Gregg withdraws as commerce secretary nominee

[B o d i]

Source: AP

Breaking now, no link yet. CNN says Due to differences in opinion on policy regarding the stimulus bill and the census issue.

edit: AP link

(AP) — — Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has withdrawn his nomination to become President Barack Obama's commerce secretary.

In a statement released by his office, the New Hampshire senator cites "irresolvable conflicts" on issues including the economic stimulus package.

Gregg was named the Commerce nominee a week ago after the withdrawal of former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwu7ZlKE7WeLk16elRjtCJD26tKgD96A96TG0

---

Other links
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/02/greeg_withdraws_as_commerce_no.html (Greeg? someone was typing in a hurry)

[guitar man]

1. good

don't let the door hit you etc....

[Frisbee]

48. My thoughts exactly.

Now find a DEMOCRAT to fill this spot.

[guitar man]

51. exactly

to hell with the damn repugs, they lost, let them fill the role of the losers like they ought to.

[wordpix]

61. amen, how about a solar/wind/wave energy expert now for Commerce & what's the real story on Gregg?

:shrug: We need a Commerce Czar who will fuel the change from the Fossil Fuel Age to the Renewable Energy Age.

[guitar man]

71. agreed nt

[humbled_opinion]

106. OMG.... No Way !!!!

I love Quisp.... haven't had it in years though....:silly:

[GinaMaria]

115. Me too. I totally wanted him to win the challenge back in the day.

[mikekohr]

89. Actually I hope the door does hit him in the ass

from what I've learned of him he does not deserve a place in Obama's administration. And hopefully the people of New Hampshire send him home for good to his gated home in 2010.

mike kohr

[AngryAmish]

2. Bill Richardson is still available, Right?

[Taverner]

18. R U Serious?

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18741.html

[AngryAmish]

19. Lies. All of it.

[Taverner]

21. Agreed, but it has legs

And as unfair as it is (shit, its barely guilt by association at this point) for the Obama Admin to survive, he must stay as far away from controversy as possible

Sad, but true

[AngryAmish]

24. Richardson is the best we have

I'm not one to back down to those fuckers.

Richardson, all the way!!!

[Taverner]

26. But ask yourself this - say Obama chooses him

But the animosity of the public continues and hounds him in office - he would have no chance to be the best, as he would spend all day swatting the proverbial flies

[Donnachaidh]

38. Richardson's old news -- we need a PROGRESSIVE. n/t

[AngryAmish]

42. I think after seeing Maxine Waters yesterday she might fill the bill

She was certainly the most interesting questioner yesterday during the banking hearings.

[Le Taz Hot]

64. I LOVE Maxine as much as anyone but . . .

MAJOR skeletons . . . it would take the vetting committee about 30 seconds to find them and the Republicans even less.

[No Elephants]

117. Romney awarded Big Dig contracts to his campaign contributors. Worse,

when the Big Dig tunnel killed someone, he had the same campaign contributors do the safety inspection. Oddly, no one is investigating Romney.

Go figure. No, I mean it. Go figure.

[emilyg]

93. No way.

[LakeSamish706]

3. Thats great news as far as I am concerned... Now President Obama...

lets get a Dem in this job....

Don't know why the hell he is employing useless Repugs anyway... We have Dems that need jobs.

[Runcible Spoon]

16. let's get a PROGRESSIVE DEM TOO while we're at it.

[knixphan]

70. hear, hear

[shanti]

22. there's a purpose to all of this

obama is nobody's fool. if they don't want to go along with the program, they're out. it's them, not us.

[cherish44]

100. He needs to appoint the most liberal commie mfer he can find for this now

Make the GOP EAT SHIT over this!!

[graywarrior]

4. Good coz he's a JERK!

[cyclezealot]

86. and hopefully,

Now one who will be easier to defeat in two years time.

[Thrill]

5. Good News. Word of advice Obama. See how they let politics into everything?

.

[tomhayes]

6. Please let it be tax issues

?

[maddezmom]

7. wonder if this has anything to do with it, Pence: Remove Gregg or give him Census

Pence: Remove Gregg or give him Census
By Molly K. Hooper
Posted: 02/12/09 02:11 PM
House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) said Thursday that President Obama should pull his nomination of GOP Sen. Judd Gregg (N.H.) as Commerce secretary or give Gregg oversight of the Census Bureau.

