It's Tuesday. Do You Know Where Your Senator Is ?

The name 'AWOL Judd' (4.00 / 3)

isn't based only on his truancy from the Senate. It also comes from his agreeing to serve on the TARP oversight board led by Elizabeth Warren, then a couple of weeks later deciding he was too busy and quitting.

That gave Mitch McConnell an opportunity to give a well-paid job (Senator-level salary) to John E. Sununu.

So now we're paying Little John to do the job Gregg was too busy to handle, while AWOL Judd refuses to do the work that kept him from that assignment.

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by: elwood @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 06:12:29 AM CST

Revolving door (0.00 / 0)

How did I miss this Sununu thing? This is worth its own diary.

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by: JimC @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 09:33:50 AM CST

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Sean broke the story (4.00 / 1)

here.

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by: elwood @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 10:09:42 AM CST

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Thanks (0.00 / 0)

And thanks Sean.

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by: JimC @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 10:13:07 AM CST

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NP (4.00 / 3)

Just doing my civic duty.

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by: sdoyle @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 11:33:35 AM CST

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This Guy Shouldn't Be Commerce Secretary (4.00 / 1)

...and if/when he is confirmed, I'm hoping that Democrats statewide and nationally will treat it with a yawn, and not say anything like we're so glad to have one of our own on the President's Cabinet.  Let's remember that unfortunately Mr. AWOL could still have a political future, and we don't need to promote that any more than it has been accidentially promoted so far.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 06:36:29 AM CST

The long, painful road of detente. (0.00 / 0)

Gregg is meh, but look how great Obama is for being willing to listen to someone like Gregg.

That guy deserves a second term.

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by: This Was The Moment @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 21:50:31 PM CST

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Grade D (4.00 / 4)

Congress should have some sort of attendance policy. I mean they already have recess!

Haha

Sen. Gregg, what would you say you do here?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

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by: StevenPlace @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 09:17:13 AM CST

Detentions. n/t (4.00 / 1)

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by: GreyMike @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 09:45:28 AM CST

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I'll tell you what I do know - his phone number (4.00 / 3)

40 minutes left till vote.

Dial toll free 1 (866) 544-7573 and ask for Senator Judd Gregg. Suggested conversation: Sen. Gregg, you have a responsibility to vote on behalf of the people of New Hampshire. I'm calling on you to vote on President Obama's economic recovery plan, and to vote yes. We need to take action now to put America back to work. President Obama has outlined a plan that will create or save millions of jobs by making major and sound long-term investments in energy conservation, renewable energy technologies, schools, health care and transportation. We're counting on you to help pass the plan.

Report your phone call here.

Zandra Rice Hawkins (Granite State Progress)

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by: Zandra Rice Hawkins @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 10:26:06 AM CST

My Senator? (4.00 / 4)

I know where my Senator is. My Senator, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, is hard at work doing the business of New Hampshire and the American people. Since Judd has declared he won't do the specific job of a Senator, as far as I'm concerned New Hampshire only has one Senator right now. And she is awesome.

IT for John Lynch '04 and NHDP '08 - I'm liking my track record so far!

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by: RealNRH @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 14:45:53 PM CST

Quite True (0.00 / 0)

And Jeanne Shaheen CAN do the work of two.

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Tue Feb 10, 2009 at 17:21:58 PM CST

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Devil's Advocate (#2) (0.00 / 0)

Here's a list of vote missers for this Congress from the Washington Post. Gregg's #3 in terms of percentage.

In terms of percentage, Gregg is nearly identical to President Obama's record last year while he was running for President

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 14:17:37 PM CST

Is this a joke? (0.00 / 0)

He's number three because Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden are ahead of him! Number 4 is WAY behind him!

And although I think both Obama and McCain should have resigned in order to run for the Presidency, they both showed up for key votes - e.g., TARP. AWOL Judd is explicitly ducking the biggest vote in years.

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by: elwood @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 14:36:51 PM CST

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Is What A Joke? (0.00 / 0)

Yeah, Gregg should be #1. Kennedy's circumstances are understandable due to his illness and Biden wasn't really a Senator anymore. WaPo was just going by the stats.

But the only reason both came back for the TARP vote was because it benefitted them politically in the Presidential race. There were plenty of other important votes missed by both that did not get the same level of attention.

I agree with you Elwood in that they either should have voted or resigned last year and that Gregg should also either vote or resign. However, missing a vote on one important issue shouldn't receive more importance than missing votes on many important issues because it has more of a spotlight.

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 15:23:45 PM CST

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It's not just important one important issue. (0.00 / 0)

Gregg has taken the position that he cannot vote on ANY issue. A resolution honoring Abraham Lincoln tomorrow? Judd will be "not voting."

And I disagree on TARP. It didn't benefit them politically - they simply couldn't get away with skipping it.

Though you and I agree that Senators should resign when running for President - at least after getting the nomination - there is a very long precedent for NOT doing that. And the Senators who skip votes in search of a Presidential nomination are usually re-endorsed when they run for re-election.

Gregg has no such precedent on his side.

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by: elwood @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 15:31:40 PM CST

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Where Do You Think Precedents Come From? (0.00 / 0)

Elwood, let me try to figure out your logic here.

First person doing something bad = bad

Second person doing something bad = not so bad.

So, by your logic, once it becomes an accepted practice for people to do what Gregg is doing now, then it'll be ok?

We'll have to agree to disagree on TARP.

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Wed Feb 11, 2009 at 15:44:08 PM CST

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Don't Get Me Wrong (0.00 / 0)

I think Gregg should resign as well. I just fear that sometimes this place becomes an echo chamber and we forget that a bad thing is a bad thing, regardless of who does it or the circumstances surrounding it.

Elwood, i'd like to hear if you agree or disagree on that assessment.  

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by: Andrew Sylvia @ Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 08:50:21 AM CST

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