Reid, Emanuel Pushed For Gregg

[Purveyor]

The Thursday before his Inauguration last month, President Barack Obama was already reaching out to Sen. Judd Gregg to be his new commerce secretary.

Talks followed between Gregg and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who had come to know the New Hampshire Republican during their time together last fall in the round-the-clock negotiations on Treasury’s massive financial markets rescue bill. But the man who helped to kick off Gregg’s nomination was back in the Senate itself, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

“He told me he had recommended me to be commerce secretary,” Gregg told Politico. “I thought he was kidding, but the next day I was meeting with Obama.”

Tuesday morning, it all came together at a brief White House ceremony with big implications for Obama but also for Republicans and the larger Senate left behind.

In a day of turmoil over the withdrawal of Tom Daschle as Obama’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, the choice of Gregg seemed almost an island of calm. No one else in the Obama Cabinet has the same Republican leadership credentials; the bigger question is whether the president is draining the Senate of the very talent he needs to meet his goal of bipartisanship.

To a remarkable degree, Gregg has served as a trusted, behind-the-scenes consigliore for every Republican leader since the mid-’90s, from Mississippi’s Trent Lott to Bill Frist of Tennessee and now Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell. He is that Washington rarity: someone who thinks — often out loud — about issues but can also operate privately in giving advice and respecting the discretion of leaders.

MORE...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18385.html

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. Harry Reid is not on our side

The spinelessness is bad enough, but this is outright treason. It's worse than when that other traitorous fuck Schumer was pushing MuKrazy for AG.

[Enrique]

6. if it's bad for Reid to recommend Gregg...

isn't it worse for Obama to actually appoint him? Equally treasonous?

[defendandprotect]

14. I think so --- !!!

[movonne]

9. Don't forget Rham...I think they are leading Obama in the wrong

direction..Obama has to come out and run this country...(and Rham is the one that put in all these blue dogs...

[FrenchieCat]

2. I'd go to the link and read it if it was something other than Politico.

Problem I have with their editorials (cause that's what they are) is that the sourcing usually stinks...and they usually have an agenda.

[Jennicut]

8. Yup. I have stopped posting anything from there anymore.

I posted something about Hillary that ended up having Politico as a source...never again! They are always full of crap.

[razors edge]

3. I'm shocked, really. (not) n/t

[spanone]

4. there's that politico again

[movonne]

10. I think that Political is Drudge light...

[rwheeler31]

5. This is such one sided reporting why do it?

[terisan]

7. If true, why did Reid want him out of Senate? nt

[anonymous171]

11. Fuck Reid. nt

[KittyWampus]

12. Anyone taking their cues from Politico is a dope. No lie. And Obama isn't a puppet

of Rahm or Reid.

[defendandprotect]

13. Sickening . . . !!! A neo-con, no less !!!

[Occam Bandage]

15. Hey, look, Politico. nt

[camera obscura]

16. Epic fail.