Small, But Key Point on Gregg Speculation

If Gregg gets it (0.00 / 0)

Do they have to rename that bridge the "Secretary Gregg Bridge"?

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by: elwood @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 06:19:57 AM CST

Can anyone name five Bills he's authored in the Senate (0.00 / 0)

without googling ?

5

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by: JonnyBBad @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 06:34:06 AM CST

I can name one (4.00 / 1)

Deficit Reduction Act of 2005

Cutting $12.5 Billion in College Loans.

Yippie.

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by: sdoyle @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 08:00:33 AM CST

[ Parent ]

1 down, 4 to go n/t (0.00 / 0)

5

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by: JonnyBBad @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 08:10:36 AM CST

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Where's the speculation? (0.00 / 0)

I expected to see discussion on BH as to who among Lynch's loyalists wold be named. Get it going!  

No'm Sayn?

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by: BurtCohen @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 08:10:49 AM CST

I'm not sure it would BE a loyalist (4.00 / 1)

It could be a seat-warmer, like in Delaware. It could be an "outsider" like in Colorado. It could be an under-represented segment of the electorate, like in Illinois.

One of the strongest arguments against picking a "loyalist" is that you please one faction and tick off five others.

I pick on Lynch enough already - I won't start the internal mudfight...

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by: elwood @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 08:23:03 AM CST

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Bob Odell? n/t (0.00 / 0)

member of the professional left  

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by: susanthe @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 11:02:15 AM CST

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Gregg Confirms Story (0.00 / 0)

From Politico:

The news was first reported Thursday night, but Gregg, for the first time Friday morning, confirmed that he's being considered for the post.

"I am aware that my name is one of those being considered by the White House for Secretary of Commerce, and am honored to be considered, along with others, for the position," he said in a statement. "Beyond that there is nothing more I can say at this time."

For some laughs, I also would suggest reading the comments at the UL.com to John DiStaso's story on this; there are some very angry people in the world!  



"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 09:41:18 AM CST

Seems certain that Gregg not running for Senate in 2010. (0.00 / 0)

I agree with you, Dean, that this is one of the strongest signals out of this speculation, should Gregg not become Commerce Secretary.

Can't help but remember James Pindell's suggestions of Gregg's desire to get out of the Senate almost a year ago.


Be the Change you wish to see in the world (Gandhi)

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by: KrisSchultz @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 10:26:46 AM CST

Why Build Up Gregg? (4.00 / 2)

I just don't see the percentages for us to build up Judd Gregg.  Even if he doesn't run in 2010 -- I said a couple of months ago I thought that he was just saying he'd run in 2010 at that point to keep the Republican bloodbath from happening -- we're builiding up his political clout.  

The Obama Administration is making him sound like a good choice, and by any Democrat saying he'd be a good choice for Commerce Secretary sounds like an endorsement.  If he DOES run for US Senate in 2010, he's got lots of sweet Democrat comments he can use, especially in getting "Independent" voters.

If he DOESN'T run in 2010 and doesn't become Commerce Secretary, we've made him stronger than ever as a voice for Republicans in our state, especially among business people and those of us concerned about the economy.  After all, it will be said -- Obama "considered" him for that choice.  His endorsement of his Republican US Senate replacement will be all the more powerful.

And if he DOES become Commerce Secretary, do we have any doubt that won't bring clout to the Republicans running in 2010?  That's exactly what we don't need. Even if he didn't join New Hampshire Republicans on the campaign trail -- and nothing would prevent him from doing so -- a former Republican US Senator being Commerce Secretary for a Democrat Presidential Administration would raise the Republican morale and give some strenth to the field.

Lastly, if he takes the Commerce Secretary post and were ever asked to resign, or if he resigned because he "lost confidence" in Obama, the politics of that for New Hampshire Democrats and our candidates for 2010 and 2012 could be quite negative.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 11:15:34 AM CST

Giant leaps (4.00 / 1)

Please ask Fran Wendleboe about this:

a former Republican US Senator being Commerce Secretary for a Democrat Presidential Administration would raise the Republican morale

Punting Gregg would do this?

Lastly, if he takes the Commerce Secretary post and were ever asked to resign, or if he resigned because he "lost confidence" in Obama, the politics of that for New Hampshire Democrats and our candidates for 2010 and 2012 could be quite negative.

Imho, there is a long. winding dirt road between Point A and Point B.

