On the other hand, Gregg never once thought that he, a fiscal conservative, might have a problem with a liberal Democrat prez’s policies? He only realized it wouldn’t work after the nomination was announced and withdrawal would cause Obama embarrassment? Obama’s policies aren’t exactly a secret. Do you buy his reasons? Or is something else going on here that we don’t know about yet?
Sen. Judd Gregg abruptly withdrew his nomination as commerce secretary Thursday, telling Politico that he “couldn’t be Judd Gregg” and serve in Barack Obama’s Cabinet.
The White House — where some aides were caught off guard by the withdrawal — initially responded harshly to Gregg’s announcement, portraying the New Hampshire Republican as someone who sought the job and then had a “change of heart.”
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.”
Although one White House aide said he was “blindsided” by the news, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said Gregg signaled to the administration earlier in week that he was having second thoughts and Obama met with him Wednesday at the White House to urge him to stay.
“Was Sen. Gregg’s Nomination Withdrawl A Setup?”
No. After Obama said that he wanted to yank the Census bureau from the Commerce Sec. Gregg got pressure from repubs to pull out.
i’m actually with paddy-o here, the republicans were salivating over being able to control the numbers of the census, which is used to draw up legislative districts, and once that was gone, it was game over.
i would only add that the economy could get far, far worse, and any republican looking to maintain a political career is probably wise to stay as far as possible in opposition to anything obama does, just in case it does get worse.
I don’t believe Gregg got pressure to get out but that he saw he would become the “token Republican” without any real authority.
From his own words, he alludes to this.
Hence the “I can contribute to his agenda better — where we agree — as a senator.”
BTW- Here’s a good visual on the Spendulus bill.
I think Gregg’s family was threatened by either Limbaugh’s or O’Reilley’s personal security force (they use Blackwater I think)The “media” will not report any of this because they have all been infiltrated by Army PsyOp teams. That is why you keep hearing about the “Liberal Media” when there is no liberal media.
“…withdrawal would cause Obama embarrassment? …” – What embarrassment? He quit plainly and simply because on the first leftist cry about him, minutes after his introduction Obama didn’t support his Cabinet member but the left extremists. Obama proving yet again that he won’t work as he promised with the other side except in 1984 language style where token appointment without any power is considered collaboration.
And the underlying issue is so clear that even Left doesn’t have much chance to bamboozle the public. Do you want actual counted number of people as Constitution requires or do you want someone guessing at it (lies, damn lies, statistics… )? Under-counted groups? Hire more and better interviewers, put those actual jobs in the stimulus bill instead of millions for San Francisco mice.
That’s what Obama gets for extending his hand to the do nothing republicans. I say, fuck’em.
The GOP has no interest in the issues, they are just interested in getting Sarah Moosalini on her soap box in 3 years.
Don’t need to stink’n Republican puke slowing the process down. He should be arrested and fined for wasting the president’s time.
Oh, you mean I can’t just run the department the way Bush’s team did it?
Nevermind then.
What a dick.
Obama wanted to be credited with bipartisanship, but didn’t want to actually be bipartisan. Having Rahm Emanuel in charge of the Census means politicization. I thought liberals were against putting politics above science.
Isn’t Secretary of Commerce where you put your party’s money guy anyway? Don Evans, Ron Brown, etc.
# 11 MikeN said, “Isn’t Secretary of Commerce where you put your party’s money guy anyway?”
Yes, but the Dems are having a hard time finding a Dem money guy who isn’t also a felon.
My wife had a good point. Our conversation went something like this:
Wife: Isn’t the Commerce Secretary responsible for creating jobs, expanding business, and the like?
Me: Yes, that’s his first priority.
Wife: But isn’t this stimulus package supposed to create jobs, expand business, and so on?
Me: Yes, it is.
Wife: So if this stimulus package succeeds, would he then get the credit?
Me: No, the Democratic congress would take the credit.
Wife: So, if this stimulus package fails, then they would take the blame?
Me: No, they would certainly blame the Republican Commerce Secretary.
End of Story!
So, in other words, how do you say:
“Fall Guy”
#13 Dude. The wife was hitting on you and you blew it. Stoopid republicans.
Doh!!
I should have known. She was saying “Stimulus” way too much!
