Jim DeMint of South Carolina, a tea party favorite and Republican, has announced that he will leave the Senate in January, which is two years before his term expires.
When you see a train wreck coming you get off the train, it seems.
Or maybe he feels that S.C. is a better place to prep than D.C.
His replacement will be picked by Gov. Nikki Haley, a fellow Republican, and will have to stand for election in 2014.