The Bizarre Withdrawal of Commerce Secretary Nominee Judd Gregg
As if Washington hadn’t become a surreal place anyway what with politicians casually throwing around trillions of dollars as if it were chump change.
For commerce secretary nominee Judd Gregg, it was the overwhelming nature of the stimulus bill that apparently opened his eyes to the fundamental incompatibility inherent in a relationship between a moderately conservative Republican and a president who is proposing the largest increase in federal spending ever. And lurking in the background was the issue of the White House power grab of the census — a looming battle royale that will see Republicans fighting tooth and nail to prevent the Obama White House from trying to “game” the census and increase representation for Democrats on the Hill.
It is doubtful that the withdrawal of Judd Gregg will rock President Obama’s White House. If you believe Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, the New Hampshire Republican signaled earlier in the week that he was having second thoughts. A meeting with the president yesterday failed to change his mind to bow out.
In his formal statement, Gregg sounded conciliatory:
I want to thank the president for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as secretary of commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle.
However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.
Obviously the president requires a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives.
I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position.
As we move forward, I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the president’s proposals. This will certainly be a goal of mine.
The White House released a rather petulant statement about Gregg’s withdrawal:
In a statement, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Gregg had “reached out to the president and offered his name for secretary of commerce” — and that he’d promised that, “despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace and move forward with the president’s agenda.”
Obama himself told an Illinois newspaper that Gregg’s withdrawal was “something of a surprise” because the senator had “approached us with interest and seemed enthusiastic.”
Gregg denied that he “reached out” to the Obama White House for the Commerce job, saying that an intermediary had approached the administration without his knowledge.
Also curious was that there was no joint statement — a clear indication that the parting was not ideal. But neither side appears to be anxious to tee off on the other, so whatever occurred behind closed doors probably won’t be aired as dirty laundry for either side.
Gregg also indicated that there was nothing in the vetting process that would have prevented him from taking the job. Considering that Gregg is now the third Obama cabinet nominee to drop out — Tom Daschle and Bill Richardson withdrew for ethical reasons — taking pains to point out he was bowing out on his own and not due to scandal added another weird aspect to the story.
While Gregg’s statement was pretty straightforward, this interview he gave to Politico is a head-scratcher. It is almost as if Senator Gregg is beating himself up in anticipation of some of the criticisms that will come his way.
In an interview with Politico Thursday afternoon, Gregg said he “should have faced up” to the conflicts he felt earlier.
“I’ve been my own person, and I began to wonder if I could be an effective team player,” the New Hampshire Republican said. “The president deserves someone who can block for his policies. As a practical matter I can contribute to his agenda better — where we agree — as a senator and I hope to do that.”
“The fault lies with me,” Gregg continued. He refused to discuss any conversations he had with Obama, saying, “I may have embarrassed myself but hopefully not him.”
His solicitousness toward Obama is strange considering the president was pushing a spending bill at odds with everything Gregg supposedly believes about government. Come to think of it, one should wonder why he even considered taking the job in the first place.
But in the last 72 hours, a development occurred that may have started Gregg thinking that being in the Obama administration wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. The issue of the census director reporting directly to the White House means that Gregg, as commerce secretary, would lose control of one of the major programs in the department. By, in effect, politicizing the census, the Obama administration is throwing down the gauntlet and risking an all out war with congressional Republicans over the fruits of the national head count; redistricting the 435 congressional districts to reflect changes in population and the allocation of billions in federal spending.
The stakes are enormous. And given complaints against the census by Democrats over the years regarding the undercounting of African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities, we can expect the Obama White House to “find” as many of these grateful voters as is legally possible.
The potential for a true political realignment based on the gerrymandering of district lines in big states to favor more Democrats is now within the reach of the Obama White House. Is this the real reason that Gregg decided to withdraw? Perhaps he felt he was being set up to be the front man for a census that could cripple the Republican party for years to come and wanted no part of it. We may never know.
Gregg also said he is thinking seriously of not running in 2010 for reelection. This does not bode well for Republicans in the Senate who are already facing a huge challenge to make any headway in reducing the Democrat’s 59-41 advantage. New Hampshire has been getting progressively “bluer” in recent elections and the chances of a GOP hold are not good. It is probable that national Republicans will put pressure on Gregg to change his mind and make a run for another term. It may work. Gregg sounded like a man who has had a struggle with his conscience and his statement about not running again may be rescinded after some reflection.
Republicans may wish to make more of this than it is. It might have been if Gregg had withdrawn and given a powerful statement against the stimulus and the census power grab. But outside of once again raising questions about the Obama administration’s personnel problems, it is likely that this story will die down fairly quickly — just in time for the passage of Obama’s stimulus package.
Judd Gregg is finally realizing that Barack Obama is going to do a tremendous amount of damage to the United States. He may even be destroying the very foundations of our government. And it is now obvious that Obama is a shallow and essentially ignorant human being. There is only one real reason why he is president of the United States: the man had taken full advantage of white guilt. Regrettably, we still have a lot of people going to ridiculous lengths to prove that “I’m not a racist!” There is also little reason to dialogue with Obama. If nothing else, he lacks the necessary education to understand the important challenges of our era. On top of that, he is not listening to those who dissent from his far left of center political ideology.
