Ron Klein was what Ami Eden would call one of the more "Jewy" members of Congress — the Florida Democrat made supporting Israel and blocking Iran, as well as Holocaust issues, centerpieces of his 2006-2010 stint.
He was defeated in November by Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) in a race that went ugly at times. Most notable was West’s calling Klein’s videographer — a grandson of Holocaust survivors — "Gestapo" for filming West at public appearances, a practice that has become commonplace.
Florida’s 22nd, along the southeastern coast, teeters back and forth between D and R — West had unsuccessfully challenged Klein in 2008 — and there was speculation that Klein would re-up in 2012.
No longer: Klein has signed on with Holland and Knight, a law and lobbying firm, reports The Hill, and he will split his time between Florida and DC.
Technically, he can’t directly lobby for two years, but he can be on the inside giving advice to those who do.
Interestingly, while foreign affairs was a forte for Klein on the Hill, he’s not going for it as a lobbyist. His specialties will include "government regulation and compliance in the financial services, healthcare and energy sectors."
UPDATE: Maybe we shouldn’t count Klein out. The Republican Jewish Colaition’s tweeter (who scans the web with a voracity that can only inspire admiration and envy!) catches this at the National Journal: Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), who’s running House elections for his party in 2012, says laying low as a lobbyist does not mean candidates defeated in 2010 will not re-up next year. Israel does not specify Klein, but he might as well be referring to him:
"Taking a job and closing down a committee doesn’t put anybody out of the ballpark. It just means that you need cash flow — that doesn’t mean the door is closed and locked," said Israel. "We’ve always said there are some former members who will come back, some who won’t."
And, Israel added, even taking a job at a lobby shop wouldn’t necessarily disqualify someone from seeking a rematch.
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