Reach Across
Unifier seeks to change the tone of politics in Washington and demonstrate bi-partisans inclusivness by appointing a Republican to his cabinet and undermining the GOP’s filibuster threat. NYT:
WASHINGTON — President Obama and his advisers have approached Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire, about becoming commerce secretary, a step that could open the way to significant shift in the balance of power in Congress.
If Mr. Gregg accepted the post, he would probably be replaced by a Democrat. Now, there are 58 Democrats in the Senate, with the number rising to 59 if Al Franken of Minnesota is seated after the court challenge to his race is completed. The replacement of Mr. Gregg could give Democrats 60 seats, the number needed to control the legislative agenda without the threat of Republican filibusters.
Earlier this week, Mr. Gregg was quoted praising the president as “a tour de force.” Asked Thursday about his interest in the commerce job, Mr. Gregg said he would not discuss it.
“I can’t tell you anything,” said Mr. Gregg, the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee. “I have no comment.”
Mr. Gregg is nearing the end of his third term in the Senate, and faces re-election in 2010. Should he accept the position, New Hampshire’s governor, John Lynch, a Democrat, would appoint his successor and would be likely to pick a Democrat.
The possibility was a surprise to some of Mr. Gregg’s Republican colleagues, who at the moment have the bare minimum number of senators to raise procedural hurdles to Democratic measures. If Democrats captured a 60th seat, it would give them added muscle to push Mr. Obama’s agenda.
Oddly, NYT also reports that Democrats are planning to target Gregg with ads in New Hampshire denouncing his objections to Obama’s stimulus plan. Sounds like a sort of good cop/bad cop, divide-and- conquer reach across.
Surber: “The left hand doesn’t know what the other left hand is doing.” Ha! But I’m not so sure about that.
Re stimulus and who’s getting stimulated, by the way, here’s Malkin on the slush fund for the housing entitlement mob, and Gateway on the Generational Theft Act.
G’day Riehlists, always good to see you. Pencils out, here’s a foreign policy pop quiz for you. You know what they say, justice delayed is justice denied. Speaking of which, what are we calling this thing now … you know, the FKATWOT.
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:11 am on Friday, January 30, 2009
3 Responses to “Reach Across”
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January 30th, 2009 at 10:33 am
This new kind of politics seems strangely familiar. Where did Obama hatch his political career again?
January 30th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
More like a reach-around.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:10 am
Gregg should take the job. He’s going to lose his next election anyway. As a former New Hampshirite, it pains me to see the state going from one filled with cranky old independents to one filled with Boston suburb liberals. It used to be that the folks from Massachusetts used to just come to NH to buy their booze and cigarettes, and leave. Now it looks like they are staying to pollute the political climate.