It will be fun watching this circus and clown act allowing our census to be dragged into the Supreme Court.
When the census workers call and ask what nationally/color you are,
tell them to put American.
And when they ask how many spouses and children you have,
12 is a nice number.
Ah, Senator Gregg got a close look at the current administration and its agenda and said, thanks but no thanks. People know when the are being used and co-opted. Well done, Senator.
It probably goes beyond policy differences. Imagine someone going from Boy Scouts of America to Hell’s Angels-his skin had to start crawling from the git from just being in the same room with ethically challanged folks like Rahm, Turbo Tim and even Barry himself. He also came to realize that he was selected as a token tax payer.
It’s not at all bizzare. He thought he would get a shot at being important in a special Presidency, found out he was being used, and split.
First and foremost Greg is a patriot. So he would be into helping an administration improve America. And being a hopeful guy he bought the Obama hype and thought he’d pitch in. When he looked under the tent it wasn’t what he thought and bugged out. So rare a politician acts honestly that people don’t know what it means and read too much into it.
As to dissing Obama, it isn’t his style.
As to who said what to whom we can take the latest flap with the CEO of Catarpillar who denied that he ever told Obama he’d hire back the laid off workers if the stimulus package was passed as an indicator of which story to believe.
As a NH citizen I’ve watched Greg for years and he has for the most part tried to do the right thing for the state and country.
I am from New Hampshire and have voted for Judd Gregg for every public position he has ever held. He has never lost an election. He is his own man, independent, thoughtful and decisive. I listened to his press conference live on local radio. It was clear that there were major obstacles to his being able to be who he is and do justice to position as Commerce Secretary. He was very gracious in his statements. In the end Judd realized that he would have to sacrifice his fierce independence and hold allegience to President Obama’s way of running the Commerce Department. As he said he realized that for the past thirty years of public service he didn’t compromise his personal integrity and he can’t do so now. He made the right choice.
He finally figured out that even a shaky RINO like himself with some economic sense was just there for window dressing and that any important decisions were going to be made by the party hacks, not he cabinet secretaries.
At least in the Senate he’ll have a job for another two years. The duration of his Commerce Secretary gig was going to be measured in nanoseconds. If Zero and his Alinsky followers screw it up as badly as it appears they will, he won’t have any trouble being re-elected…if we are permitted to hold elections in 2010.
Rick, you are correct again. Story won’t last past today.
All out war with the Republicans is what Obama and crew intend anyway along the lines of “see if you can stop me”. Folks don’t even knows what’s in the stimulus bill as of this morning.
I’d only question the 41 count in the Senate. We know now that Specter can be bought for only about 6 billion. Not sure of the price for Collins and Snowe but it’s clear there the count is now no more than 38. The MSM will just ignore the screams. The steamroller has been started and is beginning to move.
A Republican withdraws from a liberal Democrat’s Administration?
Hardly bizarre to me.
“Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns.”
This is political speak meaning “I was assured that there was no difference, but I was lied to.”
“I’ve been my own person, and I began to wonder if I could be an effective team player,”
Political speak for “Obama asked me to go against my principles even though he lied to me”
Good for Mr Gregg. He’s leading by example.
You stated that the Obama administration will “‘find’ as many of these grateful voters as is legally possible”. Given that the left has been pushing for ‘statistical adjustment’ of the actual count results, shouldn’t that be ‘as many as statistically possible’?
“However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me.”
That was it. I don’t blame him.
Bizarre? Not really. Possibly pre-planned – think trojan horse. I hope Gates does the same. Perhaps at a critical moment when the Kenyan really needs him. This is hardball politics Rick.
535 districts? There’s only 435 congressional districts; the other 100 are from things called “states,” which thankfully Rahm and his new Chicago Boys can’t quite re-draw…yet.
That’s not the only bizarre thing that happened yesterday. The CEO of Caterpillar – in effect – called Obama a liar.
Jake Tapper at ABC reports: D’oh! Caterpillar CEO Contradicts President on Whether Stimulus Will Allow Him to Re-Hire Laid Off Workers
EAST PEORIA, ILL. — President Obama today repeated the claim we asked about yesterday at the press briefing that Jim Owens, the CEO of Caterpillar, Inc., “said that if Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off.”
Caterpillar announced 22,000 layoffs last month.
But after the president left the event, Owens said the exact opposite.
Asked if the stimulus package would be able to stop the 22,000 layoffs or not, Owens said, “I think realistically no. The truth is we’re going to have more layoffs before we start hiring again”
“It is going to take some time before that stimulus bill” means re-hiring, he said.
The Team Obama strategy will be to claim any hires following the spending bill passing is the result of the spending bill passing. The bill is so vast and the money so widely dispersed that they will be able to show some connection, however implausible. Like the “six degrees of separation” theory or the logical fallacy post hoc ergo propter hoc: (“after this therefore because of this.”)