Obama nominated Gregg to run the Commerce Department last week, but quickly announced the White House would oversee the Census Bureau, which is under Commerce. The bureau is responsible for collecting data that helps distribute congressional seats to states, among other functions.

"If President Obama doesn't trust Sen. Judd Gregg to oversee a fair and accurate census, he should withdraw the nomination," Pence told reporters gathered at a press conference Thursday morning.

Pence’s comments come as House Republicans ratchet up their complaints over Obama’s plan to place Census under the White House. Obama made that move to appease lawmakers, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who did not want a conservative Republican in charge of the Census Bureau just as it is doing work that could lead to shifts in congressional seats.


more:http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pence-remove-gregg-or-give-him-census-2009-02-12.html

[B o d i]

13. bingo

nt

[D-Lee]

57. A-hum, census also involves a LOT of jobs

It is hard to keep a keen eye on the loyalties of the administrators and make sure there is no burrowing of Repubs!

And I'm sure that Gregg was made highly uncomfortable by his fellow Republicans during the stimulus package debate.

Moving on ... let's hope a good name moves toward the top of this list.

[humbled_opinion]

74. Exactly....

Obama is nobody's fool and damn right the grass roots needs to get Congressional districts realigned. It is so obvious that the Repkes have been gerrymandering for years. The common sense factor dictates that Democrats should easily control 2/3 of the house always.

Its like I always said how can there be so many dumb people electing these idiot Republicans but its not the people voting its the districting...

[backscatter712]

8. THERE IS A GOD!!!

One less Rethug in the Cabinet. Maybe Gregg was pushed out because we didn't get 60 in the Senate.

[crazylikafox]

9. He said it's because he doesn't like the stimulus bill & they took the census away from him.

too bad. But I guess he'll be voting against the stimulus bill today.

[BirminghamExaminer]

81. Really? Where did he say that?

All I saw was him rambling about he wasn't a good fit and if he really did say it was because of the stimulus bill and the census, I would really like to see that so please post links.

[crispini]

10. Whoa. Who knew that the census was so touchy?

Makes sense I guess, I'm just surprised.

[crazylikafox]

17. I wonder if that's why he wanted the job in the first place?

With a Pub in charge of the census, they would have been able to keep the minority numbers down by underfunding the counts in those areas. Hence, more Pub seats in the next redistricting. I think he was a Pub mole. I'm glad they got rid of him.

[poetsdream]

79. Now it makes sense why Gregg wanted the job

Whoever controls the census controls how districts are aligned. Good for Obama for putting this under control of the White House!

Although I'm not sure why Obama selected him in the first place unless it was to keep him from having any negotiation on the bill...

[Thothmes]

92. That is not the case

The state legislatures redraw the congressional districts based on the census. The overiding question for the census is accuracty. Is everyone counted.

[WolverineDG]

30. Census # determine # of Representatives

South Texas (& other high-minority areas--which vote Democratic) are ALWAYS undercounted by Republicans. Ever wonder why? :think:

Heya chica!! How are things going for you? :hi:

dg

[crispini]

33. Hahaha makes sense.

Things are going well. I have a new job (well, been on the job for a month now) so I'm kind of wiped out adjusting to that, but it's going really well, client is nice, coworkers are nice, and it's sort of fun to be back in the saddle again in a "regular" job -- just wish it wasn't wearing me out so much, I've been used to sort of an ad hoc thing for the last few years, hehehe. How's you? :hi:

[WolverineDG]

37. Fine just fine

stocking up on :popcorn: for the 2010 Gubernatorial race. :crazy:

dg

[crispini]

55. zOMG. That should be way fun.

Cheerleader titans collide! It's the battle of the hairsprayed in the Republican party primary! :D

[poetsdream]

80. YAY! Congrats on the new job

How nice to hear about someone actually GETTING A JOB for a change!!

:bounce:

[AZ Criminal JD]

90. The last census was done by our party

Did they undercount too?

[LanternWaste]

102. Not so much under counting as it is the gerrymandering

Not so much under counting as it is the gerrymandering which results in a disproportionate number of GOP reps in south and west TX (as per 'The Appearance of Equality: Racial Gerrymandering, Redistricting, and the Supreme Court' by Chris Burke).