I don't see an ad saying, "Hi! I'm Judd Gregg and I was almost picked by Obama." or "Hi! I'm a Republican. We are good enough for Obama, so that should be good enough for you, too."

Note: Kathy suggested you read the comments below the cited article. That is good advice.


www.KusterforCongress.com - www.paulhodesforsenate.com

www.nikitsongas.com - www.devalpatrick.com

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 11:51:27 AM CST

[ Parent ]

On Secretary Judd Gregg: Where's The Up-Side? (4.00 / 1)

It's all opinion at this point, but in seeing politics operate for the past many years, I fail to see much of an upside in annointing a long-time Republican New Hampshire powerhorse with the position of Secretary of Commerce in the cabinet of a Democratic President.  There are some, but I can't imagine any of his visits as Commerce Secretary at New Hampshire events in the next two years being of benefit to Democrats.  I think it's wishful thinking to feel otherwise.  What do "we" get in return?  Him out of the Senate for a couple of years, and in the White House strategy meetings and running a major federal department with tens of thousands of employees?  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 12:51:22 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Powerhorse or lame duck? (0.00 / 0)

When I see Gregg, I don't see a "powerhorse."

Him being out of the Senate for "a couple of years" sounds good to me. Only the first HALF of Obama's admin. To this political newbie, that seems like a place to start while thinking it over.

Let him run the Commerce fifedom. If Obama thinks it's a good call, I'm in. They won't shake hands on the deal unless it is mutually agreeable.

And if Gregg bounces after a short stint, I don't see a downside. Not a durable one, anyways.

www.KusterforCongress.com - www.paulhodesforsenate.com

www.nikitsongas.com - www.devalpatrick.com

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 13:03:56 PM CST

[ Parent ]

you can't measure this politically... (0.00 / 0)

...in my humble opinion.

I've been a BH lurker for a long time, Rep. Splaine, and I respect you tremendously... so I hope this comes from the right spirit.

Think of it this way: if our economy is still in the tank, we'll all be suffering far worse concerns at that point than a potential Commerce Sect'y Gregg helping out R's in NH.

If he gets the appointment, it's reassuring to think of it this way:  It's more important that we fix this economy than worry about the political fall-out for R's in NH.  


Be the Change you wish to see in the world (Gandhi)

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by: KrisSchultz @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 13:46:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Although I'm not strongly opposed (4.00 / 2)

to a Gregg appointment, there is simply no way I can envision him making the difference on economic policy and recovery. Or just about any Commerce Secretary, for that matter.

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by: elwood @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 13:56:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

IIRC (4.00 / 1)

One of the things I heard could be at play, under Commerce, was the formulation of Universal HC. Because of the "interstate" regulatory components, I guess.

Not sure, if we would want Gregg anywhere near the creation of UHC.

www.KusterforCongress.com - www.paulhodesforsenate.com

www.nikitsongas.com - www.devalpatrick.com

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 14:04:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Daschle (0.00 / 0)

gets that at HHS.


Be the Change you wish to see in the world (Gandhi)

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by: KrisSchultz @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 00:16:35 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I don't think the speculation matters (0.00 / 0)

to the political debate here in New Hampshire, in the long run.  The speculation is inherently apolitical (see my post below), and voters simply don't digest this sort of punditry when weighing their choice for Senate.

Bottom line: nothing about this discussion hurts our Dem in the 2010 Sen. race... and I think it helps!


Be the Change you wish to see in the world (Gandhi)

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by: KrisSchultz @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 13:41:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]

As an ex-Gregg intern (4.00 / 1)

Speaking as a former college intern for Senator Gregg on the Hill (back when I was trying to figure our my political stripes), I found Judd Gregg to be considerate, professional and very thoughtful.

Now, I soon discovered that the array of issues with which I disagreed with him meant I could not be a Republican (which was made 100% transparent by then interning for Jeanne Shaheen, but this is all subject for another diary), but, in my brief experience working for Gregg on the Hill, I cannot question his motives. Economic policy is what he does.

I've long wondered whether - and I know this will sound crazy in this forum - the Bush Administration had him handcuffed in the sense that they were never interested smart growth on Wall Street or in balanced budgets, created the prescription drug  benefit, and even grew the size of the federal government more than any president who didn't come from Texas. Gregg has been trapped by a GOP more interested in recent years in avoiding a political collapse than putting forward meaningful public policy ideas.