Someday, perhaps tomorrow or perhaps a decade from now we will come out of this recession. At that point, Team Obama will take credit. It’s what they do.
““Sen. Gregg made a principled decision to return, and we’re glad to have him,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). ”
I think McConnel nailed it. Gregg has, by all indications, been one of the grown-ups over there, and probably didn’t want any part of what Team Obama wants to do to the country.
It’s a pretty honorable move, considering that he’d have been window-dressing for the fellow who claims to have been born in Hawaii.
Also note that he recused himself from the vote on the Democrat Constituency Reward Bill of 2009.
Observe also that the racists in the Congressional Black Caucus are happy with his withdrawal, for the stated reason that they had already started making noises about the alleged undercounting of minorities in the future census.
Gregg might have advancaed that issue further in the public mind by his action.
If anyone is wondering who will do the foot work of the census, going door-to-door and compiling the results; Can You Spell ACORN?!
Gregg saw the writing on the wall. Not only was he going to be nothing more than a figurehead example of Obama’s so-called bi-partisanship, but he was also going to be shunned by fellow republicans for selling out to Obama, just as the three republicans who supported the stimulus bill are being shunned.
He knows what side his bread is buttered on, and it isn’t the democrat side.
The Gregg decision to withdraw isn’t actually bizarre at all.
Looking at the facts , one comes away with the inescapable conclusion that the more details he began to hear about mister O’s economic plans and policies for the United States, the more certain was Judd Gregg that B. Hussein’s administration is a catastrophe in the making.
Obama’s strategies and planned economic tactics Judd told a stunned friend, “seemed to to come straight from the bizarro world of selfish miopic decision making, and I want to get as far away from it as possible. From the pork laden stimulus bill to the plans to scrap our country’s missile defense system, Obama is steering this country into a large, deep, dangerous ditch.”
The B man’s plan to policize the census, apparently, was the deal breaker, suggesting to Judd that Barack’s plans, both economic and non, smacked of oldstyle parisan politics; Solidifying the Dem Party’s recent gains, and trying to expand their sphere of influence though the census convinced Judd that back room, smoke and mirrors filled Chicago style politics in Obama’s world is front and center in his flawed, parisan politics.
Bararck’s central core of confidants seem bent on doing what’s best for the party instead of what’s best for the country.
Diametrically opposed to the bizarro, albeit, self centered world of Democratic Politics, Senator John McCain’s “Country First” battle cry now seems a far cry from the direction Obama is headed.
Actually, the more people hearing the details of Obama’s grand plans, the more people are convinced the change Barack promised comes largely in chump denominations.
I believe Judd Gregg realized that Rahm Emmanuel, who makes all the important decisions for the potted plant in the Oval Office, would be making all the important decisions at the Commerce Department too. Senator Gregg made the right decision. Let someone else be a lackey for our lackey President.
After a careful review of his tax records for the last twenty years the good Senator found that he had paid all of his taxes on time and had properly reported all of his income; thus he was not eligible for a Cabinet post in the Obamas Administration.
It defintiely looks like he was being set up to take the fall for the Census, how many other Repubs have been asked to fill posts? Putting a Repub incharge was just political cover. Heck, if he needs a Senator for the post why doesn’t O pick a real economic whiz like Pelosi?
I disagree that this is bizarre. A lot has happened in several weeks with this supposed administration of change to cause anyone with just a modicum of principle to start scratching his or her head. It’s easy to see how a RINO like Gregg would get caught up in the hype. (I live in NH) It would have made him a hero to the hippies that now live here and have taken over. He was seeing the writing on the wall. New Hampshire is trying to become Massachusetts as fast as it can.
Being commerce secretary would have kept him in Washington without having to go through an election that if he did win would not have been pretty.
As far as Republicans putting pressure on Gregg running again so we can hang on by a thread…
Here is the problem: The electorate is uninformed and weak. It’s time we had a new strategy. How about education? How about toughening up our citizens instead of pandering? Where are the leaders that will speak out to what is really necessary? That actually we the people should be solving our problems not authoritarian politicians!
“Come to think of it, one should wonder why he even considered taking the job in the first place.”
—
In a nutshell. It doesn’t speak well to Gregg’s perspicacity and judgment in thinking he could work with this lying socialist narcissist.
If only a couple senators from Maine could see what is going on…
Not too hard to figure out why Judd quit…reality set in…
What was odd, was Gregg accepting the job in the first place. It was not as if Obama had hidden what he was going to ask for in the stimulus plan. Still you have to admire his guts to pull out and his general support of Obama in doing so
“I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership, but at this time I must withdraw my name from consideration for this position.
As we move forward, I expect there will be many issues and initiatives where I can and will work to assure the success of the president’s proposals. This will certainly be a goal of mine.”
Gregg may have been the only person in the US who didn’t immediately realize he was window-dressing, a sleight-of-hand to divert attention.