And Molly Ivins, speaking on NPR some years back, referenced Iowa as an exercise in redistricting sanity. Those killjoys decided to take politics out of redistricting by appointing a non-partison panel (gasp!) to determine the districts. This worked exceedingly well according to Ms. Ivins, and has led to close races, which presumably means that those running for office in IA have to pay attention to the voters in their district.

[Abq_Sarah]

35. I'm sure Gregg

Realized he was going to just be a figurehead and he probably wasn't anxious to be involved with a court case involving the Census, which by the way falls under the Commerce department by law.

[cyclezealot]

88. Clinton controlled the Census 10 years ago.

Back then the Repukes controlled congress. In Congress, they did their best to not have urban residents counted in the Census. Another way of denying urban residents a vote by reducing the number of Democratic districts. A tactic similar to what they did in Florida / Ohio in 2000 and 2004.

[Thothmes]

94. If I remember correctly,

the issue was actual count vs. using a statistical model to predict numbers in urban areas where it is often difficult to actually count every head.

[cyclezealot]

101. Sounds right.

Being that America has let its urban centers rot along with it's citizens; it's like counting people in a Third World country. So , does that make them any less a human. To a Republican. The answer is certainly yes.

[LanternWaste]

104. That's what I remember as being the sticky wicket...

That's (statistical models vs. head counts) what I too remember as being the sticky wicket in the census at the time and causing a lot of anxiety among the republic party.

[Thothmes]

110. I cause anxiety for both partys

The Repubs were wary of a statistical model that could be manipulated and there was no provision for verifying the accuracy of the model before incorporating its results into the census. The Democrats were concerned that by not using a statistical approach some groups could be undercounted.

[sharp_stick]

11. Too bad the asshole gets his job back

or were they able to swear in the placeholder before Greggy got cold feet working for a grown up.

Fuck him, now lets defeat the prick in 2010 isn't it? Time to lose one more of the vanishing New England Republicon a breed that I would love to drive totally into extinction.

[ecstatic]

12. Did Rush call him?

:eyes: Good riddance

[DebbieCDC]

14. Excellent news

:bounce:

This appointment was a BIG mistake by Obama.

[maddezmom]

15. Judd's statement here:

Breaking: Gregg Out

Sen. Judd Gregg, it turns out, didn't like the Obama administration's policy on the Census and did not believe that the White House was serious about its bipartisan outreach. More on this story as it develops. Here's a statement from his office:

Sen. Gregg stated, "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.


"Kathy and I also want to specifically thank Governor Lynch and Bonnie Newman for their friendship and assistance during this period. In addition we wish to thank all the people, especially in New Hampshire, who have been so kind and generous in their supportive comments.


"As a further matter of clarification, nothing about the vetting process played any role in this decision. I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3736059

[Dr.Phool]

20. I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate."

Until the next election.

The handwriting is on the wall.

[maddezmom]

77. Gregg to run in 2010? 'Probably not'

New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg is meeting the press right now in the Capitol to explain his withdrawal as Secretary of Commerce-designate. We've been blogging about that at The Oval.

Here at On Politics, the big question is, will the Republican veteran run for re-election next year? "Probably not," he said when asked that a few minutes ago.

more:http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2009/02/gregg-to-run-in.html

[Xenotime]

23. Yes!!! One less fucking pug in power!!! Woo HOO!!

[sufrommich]

25. Good! Get a Democrat in there. The republicans can bask

in their own irrelevance for the next 8 years.

[Piewhacket]

27. Bloody hell. Time to go get Franken and go nuclear.

[democracy1st]

28. thank you to hell with that guy

[pmorlan1]

29. Good Riddance!

John Harwood is saying on MSNBC that this is bad for the Obama administration - not in my book! Hoo Hah! One less person near Obama that will continuously stab him in the back. They are also saying that Gregg was upset about having the control over the 2010 census removed from Commerce. Sounds to me like ole Gregg wanted to do some mischief with the census. I wonder if Gregg had any intention of serving in the Obama administration in the first place. This could have been the plan all along.

[ecstatic]

36. I'm sick of them trying to spin everything that happens as bad news

that Obama will have to "recover" from. It goes against his message. WRONG! It goes along with his message which is to promote change or get TF out the way!

[wordpix]

65. agreed and let's send MSM the message: This is GOOD for Obama!