Yea, I can’t believe Gregg even entertained the idea in the first place.
inclusive of #2,3,4, 10, esp #13 and the like..
gregg also backed hard counts while the whitehouse is looking to use statistical sampling computer models to “fill in” people missed but who still are listed in the public register.
one could posit “where is the computer going to put the missing people” -on the surface it looks like you could plant all these missing people wherever you like. (the money to go)
hmm..i wonder where rahmi will put them..
also..in 2010, the census is supposed to go to an independent body..(not sure of the bill# i’ve tripped across it in the past)
so this would be the last chance to redraw the lines to your favor with relative ease. (i guess)
politicizing the census has got to be both the dumbest and most brilliant (power grab) yet.
yes, we will openly and transparently rob you blind. -nice that they kept their word.
(#13’s comment nicely drives home the flipside
of the issue)
-s
So Obama tried to win a Senate seat on the cheap, and his plan failed.
Paddy-O’s first comment was correct. It was the Census ploy that caused Gregg to bail. As for the rest of Paddy’s comments, well…
# 22 Stu Mulne said, “Gregg’s Senate seat was almost certainly going to go to a Democrat,”
No, it was going to Gregg’s chief of staff.
Business as usual! What did you expect?
Political paralysis as usual. Engineered by either side of the isle.
If you haven’t figured it out yet we’re going to be broke, unrepresented, ungoverned, hungry, thirsty, and sitting in the dark living in your car that you can afford to license or drive.
Oh, that only in California.
Heh, heh
Drudge Headline
OBAMA BURNED: GREGG WITHDRAWS – THE DEMOCRATS’ POLICIES TOO MUCH TO STOMACH
and a follow-up comment
It’s great to see someone withdraw as a Cabinet Secretary because of Integrity, instead of a lack of it.
If Rush Linbaugh calls you “a real republican” how much integrity can you have?
On Obama’s Vetting process.
Didn’t these candidates have to fill out the mother of all questionnaires so we wouldn’t have these screwups?
Oh, wait. I just figured it out.
Instead of stating “Fill out the following questions” at the top of the questionnaire, it should have said:
“HONESTLY fill out the following questions”.
# 28 Ah_Yea said, “Didn’t these candidates have to fill out the mother of all questionnaires so we wouldn’t have these screwups?”
There was no question: Do you have integrity?
#29 Paddy-O.
That must be it. My bad.
Eff all wing nuts.
Gregg dropped out because he was under a lot of pressure from his colleagues. While part of it was his actual replacement, it was more so the Republicans need a good leader and the loss of Gregg would be serious.
A Department Secretary position is too often the end of a career. Very few continue on in politics.
It is better that he declined the nomination now instead of resigning in the near future. I don’t know the man but all indications are he would have been a great addition to the Obama Cabinet.
Sen. Gregg withdrew because (1) Obama’s chutzpah crossed the line and (2) Obama CANNOT put away his “birth certificate” issue.
1. Here’s the chutzpah: The Republicans didn’t get their act together enough to challenge Obama for not being constitutionally qualified to be President as an Article 2 “natural born citizen” so Obama’s White House steals the census from the Commerce Department against the specific instructions of the constitution itself — “actual enumeration” under Article 1.
2. Here’s the “birth certificate” issue: Since Obama’s earnest drive to convince the nation to weaken its economic strength through redistribution as well as weaken its national defense, COUPLED WITH HIS UNPRECEDENTED WHITE HOUSE TAKEOVER OF DECENNIAL CENSUS TAKING FROM THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT, has confirmed the very threats to our Republic’s survival that the Constitution was designed to avert, it no longer is sustainable for the United States Supreme Court to refrain from exercising WHAT IS ITS ABSOLUTE CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO DEFEND THE NATION FROM UNLAWFUL USURPATION. The questions of Obama’s Kenyan birth and his father’s Kenyan/British citizenship (admitted on his own website) have been conflated by his sustained unwillingnes to supply his long form birth certificate now under seal, and compounded by his internet posting of a discredited ‘after-the-fact’ short form ‘certificate’. In the absence of these issues being acknowledged and addressed, IT IS MANIFEST THAT OBAMA REMAINS INELIGIBLE TO BE PRESIDENT UNDER ARTICLE 2 OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION. Being a 14th Amendment ‘citizen’ is not sufficient. A ‘President’ MUST BE an Article 2 ‘natural born citizen’ AS DEFINED BY THE FRAMERS’ INTENT.
#32, Ted,
Have you met Liberty Loser and Cow-Patty? They are stupid enough to buy that argument. No one else is though.