Gregg doesn’t want to be part of a clearly unethical situation given the census situation. Some fault is his since he believed he could work in good faith in this administration. If you have principles which don’t blow with the wind, you can’t work in this administration. What I fear and what is happening is that we have no critical or dispassionate press to watch this administration machinations. Given this last two weeks, the next four years will be horrible.
What gets me is that it is extremely obvious that the tipping point for Gregg was Obama’s vote of ‘no confidence’ in his leadership even before he was confirmed. With Obama openly telling his supporters that he didn’t trust Gregg and would therefore (illegally) transfer responsibility over the census from the Secretary of Commerce to some shadow cabinet official in the White House, Gregg faced the very real possibility of being asked to assume a position in which he would be a mere figurehead deprived of any real decision making ability. His sole purpose then would be to score Obama political points and serve as a fall guy when policies being created out of the White House went wrong. You can’t expect a person to voluntarily assume a role of great responcibility but no authority. It’s just not going to happen.
Additionally, you had Obama pressuring Gregg to vote against his conscious on the stimulus package. Gregg has pretty much said it was these two events that changed his mind about his ability to work as a partner with the Obama administration.
Yet so far I’ve never heard this extremely obvious analysis of the situation being advanced to explain Gregg’s about face on him nomination. Instead, the press is verbatim repeating the White House narrative that this was some sinister action by Gregg designed to undermine Obama and an example of rank partisanship with no rational explanation.
Yeah, Charles, it probably will be ACORN. And at that point, being a Census worker should become as dangerous as being sent to the Eastern Front.
Oh, and Anton, always look for more than one plan. If Gregg took it, he would be replaced by a Democrat, so O! would have a filibuster proof majority even if he did something so foul it turned even Arlen’s stomach.
Imagine, and man with integrity and the fortitude to just say no to The Messiah!
It’s only day 24 of what is destined to become the worst, most destructive presidency in US history. I think Gregg resigned because he realized that there is not a single government function that Obama will not attempt to corrupt and politicize to consolidate power for the democratic party. These are the sad consequences of electing a glib, community agitator to be the POTUS.
He did it because he thought obama’s administration was going to be the kind of malignant one as bush’s bunch. When he found out they wanted to help the people instead of the rich and big business he knew he stood alone. Damn good riddance.
I think Sen. Gregg initially accepted the position for venal and short-sighted reasons: the future of his own career and the enhancement of his pension.
But, like all men of character, he backed away from his lower instincts in favor of his higher ones.
New Hampshire, because of lefties from Massachusetts, who are moving there so they don’t have to pay MS taxes, is changing and Gregg is worried that he’ll be replaced by a Bernie Sanders lookalike. He has reason to fear that, so it is especially gratifying that he did this.
Gregg looked into the eyes of “His Emptiness” and saw a “black hole”. One that is going to swallow America in one gulp.
My 6 year old calls him A Rock Obama. Says it all.
@30. PatrickHenry: I hadn’t thought of that, you are so right; wheels within wheels, turning round and about each other. I am sure Machiavelli would have loved Obama.
It looks like he saw what would happen. Obama took a large chunk out of Hillary’s responsibility and commerce was als sent to the chopping block. The piece he would have run would be small and Rahm would have the large bite.
I thought it was very clear (not curious or bizarre) why Judd Gregg bowed out.
He appears an honorable man who was honored to have been invited in. Reportedly, during preliminary discussions, the fact of the census being removed from the powers of Commerce Dept. and the Porkulus were discussed, but the President persuaded him these problems could be worked.
Mr. Gregg realized they were both going one way (not worked) and respectfully informed the President that he couldn’t be part of those shenanigans. (ok, he likely didn’t call them shenanigans
)
If Gregg took it, he would be replaced by a Democrat, so O! would have a filibuster proof majority…
Gregg, reportedly, had insisted he be replaced by a Republican. The Republican in the pipeline to replace him was said to be a woman who leans way (way !) left on social issues.*
(*definition: we have a federal government for purposes of passing out free lunches)
Could it be possible that the President chose the man because he knew it would remove another Republican from the Senate and the good Senator may have seen this? Just thought I’d throw that little wrench into the works for discussion.
All Gregg has done is to prove that he is smarter than Hillary Clinton. Gregg and Clinton are potential threats to Obama’s destruction of the middle class. Both had a power base in the Senate and, in joining the administration, lost that base and became vulnerable. Hillie doesn’t see t hat within six months, something will happen somewhere in the world that she will be blamed for and she’ll have to resign.
And, it isn’t Obama. He’s an empty suit doofus. It’s Emanuel! Rahm saw the potential of getting two folks out of the Senate and took it. Only Gregg was smart enough to recognize that he didn’t want to work for Emanuel.
Gregg is extremely naive to think he could work with a lying socialist narcissist
Bizzare? Not at all. He is watching the WH do a serious power grab, a patronage bill claiming to be a stimulus bill, the WH taking control of the Census in order to rig the results in favor of democrats, Obama asking for powers that Bush would never have dreamed of, and so on, and he realized he will be the front piece in undermining republicans when they point this stuff out.
