Robert Wexler stepping down

[FlaGranny]

from his congressional seat - just heard on local news. He's taking a position with the Obama administration - to be officially announced tomorrow (10/14). Anyone have any idea what it might be?

Edit: Dang, left out a word.

[Thrill]

1. Ambassador to Israel ?

[FlaGranny]

5. Don't know. It's possible. n/t

[Bumblebee]

10. Why? Has there been any discussion of this?

[FlaGranny]

16. I haven't heard ANY discussion at all

until the bombshell on the local WPTV Channel 5 announcement - and they didn't say much.

[Bumblebee]

19. I was just surprised by the suggestion that he would be Ambassador to Israel

I hope it was not based solely on the fact that he happens to be Jewish. It's like assuming that if Patrick Kennedy stepped down, he would be Ambassador to Ireland.

[Thrill]

32. I said that based on

reports that he is leaving for a position dealing with the Middle East.

[Bumblebee]

33. Okay, I just was not aware of these reports until someone posted it later

I still very much doubt he would want to be Ambassador to Israel :-)

[KamaAina]

31. Or maybe Colombia

remember his iconic Colbert appearance: "I enjoy cocaine because..." :rofl:

[struggle4progress]

45. ... quitting Congress to head a think tank seeking peace in the Middle East. In a conference call

Tuesday night with Democratic leaders, Wexler said he will become director of the Washington-based Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation. Wexler, 48, is expected to make a public statement about his plans at a 10 a.m. Wednesday press conference at his Boca Raton office ...

Posted on Tuesday, 10.13.09
U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler to step down
BY BETH REINHARD
[e-mail]
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1281623.html

[ddeclue]

Crap! Now we'll have to mount a special election in South FL..

I'll have to check the numbers... I think it's a pretty safe seat but this is a chance lose a seat from the Florida delegation for us. No upside to Floridians.

[RagAss]

6. We won't lose that seat.

[kdmorris]

29. No way we lose the seat

Basically, this District was carved around a bunch of "Republican" areas (which have since gone to Democrats) during one of the gerrymandering... I mean, redistricting... sessions that the Florida Congress had.

[tazkcmo]

2. Head MF-er in Charge I hope? n/t

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

3. I don't know but I wonder how long before the morons in the media

go after him for his interview with Stephen Colbert.

[monmouth]

4. He has a great deal of potential. Perhaps some house cleaning is

going to happen and Wexler is being groomed. I like him.

[FlaGranny]

7. He's my congressperson and I like him a lot.

I'd sure like to see him in charge of getting health care passed, but someone is already in charge of that (after a fashion).

[bagimin]

43. He's ours too..

I don't think we have a young outspoken lib to take his place.

[Oregone]

8. Maybe Chief of Staff...

We can hope, eh? :)

[rucky]

37. Or AG.

[mikelgb]

9. Good News, hopefully he has not been too 'groomed'...

[FlaGranny]

14. Can hardly wait to find out. I hope

The announcement comes early in the day. I don't know who might run for his seat. He's been a fixture for so long and with absolutely no challengers. We're a Democratic district though and I doubt any GOP would have a chance.

[Cha]

38. I'll be greatly interested, too..all the way up here

in New York. I've liked Robert Wexler since the 2000 debacle in Florida when he was doing his best for Al Gore.

[itsrobert]

11. He is the new

Cojones Czar

[KittyWampus]

12. Wexler is one of the BEST in terms of dealing with media and getting progressive ideas out to public

I am not happy about this unless he is going on to something truly worthwhile where his input and guidance will be absolutely essential.

[lunatica]

13. War crimes czar?

Yeah I know. Dream on.

[Gold Metal Flake]

15. I like the way you think.

The idea makes my heart go pitty-pat.

[alsame]

17. Just found this - 'a public policy job that deals with the Middle East.'

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2009/10/robert_wexler_to_resign_from_c.html

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, plans to resign from Congress.

He plans to announce his plans at a news conference Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Boca Raton.,

A Democratic source with knowledge of Wexler's plans said he is likely to take a public policy job that deals with the Middle East.

Wexler, a senior member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, has long been involved in issues involving Israel and Turkey.

[FlaGranny]

20. Thanks for finding that.

I'm sure he wouldn't have done this unless he was extremely motivated to do so. Deutch or Ring(?) may run for his seat - just heard that on the news.

[alsame]

21. I really like Wexler - I just hope you get another good liberal in that seat. nt

[FlaGranny]

23. I do too, but this

district is solidly Democratic, so there shouldn't be a problem getting a Democrat elected.

[alsame]

28. Good! nt

[JNelson6563]

18. I hope it's for something really good!

I really like Wexler. He rocks!

Julie

[MarjorieG]

22. Love, love Wexler. If an ME post, a very wise move.

[babylonsister]

24. Wow, he'll be missed, but good for the prez for recognizing talent! nt

[kdmorris]

25. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I love my Congressman!!! I don't want someone else.

Sigh... I KNEW this was going to happen one day and we would be forced to share him.

[FlaGranny]

26. It looks like we're going to have to share him

with the rest of the world. District 19 won't be the same.

[kdmorris]

27. Yeah, end of an era

:cry:

But I am happy for him. Just sad for us :)

[Cha]

39. I feel for you guys..but glad he's so

good he needs to be shared. Hope you get someone with the potential of Rob Wexler.

[proud2BlibKansan]

30. Too bad for Congress. I love Wexler.

[nashville_brook]

34. kicking for visibility

[Cha]

35. Wow, this is good news and I'm so happy for

Robert Wexler and the admin!

[CatWoman]

36. He's doing it cause hookers and cocaine are fun

:P

[SemiCharmedQuark]

40. LOL...one of the *best* CR moments evah!

*edited* Edited to add *best*

Although it was one of the CR moments ever too.

[CatWoman]

41. !!

:hi:

[Tx4obama]

42. From Politico

UPDATE: A couple Hill and State sources suggesting the public policy position is not the USAID administrator job.

And one is reminded of a recent event Wexler did at the Center for American Progress on Middle East policy.....

A couple Democratic foreign policy hands say Wexler has kids' tuition, etc. etc. and seemed to suggest he might be inclined to transition towards an outside-government job where he could earn more money.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/1009/Wexler_for_USAID_.html

[marshall]

44. Green "Czar"???

Has anybody been appointed to replace Van Jones?

[Thrill]

46. Wow sounds like he isn't going to the administration

Robert Wexler to head Middle East peace foundation

October 13, 2009

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Robert Wexler, a senior Jewish Democrat, is reportedly retiring from Congress to head an NGO promoting Middle East peace.

Wexler, who has represented his Delray Beach, Fla.-area district since 1997, is the chairman of the Europe subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee.

According to the Miami Herald, Wexler told Democratic leaders on Tuesday that he is leaving Congress to head the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation.

The center was founded in 1989 by Slim-Fast diet foods magnate S. Daniel Abraham and Wayne Owens, a Democratic congressman from Utah. Owens led the center from 1993 to his death in 2002.

While the center had something of a heyday during the Clinton administration's intensive peace-making, it has been somewhat moribund since Owens' passing.

Wexler took the lead during last year's election in campaigning for Barack Obama among Jews during the primaries; Jewish support was at first heavily behind Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Wexler angered some centrist and right-wing Jewish backers last year when he accepted the endorsement of J Street, the new dovish pro-Israel lobby.

http://jta.org/news/article/2009/10/13/1008492/robert-wexler-to-head-middle-east-peace-foundation