[BirminghamExaminer]

82. It makes the GOP look petty and bratty and like the bully inbreds they are

And this is GOOD news for Obama in my opinion. He keeps looking better and better and the GOP keeps looking like a group of resentful ol' white men who yearn for the good ol' days when blacks and women couldn't vote.

[mvd]

31. Good

Never understood the pick to begin with.

[Tesha]

85. It made sense to Obama when he miscalculated that he could tip the Senate by doing it.

Unfortunately, he didn't count on either John Lynch or the Republicans. But
I repeat myself.

Tesha

[liberal N proud]

32. Better now than later

[Melissa G]

34. Here is the link from Wapo giving the scoop.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/02/greeg_withdraws_as_commerce_no.html

Gregg Withdraws as Commerce Nominee

New Hampshire Republican Sen. Judd Gregg has withdrawn his name from consideration as President Barack Obama's Commerce Secretary, a major blow to an Administration seeking to put a series of Cabinet problems behind it.

"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," Gregg said in a statement to be released by his office. "Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns."

Gregg abstained from the Senate vote on the stimulus package, which passed the chamber 61 to 37. He had not previously offered any public comment on the White House's plan to have the Census director report to White House officials. Many Republicans, however, had voiced serious concerns about the potential politicization of the department given that move.
more at link...
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2009/02/greeg_withdraws_as_commerce_no.html

[uppityperson]

63. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle, but I won't reach back.

Quick summary there.

[notadmblnd]

39. why do the picks have to be another politician. Are there not there any private citizens

(preferably a consumer advocate) capable of performing in this position?

[Tansy_Gold]

41. Pssst. I'm available. And I'm more than progressive

I'm a freakin' socialist!


:rofl:




Tansy Gold, who has repeatedly said she has far too many skeletons in her closet

[Demeter]

62. Okay, Tansy Gold for Commerce Secretary!

We can use this Cabinet post to groom you for the White House. (Not that you need it, mind, but it will give you public presence beyond DU)!

Your loyal supporter in chief, Demeter

[BlueMTexpat]

40. Good riddance!

OK, Obama, you've made the gestures.

But please STOP bending over backwards for this mythical bi-partisanship. There may be some good Republicans ... somewhere ... but they are NOT primarily among the current Senators and Congressional representatives.

There are LOTS of good Dems ... and some of them are even good progressive Dems. Quit listening to Rahm. He has his OWN interests at heart, and they are not necessarily Obama's. Or our country's.

[rateyes]

43. I like that Rep. from NY who chewed on the SEC leaders' asses

the other day. Or the other one who was pissed about credit default swaps, and told the bankers they ought to be in jail. That kind of person works for me.

[OnwardandForward]

44. Get Goin', Gramps...

Big deal. Suck it, Gregg. Put on your Git-R-Done underwear and run over your Dixie Chicks CD as your go back to New Hampshire.

[caraher]

45. good news if read correctly

By now I hope Barack realizes there is no post-partisanship and it's time to do the work the voters elected him to do. That means nominating Democrats and implementing genuine change.

[humbled_opinion]

46. Obama tried to reach out

and they slapped his hand away because of their tired old petty politics. It is amazingly clear that Republicans want complete destruction of this country as revenge for losing the election.

It is way past time for our Congress to enact some new Hate Crimes legislation because when these idiots blow up its not gonna be pretty.

I don't think the Repukes actually understand that "CHANGE HAS COME"

[girl gone mad]

47. Can Rahm do anything right?

He's steering Obama's ship right into iceberg after iceberg.

[unkachuck]

112. right on, girl gone mad....

....another classic example of rahmbones' brilliance at work; suck that right-wing ass until it shits on ya....

....hey rahmbone, you could have at least made-shut-up about the census until after your fascist buddy got the job....but hey, you've got the 'bosses back'....

....embarrassment after embarrassment in the first 3 weeks, only 205 weeks to go....

[endarkenment]

49. Well that was quick.

And a big 'say what?'. Did Gregg not understand that this is a Democratic administration? Oh yeah, there is the fact that Gregg is A Big Fucking Moron, so perhaps he didn't understand that this is a Democratic administration.

[Zambero]

50. There IS a God!

Divine intervention perhaps? Hey, it works for me!

They'd even cut a deal to allow a N.H. Republican to be appointed to the Senate in the interim. Perhaps a good God in heaven figured this was akin to dealing with the devil?

Now, how long will it be before the GOP complains bitterly that Obama's cabinet is "non-inclusive"?

