Can Anbody give me ANY good reasons to support the pick of Judd Gregg for Commerce?

[MadBadger]

A Democrat was originally supposed to take that position in Richardson. But now, we have a Republican who kinda sucks if you ask me. And as it appears, we are getting a Republican to replace his seat in New Hampshire. That was the reason I always heard for him being a good pick, to get to 60. Well, we wont get to 60 with this pick.

So what was the point?

[Raven]

1. Obama wants him? I'm a little bewildered too. n/t

[fadedrose]

2. Maybe he won the post by cheating on taxes or taking graft..

It seems those are the new criteria for government appointmens.

[RiverStone]

3. If we don't get the 60 in return --- there is no point!

Bipartisanship does not mean giving the pukes more power, it only means we invite them to the table.

[MadBadger]

6. I wanted Republicans in the cabinet and there are, but...

Commerce was going to go to a Democrat and is being replaced by a Repuke. I dont like that one bit.

[JayMusgrove]

19. Try to understand a Republican from Maine or NH, (3 in Senate now)

is not like a Democrat in the Senate from FL.

Both Maine Senators are very proactive on labor, health care, economy, war policy, government/corporate corruption.

Judd Greg is more conservative on all those. NH Governor Lynch, (D) will appoint someone more like Sen. Collins or Snow (both R's) from Maine. This may be brilliant strategy, who better to orient a new Repub Senator from the Northeast than Collins and Snow?
Three Senate R's voting for Obama's policies, and a few rogue R's in the Senate from other areas of the nation...this could work well.
At least insurance to shut down Repub. filibusters.

[MadBadger]

26. Rumor has it, Lynch would choose Bonnie Newman, Gregg's former Chief of Staff

[Sebastian Doyle]

34. Great.... she's an old Bush Crime Family tool

Newman served as assistant secretary of Commerce for economic development in the Reagan administration. She was in charge of administrative operations for the George H.W. Bush White House.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/01/j-bonnie-newman-to-the-se_n_162883.html

So we get a union hating Repuke in the cabinet, and a Bush Crime Family tool in the Senate?

Tell me again how this is a good decision?? :shrug:

[Hippo_Tron]

32. Dupe n/t

[Demeter]

4. It Gives NH Another Chance

That's got to count for something.

[JayMusgrove]

17. In 2006 and 2008, NH put into Congress

2 Dem House members, kicking out a long term Repub House member

1 Former Dem Governor, beating out a former Repub Governor/US Senator. NH is now solidly Dem based...due to growth in the Southern part of the state, which relates more to Mass and VT than to Maine or AK, or WY, other small states with lots of Repubs.

[CTLawGuy]

5. I am not happy with this

the whole appointing a Republican was NOT necessary. Though I hear the Republican talked about is quite liberal for a Republican.

[MadBadger]

7. I dont really see that in his record.

maybe i missed something.

[CTLawGuy]

13. I mean the R talked about for replacement.

Jugghead is not really moderate, but not Jim DeMint either.

[DFLforever]

8. Obama is planning to coopt the moderate wing of the GOP.

[stray cat]

9. Thats what it looks like - might not be a bad idea long term

let the remaining GOP look like like scary radicals

[terisan]

10. Judd was very helpful to Dems in passing Big Bang Bailout last Fall. nt

[DCBob]

11. Unity, bi-partisanhsip, cooperation, kumbaya, etc...

Bottom line it will help grease the skids when Obama needs Republican support especially on economic and financial issues.

[hologram]

12. Not much.

At a minimum this job should be filled by somebody who understands that Republican "ideas" (or lack thereof) on commerce, free trade, tax cuts, deregulation, offshoring, and unbridled greed that started under Reagan and continued under the Bushes are largely responsible for the current economic mess. That ain't Judd Gregg.

It is conceivable that Obama wants some Pubes to share the blame with if the stimulus plans don't work and the economy continues to tank.

[Better Believe It]

14. Say what?

"It is conceivable that Obama wants some Pubes to share the blame with if the stimulus plans don't work and the economy continues to tank."

You don't really believe that now, do you? Now that's a real stretch! And Obama is a whole lot smarter than that.

