Deal: Gregg fill-in would be a Republican

[brooklynite]

Source: Manchester Union Leader

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama was poised to tap Republican Sen. Judd Gregg as his commerce secretary but officials cautioned yesterday the move would not deliver Democrats more firm dominance of the Senate as they had hoped.

Leading the pack to replace the fiscal conservative was his former chief of staff and a veteran of the Reagan White House, Bonnie Newman. Officials expect New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, would name her to fill the final two years of Gregg's term. Newman would not seek the seat for a full term in 2010

...snip...

An administration official said last night the White House would worry about the Cabinet pick, not the politics.

"The President will choose the best person for the job, and if it's Sen. Gregg, then Gov. Lynch will have the sole responsibility for choosing his replacement," the official said on the condition of anonymity. .

Read more: http://unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Deal%3a+Gregg+fill-in+would+be+a+Republican&articleId=bda1ba5a-521a-4c5c-acfc-412e522b4d5f

[catnhatnh]

1. It's no longer the Manchester Union Leader...

it's now the New Hampshire Union Leader....that said it's still a right-wing rag that often publishes wishful thinking as news...Just sayin' it wouldn't be the first time they floated a trial balloon.

[Pirate Smile]

2. That would make it the fourth Republican Senate seat which would be an open

race in 2010.

Other Republican open seats in 2010 - Ohio, Florida, Missouri.

Ohio - Voinovich
Missouri - Bond
Florida - Martenez

Did I forget one? I was thinking it was 4 before New Hampshire.

[Lasher]

8. Four retiring Republican Senators:

Ohio - Voinovich
Missouri - Bond
Florida - Martenez
Kansas - Brownback

And now this would make it 5 but the OP article seems questionable, in that a Democrat would probably be appointed to serve for the next 2 years if the New Hampshire seat is vacated.

[Pirate Smile]

9. I forgot Brownback. I thought there was already four. Has the Gov said he would appoint a Dem?

Because it has been looking like a different kind of agreement is being worked out.

[Lasher]

12. Check out Reply 1 upthread.

Catnhatnh thinks the source of the article is suspicious and doubts their motives in publishing it. Unless there is something different about the process in New Hampshire, or about Governor Lynch, I don't anticipate a Democratic governor appointing a Republican to fill the empty Senate seat.

Just a hunch.

Edit: Just learned that WaPo is speculating Gregg won't accept the Commerce Secretary appointment unless Governor Lynch agrees to appoint a Republican to fill his Senate seat. Hmmmmm. The thick plotens.

At a political level, the pick could well be a masterstroke. While sources on Capitol Hill suggest that Gregg will only take the job if Democratic Gov. John Lynch promises to appoint a Republican to serve out the remaining two years of his term, there are many people -- particularly within the GOP -- who wonder whether Gregg will really win that concession. Even if he does, the names being bandied about for Republicans are all in the "caretaker" model, meaning that the seat will be open in 2010. Democrats are quickly lining up behind Rep. Paul Hodes as their nominee and Republicans have no obvious candidate to step in for Gregg. Given New Hampshire's strong move toward Democrats over the last two elections, the party would have to feel good about winning in an open seat scenario. (FYI: The frontrunner for the caretaker nod is Bonnie Newman, a former chief of staff to Gregg, and a founding member of Republicans for Lynch in 2004.)

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/02/white_house_cheat_sheet_pickin.html

I certainly hope Governor Lynch does not make such a concession. Then Democrats would win either way. If Gregg turns the appointment down, Obama's open hand would have been met with a closed fist of partisanship. If he accepts, we get Senate seat number 60 with a Democratic incumbent running running for re-election 2 years from now.

[geek tragedy]

3. What a great deal!

Boy, being nice to those Republicans is working out just great!!

[Oregone]

4. Im glad he is putting a Republican in there for commerce secretary

That economic philosophy of their party has done a steller job this last 8 years.

(Well, I know its only conjecture, but Id be bewildered to see this)

[jzodda]

5. Without a Dem to replace him its a waste!

No house votes, and Senate repubs vowing to defeat stimulus. Why not just take the 60th seat? How stupid not to?

[Wabbajack_]

6. Why would Gregg go for that?

[jzodda]

11. Becasuse his Senate career is almost over

In 2 years, in the increasingly Dem state he represents, he is in for a rough time getting re-elected. So he can be a minority party moderate senator, in a caucus that increasingly doesn't like moderates for only 2 more years, or he can be a powerful commerce secretary in an age of change for possibly the next 8 years. He's 61 years old, so the cabinet post will take him right to retirement.

