It Was Reid Who Suggested Gregg

[Me.]

Now can we get rid of him?

Who first suggested that Sen. Judd Gregg would make a good Commerce Secretary?

“It's a minor footnote to the brief, awkward effort to bring the New Hampshire conservative into the Democratic administration. But it is a question that has dogged some reporters in the hours after Gregg withdrew his nomination.

Sean Quinn at FiveThirtyEight reported on Friday that chief of staff Rahm Emanuel "said the idea for Gregg as Commerce Secretary had come to the White House through Harry Reid, that it was not the White House's original idea." But as Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake noted, Obama's press secretary Robert Gibbs said on Thursday that, "Gregg had approached the White House for the job. And in an interview with the State Journal-Register of Illinois Thursday, President Obama confirmed that. "'You know, Mr. Gregg approached us with interest and seemed enthusiastic,' the president said."

So who had the initial idea: Gregg or Reid?

I asked Reid's spokesman, Jim Manley to help me clear the air of confusion. And this is what he had to say: Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel "asked for ideas" and "Reid suggested Gregg as a possibility."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/13/reid-spokesman-rahm-asked_n_166779.html

[babylonsister]

1. Didn't Gregg lobby for it after his name was out there?

That's the impression I got.

[MADem]

6. That's what I thought, too.

It's a good job for a Republican in this environment. The right Republican will provide a degree of cover for Obama. She/He's gotta be sincere, though, and work it at full tilt.

It will likely signal the end of participation in partisan politics for any Republican who would take such a job (if any), but there's always a new dawn at the end of a period of elective office. Bill Cohen has done all right since leaving the SECDEF gig; he's been writing like crazy and has a consulting group. And, slightly tangential to all that, he's celebrating his thirteenth anniversary of marriage to the ever-so-delightful Janet Langhart tomorrow...!

[Barack_America]

2. Hmm, Olympia Snowe was interviewed on MSNBC yesterday right after the news broke.

She said that she had no idea it was coming, but had seen Gregg earlier in the day at Reid's office.

I thought that peculiar at the time, but now it makes perfect sense.

[grantcart]

3. just because Reid suggested Gregg doesn't mean that Gregg hadn't already

contacted the WH directly.

Indeed if you were a Senator trying to get a cabinet position you would call on the Majority Leader and ask him to offer his support.

I don't think Reid got Gregg's name out of thin air, almost certainly Gregg talked with Reid before Reid suggested it.

[Me.]

4. Very Possibly

However I think the troubling point on this is Reid's backing of a pug candidate that went on to embarrass the president.

[grantcart]

5. Well Gregg made an absolute fool out of himself and Obama looked like a gentleman

[MADem]

8. Totally. Gregg screwed himself.

He's not a "Live Free or Die" kind of guy if he rolls over when "Party Leaders" lean on him. Those New Hampshirites like an independent streak, and he's coming off as a frightened toady.

[Me.]

10. Very True Also

Perhaps that's the lesson pugs should take away from this...that Obama always ends up smelling like a rose. Frankly I didn't care for the choice of Gregg and am glad he's gone. And according to the polls the public appreciates the way Obama has handled himself. The GOP never had to contend with an Obama anymore and they haven't gotten the memo that the old playbook is simply that, old.

[KittyWampus]

7. Gregg looks like an ass and certainly did NOT embarrass Obama.

[LSparkle]

9. Gregg has revealed himself to be a Trojan Horse ...

Sent in to co-opt the census and when that was taken
away from him, he said "thanks but no thanks" to the
job.

[Enrique]

11. it was Obama who nominated Gregg

should we get rid of Obama?

[WI_DEM]

12. I think Gregg suggested Gregg.

[Occam Bandage]

13. It was Obama who nominated him. I don't get the rush to blame Reid, Pelosi, Emanuel, and other

Dems whenever anything around Obama goes wrong.

[Me.]

14. Obama Didn't Go Wrong

Upon advice, and in the spirit of bi=partisanship, he nominated a guy who said he wanted the job.

[Occam Bandage]

15. Reid Didn't Go Wrong.

Upon advice, and in the spirit of bipartisanship, he relayed the fact that a guy told him he wanted the job.

[Me.]

16. Pish

Tosh

[AtomicKitten]

17. LaHood told Rachel tonight that Gregg actively sought the position. n/t