The demcorats are playing for keeps. What they are doing right now would make Chavez proud. The America our children will inherit will be a shadow of the great nation we once had. And they are more likely to be slaves of the state than proud citizens. Orwell had it right.
Dave Hansen, right on!
Gregg should take the kid gloves off and expose the Big O for what he is: a consummate liar(lawyer from Chicago) and socialist/communist. But it probably wouldn’t be reported by the MSM anyway. If The One violates Gregg’s ethics he should make the attempt.
Obama, for the good of the country I love, I HOPE YOU FAIL.
Senator Judd Gregg did the right thing and for the right reasons in withdrawing his name from nomination to be Commerce Secretary. I have very bad feelings about the Obama Presidency and am relieved that a good man in Senator Gregg will not be part of it.
It is good to see that my favorable impression of Senator Gregg is confirmed by some of the posters here from New Hampshire.
For some reason this reminds me of the appointment of Henry Cabot Lodge by JFK to the ambassadorship of Vietnam. At the time, Lodge was a contender for the GOP nomination in 1964, and JFK wanted to tie him to a controversial, difficult issue in case something went horribly wrong. Lodge had his own reasons for accepting the position, and presumably he believed he was smart enough to help solve the conflict through his influence, but after Diem’s assassination and the subsequent non-stop political chaos, due in no small part to Lodge’s machinations, he was done for in 1964.
I think Barack telegraphs his intentions when he claims he’s ‘reaching across the aisle’, or in the case of Hillary Clinton, when he wants to be ‘inclusive’. B. Hussein has never been bipartisan or high-minded about anything political in his life.
He nominated Hillary to Secretary of State because he believes there are going to be a lot of negative developments (from the perspective of the average American) due to his policies in the next four years, thus tagging Hillary with the problems and eliminating a possible rival in 2012.
The retention of Gates at the Pentagon is a little more complicated. It’s mostly insurance against things going south in Iraq, Afghanistan, or elsewhere. If things deteriorate of their own accord he can therefore tag the problems on Bush policies. Gates’ retention, however, had absolutely NOTHING to do with his competence. There is, of course, the more likely possibility that Obama is already fairly certain that things will be going south after he dismantles The Long War (GWoT), and thus, again, he can tag Gates/Bush with the problem. Obama is anti-military, and he believes a ‘white’ United States is at fault for any conflict with a nation full of ‘people of color’. If we just withdraw things will simply solve themselves because we’re at fault for everything (conservatives in particular). That is his worldview.
Gregg is just another expression of this modus operandi. He wanted to use Gregg as cover for the power grab, simply by claiming the Gregg, on record for being anti-Commerce Dept., was going to engage in shenanigans with the Census.
Chicago politics indeed.
Want to know what Barack’s intentions are? Keep track of his ‘bipartisan’ efforts. The Dear Leader is telegraphing where he will be grabbing power.
Appoint Gregg, a Republican? That means he’s got something nasty in store for the census, which in turns telegraphs the coming Amnesty, which will be hugely unpopular with the American public, thereby necessitating … what?
Shutting down the opposition (Department of Justice and congressional ‘investigations’ of political opponents), silencing the press (Fairness Doctrine, controlling who attends his press conferences and what questions are acceptable), hiding the activities of his administration using state secrets provisions (after claiming he’d be the most transparent administration ever), and gaming the electoral process using groups like ACORN who will now receive massive funding (expect EVERY bill passed in the next two years to include public monies earmarked for explicitly Left-wing ‘non-profits’ — i.e., public financing of the Democratic machine).
The guy’s a thug. I didn’t believe it initially — I just feared it — but everything he’s done fits the pattern.
Not my
presidentDear Leader.#15:
Ooops. Thanks – I will fix.
RM
From what I’m seeing, Obama hears what he wants to hear, not what is really said to him. 45 months to go.
…a patronage bill claiming to be a stimulus bill…
Very good way of putting it.
There will be 103 months to go
I guess the author can’t comprehend that Gregg told us why he wouldn’t accept the position.
The author evidently sees hidden motives and scheming behind everything. He’s a Democrat, so he’s used to being lied to.
36. WAHWAHWAH: Good for your 6 year old. My 5 year old calls him Loser.
Speaking of appointees…has anyone seen Hillary lately?
Obama’s leaving in August 2017? Do tell
#48 No problem!
Since Gregg and Obama both work for the same people regardless of what party they purport to belong to, my guess is that Gregg realized that he and his buddies who call themselves Republicans were going to be cut out of sweeping the Democrat crumbs from the table once the Democrats have eaten the big portions of what is left of the US economy. He must not have realized some people play for keeps.
I can’t decide if Gregg took the high road in his staement, or if he was being canny.
If he comes right out and derides the Obama administration, he gets branded as a partisan hack. If he claims that his position was reduced by the census grab, then he can be made out to be petty and power-hungry. If he does what he did, resigning on principle, it draws attention to the hijack of the census. Good political move, and it avoids the narrative. On the other hand, he may have just been bred well and refused to castigate Obama.