[Raine1967]

52. And the 'pukes Jump on it.

And now this:

Gregg withdrawal shows Obama's inexperience, senator says
Posted: 05:05 PM ET

(CNN) — Sen Judd Gregg's decision to withdraw his name for Commerce Secretary is a sign of President Obama's inexperience, Republican Sen Bob Bennet of Utah said.

“I think it is a demonstration of inexperience. You don’t attract someone of Judd Gregg caliber into the cabinet and then take steps that would cause him to leave without at least talking to him and understanding that that might happen," he told reporters Thursday.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/02/12/gregg-withdrawal-shows-obamas-inexperience-senator-says/

[baldguy]

53. It's time Obama learned that bipartisanship is a two-way street.

And he owns the street. He'll be better off for it.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

54. Good.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

56. Another bit of strategy?

Today I was talking to someone who suggested that choosing Gregg as Sec of Com was actually a fairly astute move while the stimulus bill was up for vote.

According to this line of thinking, by nomination Gregg, Obama put him in a tough spot in which he would be caught between ambition and party loyalty. The supposed safest path for Gregg would be to remain silent until the whole thing settled down. With Gregg gone (and supposedly any insight and leadership he could have provided Senate Republicans) it allowed moderate Republicans to come to the fore and broker a deal to pass the bill.

Personally, I think Snowe and Collins would have crossed over anyway, but it's an interesting theory. What do you all think?

[LeftishBrit]

58. Why, was he afraid of some scandal breaking?

Didn't pay his taxes? Liked to pay prostitutes to put him in diapers?

Seriously, why did he accept in the first place?

[Demeter]

66. Gregg Family Ambitions

and they are jerks, to a man.

[wordpix]

68. As I was driving home from work, I heard something on NPR in that regard but

it was only a small fragment I caught so I'm not clear about it.

[Hawkeye-X]

98. Gregg has been long linked with Abramoff

and will be indicted VERY shortly, forcing him to resign his seat.

[DrZeeLit]

59. Good to see "true" Repub colors. Hope he thinks twice about HHS and goes with DEAN!!!

And I have NO IDEA who he should go with at Commerce, but...

I've been taking to my husband and we both think: WHY NOT SOMEONE BRAND NEW????

I sense this recycling of the Clinton tribe is wearing a bit thin with the public.
Let's get some new blood.
Isn't that what we voted for?

CHANGE!!!!

[DrZeeLit]

60. Come to think of it: Warren Buffett? Jimmy Buffett? Old Country Buffett?

JK!

But I do have a smile for Warren most of the time.

[Still Sensible]

67. I think this was mostly due to the census controversy

and this ungrateful prick, who reportedly campaigned for the Commerce job, decided that he had to get a dig in about the stimulus bill. If I am the President, I am mad as hell.

Everybody knew there was a philosophical problem with Gregg and the census. Basically he takes a right wing position relative to how the census counts the homeless and poor people. Like a typical right winger, he doesn't consider the census terribly important and really doesn't mind (or care) if poor and homeless people are under-counted. He has fought to limit the budget of the U.S. Census Bureau every time the question has been put before the Senate.

As far as I'm concerned, good riddance douchebag! And I hope the President or his Chief of Staff have the opportunity in the near future to punish the bastard for his ungraceful exit.

[wordpix]

69. IMO, Obama needs to address this with a positive spin. WE're certainly positive about it!

[Still Sensible]

99. Oh I hope he does too

while having his COS eviscerate the jerk.

[Qutzupalotl]

72. Another thread suggests an Abramoff connection

to a former Gregg staffer. Could be related to the withdrawal.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view/2009_02_04_Former_Gregg_staffer_caught_up_in_Abramoff_corruption_probe

[wordpix]

73. "A spokesman for President Barack Obama....declined to comment."

"A spokesman for President Barack Obama, who appointed Gregg on Tuesday to serve as Commerce Secretary, declined to comment."

Preliminary reports: Obama's not crying over Gregg's leaving.

[MikeE]

75. This is fantastic, and

...it is great for Obama as well. Again, he tried to be inclusive and reach out. You know what they say about leading a horse, (or in this case, a jackass,) to water.

:fistbump:

[Myrina]

76. One Word: KUCINICH.

Since DK didn't get a nod for Labor Secretary, I think he'd do nicely in Commerce.
At least we know where his head is at WRT helping the working people of America.

