Putnam To Step Aside As Conference Chair

Florida Rep. Adam Putnam, a once-rising star in his party, has decided to relinquish his post as the third-ranking Republican in the House, giving up his job as conference chairman in the face of a certain challenge from at least one restive colleague.

Putnam alerted his fellow leaders by phone Tuesday night that he plans to step aside, according to aides familiar with those conversations. Just before midnight, he sent a letter to his other colleagues letting them know he would be giving up the post. in a surprise move that shifts the internal landscape for House Republicans following a second-straight landslide election.

The full text of his letter follows the jump.
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