I suspect the former as the reason, as it left the real reason in question. Now, the resignation, and the reasons for it, get discussed, when otherwise it might have been buried under the narrative. People’s curiosity is a powerful tool, and it may get the liberal media to discuss the situation a little more honestly.
For those who don’t know, Clinton tried to get him to take the same job way back for the same reason… to change the balance in the Senate. Gregg declined back then to prevent that, but he really wanted the job. A Secretaryship is considered an exec position with real power, and is highly coveted, even by Governors.
Website for part A of Stimulus.
http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/Recovery_Bill_Div_A.pdf
Website for the complete American Recovery and Reinvestment Report
http://appropriations.house.gov/
The biggest “RINO” (Repuplican-In-Name-Only) is Rush Limbaugh. He didn’t fully suppoert the Republican nominee for president, in 2008. He is NOT a real Republican. He and his ilk can go join the Libertarians, where they belong. Let’s build a BIG TENT Republican party based on Ragean principles (he signed the biggest amnesty bill ever), not on the desires of wacko purists. Social and fiscal conservative principles, a strong (not Obama candy-assed) foreign policy, and common sense (no trains and tuck convoys fill with weeping hispanic childern being deported)are the rockbed principle of the Republican party. Rush and his crowd crowd don’t like little brown people. But get used to there being little brown citizens helping to decide who is elected and who isn’t.
The only question I have is why Gregg would accept the position in the first place. The left-wing radicalism, bad character and lack of principles of B. Hussein were well known to anyone who cared to look. On the other hand, Gregg and Obama were Senators together. Maybe Gregg was seduced by Obama’s charm. Even so, I give Gregg great credit for doing the right thing and getting out before it was too late.
Every time a RINO wakes up and sees the HORROR that is the ZERO administration an angel gets their wings.
Awwwwwwww. *wee tear*
I’m not even a Republican (I’m a Dem), but I think Gregg did the right thing, as well. President Obama said he wants differing opinions, and I used to believe that. Now, I don’t think so. Bipartisanship to him seems to mean you Republicans need to come over to my way of thinking; I think he made that clear during his press conference this week.
As a former Clinton supporter, I was hoping she wouldn’t take a job with Obama because I felt that would diminish her somewhat. I feel like that is already happening.
If was ”Obvious ” the Sweet , Kind ,Giving ,Loving Obama Let’s all be Bipartisan..B/S in Public was a Totally different Brother BEHIND CLOSED DOORS .Remember Obama is Socialist racial Saul Alinsjy’s devout student and worked for him in Chicago ,
Obama slick Idea was too “”USE ” this “Centrist ” 10 % so called Conservative as a Buffer and nothing more . With even Greg likes this Stimulus Socialist garbage
Thank Goodness Gregg didn’t take the fake Bait .
I agree with fear Obama re: census answers. I think, however, that every American should respond to the question of Race with “H”. After all, aren’t we all Humans? This answer will be intellectually honest, and will screw the heck out of all the “Racial Quota Statistics” on the records in D.C..
All Fear The Annointed One!
re census: All BHO needs to do is pad the census takers with members of ACORN. Mission accomplished!
Can anyone say IMPEACH?
I wonder if Gregg is negotiating a book deal as we ponder.
To Aureliano: Well-spoken. As long as we have enough people like you who can see the naked emperor for what he is, I believe our Republic will survive no matter how much damage the Marxist con-man in the White House does. I also want to apologize for misinterpreting and responding to a comment you made on a previous topic. I was probably hitting the “sauce” a little earlier than usual on that occasion. I normally do my best thinking and writing when I’ve had a cocktail or two under my belt to give me inspiration. I guess I must have been over-cocktailed and over-inspired when I responded to your post that day.
History lesson: Compare and contrast Hillary appointment (accepted and then finds position significantly diminished) with Gregg (finds position to be significantly diminished and declines). In a corporate office it would be handled by promoting the problem child to the Siberian office. MO to be repeated next?
I guess labeling it bizarre might help draw people to reading your piece, but it seems like the simplest thing in the world: He thought he could work with Obama, but Obama’s first major piece of legislation is so far to the left that he was forced to resign.
Gregg has already come out and said he will vote against the ‘stimulus’.
# 53: Loser is a better description, but I do wish O was as dumb as A Rock. My only consolation to all of the crap in the bill is that the gov’t takes soso long to do anything will any of it actually get started on? How do you start that many programs all at once? How long will it take to put everyone’s medical records in one data base? Do any of us have that long to live??
It’s amazing how messiah can get away with Acornizing the Census Bureau. For votes, this guy will do anything — he has no ethics, no morals, no class nor respect for the US Constition (we still have not seen his true birth certificate).
Reminds me of his mentors, Clinton & Carter, who caused this great depression we’re in via their most momentous achievement to date, the Community Reinvestment Act. And why did they establish that law? For the minority vote.
