Judd Gregg: A Crummy Deal For Commerce by Ari Berman, the Nation magazine

[Better Believe It]

Judd Gregg
Crummy Deal For Commerce
by Ari Berman
February 3, 2009
The Nation

From a policy standpoint, this deal stinks for Democrats.

Politically, it once looked promising but is not much better. It seemed like a genius move for Obama to pluck a conservative from the Senate, allow the Democratic governor to choose a Democratic replacement and gain a filibuster-proof 60 vote majority if Al Franken prevails in Minnesota.

But things didn't work out that way. Gregg insisted that New Hampshire's Democratic Governor John Lynch appoint a Republican to replace him and Lynch and Obama, amazingly, agreed. "Even when the possibility of putting a Democrat in Mr. Gregg's Senate seat dimmed, Mr. Obama pressed ahead, telling his advisers that it was more important to build a bipartisan cabinet than increase his Senate majority," the New York Times reports.

Bipartisanship, in this case, evidently means giving Republicans whatever they want. Maybe Lynch will pick a moderate Republican who votes with the Democrats on a range of issues, but nothing is for sure. "The apparent behind-the-scenes deal-making that went on to determine who will fill Senator Gregg's vacancy is alarmingly undemocratic," Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold said today.

The name most often floated is Bonnie Newman, Gregg's chief of staff. Talk about negotiating from a position of weakness! Democrats are acting like they just lost the election.

Since when did Judd Gregg become so indispensable?

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/state_of_change/404709

[ClarkUSA]

1. Reid got rid of an incumbent. Now, Democrats are even more favored to win the seat in 2010.

Ari Berman needs to take a deep breath.

95% of incumbents get re-elected. Now, the placeholder will get a stiff challenge from the deep NH Democratic bench.
Also, President Obama gets a fiscal conservative Republican singing the praises of his stimulus package (which Gregg
did during his acceptance speech at the White House this morning) which should make his fellow Republicans choke
on their BS obstructionism.

Meanwhile, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) will announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate
"within the week." Paul Hodes is a popular and well-known incumbent Congressman who will soon become the next Democratic
Senator from NH. You better believe that President Obama will be campaigning for whoever the Democratic candidate is. In NH,
which Barack beat McCain in the GE, that points to a coattail win, especially if his approval numbers stay relatively high.

[izquierdista]

2. Let's see, Stevens, Dole...

Coleman, Smith,....from which election do you get your 95% figure??

[ClarkUSA]

3. Link to source for 95% incumbency re-election figure ---------->

"Simply put, what we mean by this is that incumbent members of Congress are at a great advantage when running
for reelection; over time, incumbents are reelected close to 95% of the time."

More at the link: http://www.congresslink.org/print_expert_congressionalelections.htm