If Judd Gregg wants a chance to serve in a more effective way than for a minority party that pushed aside his most of his ideas for the last 8 years, then he should give careful consideration to this potential opportunity. It's a doozy of one.

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by: Garth Corriveau @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 12:55:30 PM CST

What you say makes sense. (0.00 / 0)

I've never thought Sen. Gregg is a bad person, or an extreme partisan, I've just disagreed with him on many issues... I'm from Kentucky originally, and that's where I cut my political teeth.  Sen. Gregg is clearly no Sen. Mitch McConnell.

But, having said that, I still have been thinking of ways to strengthen a Dem bid against him in 2010.

More and more I believe that won't be necessary.


Be the Change you wish to see in the world (Gandhi)

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by: KrisSchultz @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 13:25:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Sen. Gregg just might work out on Obama's Team of Rivals. (4.00 / 1)

President Obama's consideration of him doesn't surprise me as much, now that I've had time to digest it.

Given that President Obama is eager to get beyond partisanship to make sure that America has a swift and effective economic recovery,   appointing Sen. Gregg to Commerce helps him remove the partisanship that is still so entrenched on Capitol Hill.

Given that President Obama wants a TEAM OF RIVALS, appointing Sen. Gregg to Commerce helps him have that rival voice on economic recovery that may be missing right now.  

Anybody who watched any of the press conferences from President Obama's trip to Capitol Hill earlier this week, and then saw the votes and rhetoric the following day in the House, finds a stark contrast.

Perhaps Sen. Gregg could be what Sen. Obama needs to truly get the politics out of the economic recovery issues on Capitol Hill.

If it helps this economy, I'm all for it.

The last thing that matters to anyone who gets a job after months of unemployment is who gets the credit for the upturn in the economy.

It's really bad out there (and in here, depending on where you are!)  We do need to put partisanship aside when it comes to improving the economy.  Sen. Gregg in as President Obama's Commerce Chair doesn't mean that Gregg's agenda trumps Obama's...  Perhaps the things that threw Sen. Gregg into the bailout debate in the first place aren't too far off the mark of what President Obama wants now, in the long run: economic recovery.  

Sure, they probably come at it quite differently, but having someone like Gregg on the inside of Obama's "Team of Rivals" might make the difference in the end.

So, now that my shock has subsided, I see that it sincerely could be a good thing.

Mind you, if Sen. Gregg is on the ballot in 2010, I'll help our Dems fight against him.  I still disagree with Sen. Gregg's basic points of view on a number of economic issues.

But Sen. Gregg helping President Obama get the partisanship out of economic recovery could be a very good thing for everyone.  And President Obama spent the morning signing Executive Orders that are pro-labor union rights.  The President will still be in charge of the Economic recovery strategy that a potential Commerce Secretary Gregg would be a part of, and, again, that's not a bad thing.


Be the Change you wish to see in the world (Gandhi)

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by: KrisSchultz @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 13:37:47 PM CST

A couple of points (4.00 / 2)

1. Put away the term partisanship for a moment. We actually have a different governing philosophy. It is not partisan, per se, to govern in accordance with the philosophy with which we built our party and won the election.

2. National issues Gregg has led effectively on: Zero.

3. Doesn't any Democrat want to be Secretary of Commerce? Richardson had it as a fallback from State, and now Richardson's gone and we turn to Gregg?

None of that adds up to Judd Gregg as an effective Cabinet secretary. The Congress won't necessarily respond to him, because they have never had to respond to him.

I'm all for it as a means of easing him out of his seat, virtually assuring a Democratic winner in 2010, but otherwise, this stinks. He may be more Specter than Cornyn, but he is still a conservative Republican. There already is one in the Cabinet.

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by: JimC @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 14:08:12 PM CST

I'm split (4.00 / 1)

Because the question here is how much damage can he do there if he is bound to implement the policy of this administration and congress.

And I don't have an answer for that.

Judd Gregg as Attorney General? Oh god, hell no. Health and Human Services? Absolutely not.

But someone has to lay out for me what the damage he can do in Commerce is (for example, name the last three Commerce Secs... right.)

No one has laid that out for me yet. And I've never heard horror stories about Commerce, so I don't know what the downside is...

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by: Mike Caulfield @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 16:17:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Damage potential (0.00 / 0)

Low bar.

Team of schmivals.

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by: JimC @ Fri Jan 30, 2009 at 16:54:38 PM CST

[ Parent ]