Judd Gregg Withdraws...David Sirota's Comment on this from "The Left"

[KoKo]

BREAKING: Judd Gregg Withdraws
by: David Sirota
Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 16:19

CNN is reporting that Judd Gregg just withdrew his nomination for Commerce Secretary. That's huge news - and hugely good news. As reported here at OpenLeft, Gregg wants to slash Social Security and is an ardent free-market fundamentalist and would have had control over a large portion of the government's economic enforcement apparatus. He was under the shadow of the Abramoff investigation, and he and the far-right were demanding near-unilateral control over the Census, which will be crucial for the 2010 redistricting battle.

Again, this is fantastic news. Now, can we please get someone at least moderately progressive as a Commerce Secretary nominee?


Update (Chris): President Obama's statement is pretty great:

For Immediate Release February 12, 2009

STATEMENT FROM PRESS SECRETARY
ROBERT GIBBS

"Senator Gregg reached out to the President and offered his name for Secretary of Commerce. He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the President's agenda. Once it became clear after his nomination that Senator Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama's key economic priorities, it became necessary for Senator Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways. We regret that he has had a change of heart."

Since Gregg will not run for re-election, this works out very well.

Update 2 (Chris): The timing of Gregg's withdrawal indicates it is part of the broader Republican attempts to oppose President Obama and the Democratic trifecta at all costs. TPM quotes a Democratic congressional staffer:

More at........
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=11584

[HowHasItComeToThis]

1. REPUBLICANS WILL DO ANYTHING TO GAIN POWER

INCLUDING THE DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA

[madaboutharry]

2. There isn't anything at the link.

Gregg reached out to President Obama. What was that all about? I wonder if he was thinking that he would join the cabinet and that President Obama would say something like "Do whatever you want, I am not really your boss". They really need to fine tune the vetting process.

I would love to be a fly on the wall in The Oval Office right at this minute. Can you imagine the number of times Rahm Emmanuel has said the F-bomb in the last half hour?

[KoKo]

4. Sorry...check this link for full article:

http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=11584

[Muttocracy]

3. that statement from WH is interesting (didn't see it on WH site though)