:patriot:

[Barbara2423]

109. Good Pick. I also like Maxine Waters she would put some life

in that office.

[Algorem]

78. Judd Gregg,Jugg Haid,whatever.Who needs him?

[Owl]

83. Good!

[SpiralHawk]

84. Da Juddhead caves to Rush 'Draft Dodger' Limbaugh, Republicon Uber Leader

and whimps out.

It's a Granite State of Mind.

[undeterred]

87. Hallelujah. Now how about choosing a Democrat

like he should have in the first place.

[MasonJar]

91. Thank God! What was Obama thinking? He was a terrible choice.

[islandmkl]

95. after reading most of the posts...i continue to maintain this conclusion:

Barack Obama works politics...works, not plays...better than his rivals and even most of those on his side

what has he lost here? an appointment of someone who he was marginalizing? someone from 'across the aisle' that pissed off most of us at DU, but had polished his 'bipartisan' format? someone who seemed to be somewhat (at the least) 'outside' of Obama's view of how this government needs to work? someone who now looks like a non-player, like someone who is not in step with the changes Barack deems necessary, someone who (once again) epitomizes the problems that Barack continues to rail against: the same old tired plans...

looks like a rope-a-dope move to me...i don't need a tinfoil hat to see more in this choice (and withdrawal) than just a 'bad pick to begin with'...

[scytherius]

103. Good call. n/t

nt

[RBInMaine]

96. Fine. Fuck the GOP ! Obama needs to stop trying to appease these ASSHOLES !!

[Ed76638]

97. Bye bitch n/t

[conturnedpro09]

105. It's kind of embarassing...

to have Obama nobly extend a hand to the other side only to get publicly bit...hard.

The GOP is celebrating this. They are amused that while the Democratic cabinet picks withdrew because of their "legal troubles," the one GOP nominee bowed out because of his "principles." What kind of crossover appointee agrees to an esteemed position of influence and then slaps the appointer in the face by turning the whole deal down in public? An asshole, that's what kind.

I mean, seriously, this was all Gregg's own choice. He basically said, "Thanks for trusting me with a high ranking position in your esteemed administration to serve in the government of the future out of a kept promise of bi-partisanship which I've already accepted...BUT your policies will be too much to stomach after all so, actually, you can just give it somebody else." DAMN.

Conservatives are hoping that Middle America will watch this unfold and think to themselves, "Oh my God! Obama's views are so far left that a nominee just blew off the opportunity to serve in his cabinet?! Wow, the Republicans are right...he MUST be a crazy radical!"

Gregg is a GOP piece of shit who has put his politics before his country. That should be our number one unified talking point.

[mr1956]

107. Middle America believes the Republicants strong-armed Gregg

This exercise in bipartisanship has shown them as highly partisan and pissant.

[Barbara2423]

108. I'm glad Gregg is gone.

[w4rma]

111. Census. He wanted to help the GOP by twisting the Census reports. That was his

goal to begin with. He's a fraud. Thank goodness he's out!

[madville]

113. Who in their right mind would take the job when the economy is tanking

Who in their right mind would take the job when the economy is tanking, commerce secretary with a shit economy, sounds like a job made in hell

[AyanRand Is Dead]

114. Thanks President Obama for trying.

We all know you tried your best to be inclusive. But now it's time to appoint a progressive non-corporatist nominee.

[GinaMaria]

116. I see it as a do over. There aren't alot of those in life

so I'm thinking of this as good fortune.

[No Elephants]

118. Someone send the Black Caucus a big bouquet of roses.

[wordpix]

120. did they help get rid of Gregg? Hooray for them, if so

[izquierdista]

119. Those "short lists"? Throw them away

Christ on a crutch, Barack, does every Cabinet appointment have to be a U.S. Senator or governor? How about some more like Solis, someone not nationally known, but who shows talent and competence?

It's hard to believe, that in 2 years of campaigning for the position, that the new President has not come across some up and coming talent (much like himself), that would do an excellent job, despite not having 35 years of government service. That's not meant as a swipe at Biden, who does have 35 years in the Senate, but damn, Richardson, Daschle, now Gregg. He ran on change, and now he is very timid in applying it. Let's get introduced to some new faces, we've had 8 years of crony "heck of a good job" appointments.

rant off