[hologram]

16. Wake up.

There is no apparent immediate reason to bring another Pug in and get nothing but potential dissonance in return. It has to be part of a long-term strategy. Shared liability is conceivable. And I seriously doubt that you have a suggestion that makes any sense at all.

[JayMusgrove]

15. Get him out of the Senate, ANY REPUBLICAN from NH would be

better than that man! Arrogant, Judd has the corner on the market on that one.

Don't underestimate the wisdom of the Dem. NH Governor Lynch to know his Republican opposition in that small state, (population total just over a million) where everyone knows everyone in state government.

This may be a Trojan Horse for the Republicans, they think they are getting a gift, but really the gift (in the form of a fellow Republican in the US Senate) but the gift will attack them from within.

As for Judd Greg, he'll be forced to follow Obama's agenda, or be fired. Remember that.

[backscatter712]

18. That's my thought too - kick him upstairs.

He can be as anti-union as he wants as Commerce Secretary, but he has to follow orders. If Obama tells him to implement pro-union policies, he has to do what he's told. When Obama says "Jump!", Gregg had better say "How high?"

Meanwhile, Lynch is free to pick the most moderate RINO he can find to replace Gregg.

[Better Believe It]

20. Right .... he'll become a real champion of labor because Obama says so.

[JayMusgrove]

23. Or he will be fired. Simple as that.

Judd Greg has probably seen the light, figured out he really was getting screwed by being a Repub in NH. He will be gone in 2010 anyway, so it's his chance to make something of his so-far unillustrious political career as AG for NH, Gov of NH, Senator from NH... nothing for his 40 year career.

Time for Judd to do something good for his legacy...........Obama is giving him that chance.

[MadBadger]

28. Id rather have somebody much better giving Obama advice on Commerce related things.

[Hippo_Tron]

37. The Commerce Department doesn't have much of anything to do with Labor

The Labor Department deals with Labor. If Judd Gregg were being nominated for Labor Secretary then there would be a damn good reason for the outrage. Commerce mostly collects data and has a few minor agencies related to economic development. But most of the major economic development stuff is either Independent Agencies or Treasury.

[Zynx]

21. Commerce Secretary does absolutely nothing worthwhile.

They're basically a liaison to business. One of the reasons I'm sure Richardson was picked is that he was as pro-business as most Republicans.

[MadBadger]

24. Thats not exactly a reason to like the pick

Thats just a reason to not care about it really.

[Zynx]

25. I don't like it. I'm saying that it doesn't matter.

[QC]

22. It's the reachy outy thing to do.

Mind you, I also believe in reaching out to Republicans, but I prefer to do it with the back of my hand.

[Danger Mouse]

27. I don't quite get it either.

:shrug:

[KoKo]

29. I wish that I could....but I Cannot!

:-(

[liberalpragmatist]

30. It'll be far easier to pick up the seat in 2010

Gregg is an entrenched incumbent. He was vulnerable, but probably still the slight favorite for reelection.

Instead, in 2010, we'll have an open seat and the Dem (probably Rep. Paul Hodes) will be heavily favored.

[Life Long Dem]

31. Yes I could.

New Hampshire will give him a second term.

[Hippo_Tron]

33. Can you name any Commerce Secretaries from the Bush or Clinton Administrations?

Because off the top of my head I honestly can't. The Commerce Secretary doesn't do much of anything and is just a cushy patronage job. Obama gave it to Gregg to further boost his bipartisan message. The only thing lost is that a Democrat doesn't get a cushy job, which honestly I don't give a fuck about and can't imagine why anybody would.

[Sebastian Doyle]

35. Ron Brown was Clinton's commerce secretary.

Or at least he was until the Bush Crime Family got to his airplane. :evilfrown:

[Hippo_Tron]

36. According to Wikipedia, Brown didn't really have any special qualifications for the job

He was a rising star in the party and helped Clinton get elected. Thus Clinton wanted to repay the favor and help Brown's star so he gave him a Cabinet position that doesn't require any special expertise but is still nonetheless a Cabinet position.

[MadBadger]

39. I think that Obama had a higher role in mind for Commerce Secretary when he chose Richardson.

[Hippo_Tron]

40. I doubt it

I think he chose Richardson as a reward for endorsing him at a crucial time and to appease Latino groups who were clamoring about how he needs to make sure to appoint enough Hispanics.

[usregimechange]

38. No