9 Term Democrat From L.A. Likely to Leave Congress

It's tough finding yourself in the minority again:

Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) is likely to resign from Congress to succeed Lee H. Hamilton as president of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a close friend of Harman’s told POLITICO. The nine-term intelligence expert notified House officials of the negotiations in writing on Monday.

The final decision is to be made by the Woodrow Wilson Center’s board on Tuesday. The center, established by Congress, is part of the Smithsonian Institution.

Harman has represented her Los Angeles County district in the House beginning in 1993. [...]

Harman’s decision could represent, in part, the frustrations of an ambitious, accomplished Democrat who is suddenly back in the minority.

The friend said: “It’s not that she wants to leave Congress. It’s more about seeing the Woodrow Wilson Center as the preeminent place for seeking bipartisan solutions. It’s a classy, well-funded operation. She just sees is as a great challenge and a great opportunity. She kept getting more and more excited about it.”

It's a government funded think tank where people sit around and naval gaze without the power to actually do anything. Perfect job for an ex-congressman.

Harman has never gotten along particularly well with Nancy Pelosi. The only thing that made it tolerable was being in the majority and having a shot at committee chairmanships. Now that that's no longer an option, time to get out.

Harman's 36th district is pretty heavily Democrat, so I don't know if a GOP pick-up is very likely. She is a knee-jerk liberal with a "0" rating from the American Conservative Union and a "95" rating from Americans for Democratic Action. There may be an opening there for at least a more moderate Democrat, if not a Republican.

Look for more long-term Democrats to find something new to do in the next couple of years.