How do these people sleep at nights? I find it remarkable that Carter, Clinton, Frank, Dodd and Greenspan can look themselves in the mirror everyday, knowing they caused this global financial and economic crisis that’s put millions of people out of work around the world and caused so many businesses, large and small, to go belly-up.
How does America and the world give them a pass for that?
Rob:
He knew what the plan was before he agreed to take onthe job
Listen, if it gets down to it, I’LL be Commerce Secretary. I haven’t eluded the IRS and the amount of money I’ve made in the past 4 years isn’t even close to the amount of money hidden by these politicians. Can we find someone who’s not a crook or crazy? Maybe not…
http://politic.ology.com/2009/02/12/you-there-ill-give-you-five-bucks-to-be-commerce-secretary/
-Jared J. H. Catapano (ology.com)
elvis@23,
How about education? How about toughening up our citizens instead of pandering?
Noble and worthwhile sentiments. However, we have only til 2010-2012 to effect the necessary changes. Any other alternative solutions?
Tanstaafl@39
Quite. Instead of calling them shenanigans, Gregg found himself calling this behavior fr*cking criminal.
Grover@45
At this point, all the remaining Republicans are terrified; knowing how easily the O administration can target them individually, over the next 5 years. If they can last that long.
StillBill#69
I appreciate your patriotism, but I’m far less optimistic. Such sentiment is now found only in a disparate minority. When all the connivances spoken to in this thread converge, it’s over.
By 2010, your vote be counted as meaningless.
72@Wah
They’re not in a hurry, and you’re paying them to do it.
888@73
I say again, you are paying them to do it.
RfR@74
And if Gregg knew the plan beforehand, that ameliorates our concerns how? Would that mean there were MORE things besides Census and Porkulus that he found REPULSIVE upon closer inspection?
Good riddance I say. Maybe now Obama will nominate a progressive.
I’m a statistician and I do not, in any way, want the Census taken over by the White House and put into the hands of people like me. There are just some things we can’t be trusted with.
We talking about this today over at my blog:
http://wmbriggs.com/blog/2009/02/13/count-em/
Being from NH, I have had a few issues with Gregg and his voting record, but in general, he has been an excellent Senator and a good leader for our state.
What is bizarre about Gregg’s actions to me is why did he even entertained being a part of an administration made up of this vacuous clown and his corrupt Marxist thug minions?
Why did he not see what so many conservatives have been shouting at the top of their lungs for the last few years? Granted he has watched his once great state turn into a mini-Massachusetts over the years, and it is distressing.
I’m glad he withdrew his nomination, but something is seriously not right here. We’re truly living in bizarro world anymore. Is this country really that gone?
This nomination was pure genius on Obama’s part. Look at what Gregg says:
“I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle.”
This demonstrates that Obama is not the cause of the partisan problem. If Gregg had taken the job, he would have had to spend billions, and largely defuse critics of this spending. The GOP also would have potentially lost a precarious NH Senate seat. It was a no-win for the Republicans, guaranteed to break in Obama’s favor. Now he will have a freer hand in selecting a replacement candidate.
“I greatly admire President Obama and know our country will benefit from his leadership”
I only wish more people could share this positive attitude. It speaks well of the tone in Washington for this kind of talk to be back in vogue.
Peace.
DS
Man oh man are you folks messed up. Really messed up. We are in this mess because of your chosen imperial wizard George W Bush. No other reason. Your bigotry toward black people is appalling since most of them are better educated than this group and certainly more loyal to the country than this group. When the country loses, the GOP wins. Cantor said so, limbaugh said so, o’reilly said so, beck said so. Your ‘heroes’ all want the country to fail, so your side might have a chance at 2010-2012. Does that sit well with you all? Do you like the idea that the looming economic depression will be blamed on Obama – who has had a whole three weeks in office? How about looking back toward 13+ years of GOP rule in the Congress and the last 8 including the WH. And all during that time, you cheered along the $15 billion per month to invade and occupy two soverign nations, but you recoil at the thought of psending money on our fellow citizens. You can cheer the money spent in Iraq, but not here on main street. God will not take this very kindly. Killing is not a substitute for wisdom. But then, you don’t have enough wisdom to pour into t thimble.
@12. Wayne:
“You stated that the Obama administration will “‘find’ as many of these grateful voters as is legally possible”. Given that the left has been pushing for ’statistical adjustment’ of the actual count results, shouldn’t that be ‘as many as statistically possible’?”
The law always trumps statistics.
Peace.
DS
Why? Easy! Gregg didn’t want to answer to a scumbag like Emanuel.
kasper,
Greetings from Rochester, NH! I, too, have been generally happy with Judd Gregg for much of his career. I’m originally a Massachusoid (my family moved up here in ’75)but I’ve always preferred the rural spaces of this state. And its traditional fiscal conservatism. Just so you know that not all of us Mass. transplants are bad.
