandle]

20. Thanks to California's messed up election rules, anyone could end up in that seat.

The first round of voting is wide open and could be dozens, hundreds of 'candidates.'

Probably a Democrat in the end, but it could easily be a street mime or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[denbot]

22. Winograd ran against her last election.

Winograd is a strong candidate, with an intact campaign staff. This is my congressional district, and Winograd is by far a more progressive candidate.

[harvey007]

23. Democrat Rep. Jane Harman expected to resign from Congress

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, a leading congressional voice on national security and ranking Democrat on a key House intelligence panel, told constituents on Monday she would resign her seat if named to head a Washington think tank.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/07/us-harman-idUSTRE7166IE20110207

[notadmblnd]

24. She's a blue dog, isn't she?

[stevedeshazer]

25. Now Rep. Harman can retire and cash in.

There's bad blood between Harman and Pelosi, it's easy to look up.

Maybe the simplest explanation is the best. Jane gets a cushy post, Nancy goes on as minority leader, and it's all good.

[derby378]

26. And good riddance...

She hasn't been doing much to help our side. Time for her to get some rest and let some other Democrat take up this labor.

[Bluebear]

27. 'bipartisan think tank' my ass. Good place for her. nt