White House: Gregg "Leading Candidate" for Commerce

No way! (0.00 / 0)

Oppo is fun stuff! And think of the fun nicknames he could end up with after all of it. Winning the lottery and voting against heating fuel assistance on the first day alone could be an entire campaign against him by itself...

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

---

by: RealNRH @ Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 14:41:34 PM CST

No Idea I Voted Last November For Judd Gregg (4.00 / 2)

I just cannot believe Barack Obama is so desperate in filling the Commerce Secretary post that he is stooping this low.  Putting a man with Judd Gregg's voting record and the "list of accomplishments" of his Republican background in charge of the economic future of this country and as boss of a 38,000 person department?

Democrats have a deep bench and there are many excellent choices for this vital job.  We're talking about choosing a man or woman who will be sitting in the White House cabinet room on important decisions about our future.  I'd rather have someone else from our bench in there.  

I doubt any Democratic New Hampshire First-In-The-Nation Presidential Primary voter last January thought -- imagined -- nightmared that they were voting for Judd Gregg to be Secretary of Commerce when they voted for Obama over Hillary Clinton.  

I had no idea I was marking my ballot in November for Judd Gregg to be in charge of our economic recovery.  All of a sudden, I just don't feel so optimistic about politics and government in Washington.  I feel I've seen this movie before, and it was black and white -- and not a classic that I'd want to see again.    

---

by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 15:56:11 PM CST

This seems to be a bit of an overeaction from the usually calm Representative.. (4.00 / 1)

I doubt any Democratic New Hampshire First-In-The-Nation Presidential Primary voter last January thought -- imagined -- nightmared that they were voting for Judd Gregg to be Secretary of Commerce when they voted for Obama over Hillary Clinton.  

No one voted for anyone with any thought as to who would be the Sec. of Commerce-- they voted for the President and the policies that he/she said they, and all their Cabinet choices, would implement. So far there is no reason to think that President Obama has done anything other than implement all of the policies he ran on (including his promise to reduce partisanship in Washington). Commerce isnt State, it isnt Justice, it isnt even Treasury. It has been for years no more than the seat at the table for non-financial industry (the financial industry has more or less owned the table).

What policy or action do you fear from Gregg at Commerce? Do you think he will start demanding unfair forecasts from the Weather Service? I suspect he will be very useful as a bridge to industry and to republicans. And as Kathy Sullivan noted, he is adept at squeezing eleven cents out of a dime.  

We are facing an existential financial crisis, and we will need to all pull together if we are to pull out of it.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

---

by: Paul Twomey @ Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 16:39:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

IIRC, he didn't squeeze the extra penny (4.00 / 1)

out of a dime to balance the state budget - he came up with a bit of creative financing known as "Mediscam" by which he was able to drain the federal treasury. I don't see how that will be available to him in Washington...

---

by: elwood @ Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 16:47:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You Mean, Gregg Is The Man? (4.00 / 2)

Paul, you mean Judd Gregg is the man you WANT for Commerce Secretary?  There are many other more reasoned Republicans who can fill that post.  In fact, if he does take the job he may well anger so many of his Washington Republican cohorts that he might create a backlash.  Who knows.  Your guess on that is as good as mine, but I sure don't have to guess that there are other better Republicans from which Barack Obama could choose.

Take a look at this man's voting record.  You support THAT?

Aren't there good Democrats who can do the job of Commerce Secretary well?  Democrats who have good relationships with Republicans?

Are we so hungry in imagining that we might have 60 Democrats in the Senate -- which guarantees NOTHING, by the way -- that we're willing to have this Republican sitting in the Cabinet room on major decisions?

Yes, we need to all pull together if we are to pull out of it, but what has Judd Gregg done or said that shows he's the one who can do it?

If most of us who are New Hampshire Democrats agree this man shouldn't be our United States Senator, why do we now want to see him become our Commerce Secretary?  Don't we have a better bench than that?  

Paul -- instead of referring to "...the usually calm Representative..." with the inference that has, I ask you to just deal with the issue, as I'm trying to do:  Do you LIKE this guy?  Is he YOUR choice?  Why should he be OUR choice?  New Hampshire Democrats have been making him seem like a New Hampshire hero about to rise us all to greater heights.  That's a strange turn from what Democrats were saying about him prior to this past Tuesday.  

That is sad.  

---

by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 18:26:34 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Judd Gregg is my choice for nothing. (4.00 / 1)

1. I dont have any choice for Commerce Secretary-- and dont particularly aspire to have one. I cant think of a position in the cabinet about which i care less. I presume that as cabinet secretary he will carry out the trade policies of the President and if not will be removed.

2. If the President thinks that Sen Gregg will be helpful in creating broader support for a rational response to a catastrophic economic situation, then I am more than willing to trust in his judgment, which as far as I can tell is one hell of a lot better than mine about things like this.

3. If Gregg is replaced in the Senate by someone, Democrat or Republican, that is more likely to support sane decent policies, like an end to torture, dealing with the impending climate disaster, equal rights for all Americans, etc., then it is an overall win no matter what Gregg does in Commerce.

4. Whether we like it or not, whether or not his name is followed by  the word Rep. NH, he has shown good, though not perfect, judgment in responding to the current economic crisis, and that seems to be in short supply.

5. I just dont think it is all that important given the enormity of the real problems that we need to deal with.

6. The inference I meant with "unusually calm" was to express respect and admiration, and to softent the criticism of your position on this. Sometimes things in blogs dont read the same way as they sound in our head, so for the misunderstanding, I apologize.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

---

by: Paul Twomey @ Sun Feb 01, 2009 at 09:35:35 AM CST

[ Parent ]

You're talking about Gregg? (4.00 / 1)

Whether we like it or not, whether or not his name is followed by  the word Rep. NH, he has shown good, though not perfect, judgment in responding to the current economic crisis, and that seems to be in short supply.

Could you give an example, other than a vote, here?

---

by: Alex Gallichon @ Sun Feb 01, 2009 at 12:47:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Well, he showed good judgment (0.00 / 0)

in going AWOL on TARP oversight, rather than return to the scene of the crime...

---

by: elwood @ Sun Feb 01, 2009 at 12:52:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

No negotiations. (4.00 / 3)

Governor Lynch should not let Judd Gregg dictate a single term about who will succeed him.  The President and the Secretary of State seem to have had little to no input on their own seats, why should he?  If the Governor feels the need to appoint a Republican seat-warmer, I'll respect that decision, but it is his to make, not Gregg's.

--
New Hampshire's stimulus: a train to Boston.
Visit NHBTI.org to learn about the NH Capitol Corridor project.

---

by: Douglas E. Lindner @ Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 16:09:12 PM CST

So, it's wrong to sell a Senate seat, (4.00 / 3)

but it's OK to trade it?

---

by: hannah @ Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 18:10:35 PM CST