Sen. Jim DeMint Tells Glenn Beck Why He Resigned: 'We're Not Going to Win Things in Washington Until...

(Photo: AP)

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, one of the strongest conservatives in Congress, announced this week that he will be resigning his seat in January to become the president of the Heritage Foundation.

As Republicans appear to be caving more and more to the demands of their political opponents, many have been wondering why DeMint chose this moment to leave.

"We're not going to win things in Washington until we win the hearts and minds of the people," the senator explained to Glenn Beck on radio this morning.  In many ways, this is an opportunity for the senator to become even more influential, he says.

DeMint continued: "Republicans are not reliable communicators.  The Heritage Foundation has that base of great ideas, can showcase where conservative ideas are working...This is an opportunity for me to take my game to the next level."

When Beck expressed support for DeMint's ambitions, the senator said Beck can be a "huge help," and has already begun to "convince good people by doing good things."

"The Heritage foundation puts me in a situation where I don't have to be an apologist for a political party, we can be advocates for what really works," he elaborated.

One of DeMint's biggest frustrations is that-- as the election made clear-- many Americans believe the Democrat Party will serve their interests better than the Republicans.

"It makes me want to pull my hair out, because you can see in state after state how liberal policies [drive people out of business]," he lamented.

"I just realized that we're not going to do anything positive at the federal level for the next four years," he concluded, "but we need to be ready when these policies bring the country to its knees, with policies that really work."

But how, exactly, are they going to accomplish that?

"What we need to do is not try to be the end-all for conservatives, but help facilitate, bring together coalitions, raise up success stories, and communication," DeMint told Beck, continuing, "which you're a big part of..."

Beck responded: "I would love to sit down with you ASAP because I have not only ideas on the media, but also coalition-building.  I really believe that there is a new way to look at things and to move that will change the dynamics entirely."

The two briefly discussed who will replace the senator, but DeMint remained tight-lipped about his preference.

In the end, he said, "We'll never have the numbers if we don't have the principles first."

Discussing the fiscal cliff, DeMint remarked: "Glenn, we have to separate what they consider political realities or political expediency from what our country really needs.  What the president has been talking about is neither a plan nor a solution."

DeMint noted that the proposed tax revenue is just a "drop in the bucket" of our national debt, and it will likely cost countless people their jobs.

"The idea that, if we take more money out of our economy and give it to incompetent, wasteful politicians [to solve the crisis] is completely irrational," he said with disappointment.

From there, the two proceeded to discuss the ever-developing situation in Egypt.  Beck noted that we were eager to help the protesters during the "Arab Spring," though it led to an Islamist-dominated government, but we're silent today.

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