Sounds like an easy choice to me.

[Wabbajack_]

17. Eh

He's NOT that moderate. Compared to Collins/Snowe/Specter he's a rightwinger. (thus not a good choice for the President really)

He's not had trouble winning before save for his first election in 1992 and would not be assured of a tough race in 2010.

Let's face it, 61 is a baby for the Senate.

He obviously cares about his party's fortunes, I don't see him giving us his seat.

[jzodda]

19. And I guess he won't since they seem to be giving his seat to the GOP!

What a lousy deal this is. Why do we want this guy anyway? Now we have a Dem governor being forced to name a GOP replacement? This is just lousy.

[Wabbajack_]

21. I don't know why

the heck President Obama wants this guy. LaHood at least has a record at bi=partsanship and was sent to penny ante Transportation (just like Mineta).

Gregg for commerce makes sense for a McCain or Bush cabinet not for a Democratic administration. Bad move. Reaching out the right? So they can bite his hand off?

[Wabbajack_]

22. Oo this puke BOnnie Newman

founded "Republicans for Lynch" here's her reward. I support immediate special elections.

[OneBlueSky]

7. why the hell would he pick Judd Gregg for Secretary of Commerce? . . .

the Republican approach to commerce has been an unmitigated disaster, and he wants to put one of them in charge of the cabinet department? . . . makes absolutely no sense to me . . .

[Demeter]

10. the Only Reason I Can Posit Is To Be Gregg's Boss

Gregg is a smarmy little busybody. Under Obama's thumb, his ability to make or get into trouble is lessened, and the oversight greatly increased.

[Overseas]

13. If Gregg puts conditions on his appointment then he should be dropped.

No other reason than having an additional Democratic senate seat is good enough to appoint a member of the pro-privatization, anti-regulation party to head the commerce department.

I don't like making Republicans, whose pet policies have destroyed our national defenses and economy, to positions that involve those two sectors. They have demonstrated their incompetence, although their massive PR messaging efforts, disseminated through our conservative-owned mass media conglomerates, have trumpeted the opposite.

Appointing Republicans to those positions reinforces the myths they have spent billions of PR dollars to propagate. That the party of great destruction that detests regulation and government is somehow "better" at governing our economy and national security. Wish we wouldn't look for the exceptions to appoint to those posts but rather keep their ilk far away from those areas altogether.

Their big bipartisan gesture when they took power and forced Bush upon us was to appoint Norm Mineta as Secretary of Transportation.

[Bake]

25. I recall an episode of "West Wing" where Leo said "When the President asks you to serve, you serve."

No conditions, no deals. If the President asks you to serve your country, you serve.

Bake

[scisyhp1]

14. How would that "deal" be different from what Blagoyevich did?

In effect, John Lynch will be selling Gregg's Senate seat in exchange for
getting in Obama's favor for helping him with a Federal appointment. OK,
it is a bit different, but fundamentally both cases involve political
dealmaking with a US Senate seat being a bargaining chip. I would tread
very carefully on this one, if I were John Lynch. Another question:
why can't Obama find a Democrat for this position?

[KamaAina]

16. BIG difference: Here, no money is involved

when money is involved, as with Pay-Rod, that's called "pay-to-play" or, more simply, "bribery". That is illegal. This isn't.

[damntexdem]

15. But if that's the deal, why appoint him?

If Gregg won't leave the Senate without a deal, then screw him.

[Zhade]

18. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Disgusting.

EDIT: And yet again, I fall prey to the fact that -- despite the change in leadership in DC -- the press prints rumor as fact.

Gotta break that habit...

[defendandprotect]

20. Gregg will hurt us -- and we don't need a Repug in his seat -- NO DEAL...!!!

How is it that Democrats can only make crappy appointments and bad deals???

[lonestarnot]

23. Spew

spray :puke:

[sandyd921]

24. What's our quid pro quo for this?

Unless there's a deal to:

1. seat Al Franken and
2. confirm Hilda Solis Labor Secy

then it should be a big fat NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IndianaGreen]

26. Neville to Adolph: Take Czechoslovakia and be happy now!

Appeasement is appeasement. There wasn't a single Democrat that could go to Commerce?