You would be surprised that maybe most of the PROPERTY OWNING transplants in Southern New Hampshire voted for Bush. But, Republicans get killed in these areas, and I’m sure Gregg has seen that the demographic changes pretty much doom his reelection chances:
1. The urban communities of Portsmouth and Concord are heavily Democrat.
2. The university and college towns are heavily Democratic.
3. The parts of the state along the Connecticut River Valley are heavily Democratic.
And, overall, as the older generation is dying off it is being replaced by GenY kiddies and lassies who were, as elsewhere, really into that Marxist long legged mack daddy.
Our state is no long Republican. These changes seem to be set in place and it will take something quite remarkable to change it. We are losing the only New England state that had a solid conservative base to the Left now. It’s sad. The whole country is being Californicated.
20. Rachel Peepers:
“Bararck’s central core of confidants seem bent on doing what’s best for the party instead of what’s best for the country.”
There are two major parties: Dem & Rep. If you’re a Dem, you’re doing what’s best for the Party, which represents your Country; therefore, you’re doing what’s best for the Country. Use the same logic for the Reps.
Don’t get confused and ramble in a partisan way.
If you’re a Dem, you’re doing what’s best for the Party, which represents your Country; therefore, you’re doing what’s best for the Country.
I see. So the roughly one-third of the electorate that is registered in the Democrat Party is therefore representative of the two-thirds of the electorate that is affiliated with another party, or simply unaffiliated or ‘independent’.
Heck, why do we even bother seating members in the legislature who are not members of the majority party? Let’s just change the system so that whichever party wins automatically gets to install a member in EVERY seat of Congress.
After all, they ‘represent the country’ ….
Don’t get confused and ramble in a partisan way.
Indeed.
86. Aureliano:
You didn’t read this: “Use the same logic for the Reps.”
You didn’t read this: “Use the same logic for the Reps.”
Sure thing, kiddo — that changes everything.
Don’t get confused and ramble in a partisan way.
Jumbo,
Your statement is self-contradictory and belies your identification of the bigot here.
“Your bigotry toward black people is appalling since most of them are better educated than this group and certainly more loyal to the country than this group.”
Emphasis added.
Jumbo #81 — you’re naive and a revisionist of history just like your idol, BO. Bush and the Republicans and conservatives want America to be strong militarily, financially, economically and morally. We want to spread democracy, freedom, security, and prosperity throughout the world and believe that able-bodied people in the U.S. should work for their money — not be given it by government for doing nothing to contribute to society.
The liberal elitist establishment, of which you and BO are a part, will lie; cheat; steal; push humongous pork to law without allowing considerate thought and debate by the American people; push baby-killing (abortion); push brainwashing of our kids in secondary schools and universities; admire people like Ayers and Wright who hate America; mock the law of the land, the U.S. Constitution; destroy the global economic and financial landscape for future generations to fix and cause the loss of millions of jobs worldwide via Clinton’s and Carter’s Community Reinvestment Act–and, all for what? To get people to vote and think your way. You people have caused the collapse of morality in America and the world over. Don’t blame Republicans, conservatives and Bush for this global decay that you liberals have caused. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
And by the way, #81 Jumbo — that race issue is old news and boring already. I’m an Asian-American, and I recently hired 1 black male and 2 black females for critical positions in my organization — over white males and white females. You need to stop playing and pushing that victim agenda — America is tired of hearing that BS. You need to move on.
The new chairman of the Republican National Committee is black (Michael Steele), and we are very proud of him and want him to push the conservative agenda through the next election cycle. A Republican president – GW – was the first to make a black female (Condi) and a black male (Colin Powell) Secretary of State. The compassionate conservative, GW Bush, was also the first person IN HISTORY to spend BILLIONS of dollars, time and effort in Africa and saved MILLIONS of Africans from malaria and other diseases. Bush also established AFRICOM, the military command that is on the ground in Africa helping to give Africans security, stability, infrastructure development, education, democracy and freedom.
So stop it already with that racist rap (crap) on Republicans and conservatives. We’re not that way, and you know it. That’s why you, the liberal media and the DNC are scared to death that the minorities will finally understand who’s out to really help them rise and prosper in America — it’s the conservatives and Republicans — NOT THE LYING, CHEATING DEMOCRATS AND OBAMA.
Gang:
Jumbo’s a troll, and not a very good one at that. Otherwise he’d have left out that bit about:
” How about looking back toward 13+ years of GOP rule in the Congress…”
Ignorance be bliss.
Controlling the census has nothing to do with finding voters, but rather, has everything to do with the value of those votes. The census determines the number of representatives each state gets in Congress, and in turn, will determine the distribution of electoral votes in the 2012 election.
Nobody wants the country to fail, but rather, we recognize that Obama’s policies are foolish and radical. If implemented, they will destroy the country, because they can do no other. Such is the nature of socialism; it is a force of destruction. We hope and pray that we start feeling the sting of these policies as soon as possible so that we can change course before it’s too late.
While the story indeed died quickly, it fanned the flames of doubt about Obama. The spending bill passed, and the Obama Administration’s hopes that it would soon be forgotten were a bit too optimistic. As his next questionable maneuvers are dragged through court–immigration “reform,” the Fairness Doctrine, and Card Check–those doubts the spending bill generated will mushroom and prove out.