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.”
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Shocker: Judd Gregg Pulls Out Of Obama Cabinet
President Barack Obama's claim of having the most bipartisan cabinet in the history of the modern presidency went up in smoke today as Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) removed his name from consideration as Secretary of Commerce over irreconcilable differences with Obama's approach to his stimulus plan and administering the U.S. Census. Although as Commerce Secretary Gregg would have been empowered under law to administer the 2010 census, partisan sniping led the Obama White House to announce that census administrators would report directly to the White House instead of Gregg, an unprecedented breach of protocol, not to mention illegality. Accolades from a pro-Obama media aside, this is the worst start of any presidency in modern day history. The Drudge Report has Gregg's statement:
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9 comments:
Gregg voted against the stimulus plan and raised eyebrows whether he would be a team player in the Obama admin. The code language in his withdrawal speech is evident even though Obama expressed 'surprise'.
Gregg didn't vote against the stimulus plan; he abstained from voting.
Exactly, when I heard about the census issue, I knew it was just a matter of time. Although, I know nothing about Gregg, I had a feeling that he might have too much integrity to continue to be the nominee if he would be no more than window dressing.
What about the census? What is "The One" trying to do with that?
"President Barack Obama's claim of having the most bipartisan cabinet in the history of the modern presidency . ." I don't believe he ever made this claim. Yet with Gates and LaHood both members of his cabinet, Obama nonrtheless matches the most cross-party cabinet members. Kennedy also had two. As Gregg himself stated, Obama has agressively reached accross the aisle.
There is nothing illegal about a president reorganizing the executive departments.
"is the worst start of any presidency in modern day history"??
On what basis? Worse than Ford beginning with a pardon of Nixon? Worse than Johnson and Truman taking office upon the deaths of their predecessors?? Worse than W taking office on the basis of an extremely flawed Supreme Court decision? This is a vast over generalization.
What about the census? What is "The One" trying to do with that?
The White House wants to control the census in order to exert more control over the Congressional apportionment and likely the re-mapping that occurs after the 2010 elections.
This would also lead into potentially lessening the influence of "red states" in the 2012 election.
That's my theory anyway
Paul, Now what would you have said if Bush had announced during his first month in office that he was going to put Karl Rove instead of the Commerce Secretary in charge of the census? Obama has named one new Republican who has been confirmed, Ray LaHood, an appointment that will come back to haunt him because of LaHood's deep ties to the indicted William Cellini, an Illinois powerhouse lobbyist for the asphalt pavement industry. Gates is a CIA veteran who served during the presidencies of Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and both Bush presidencies. He has no partisan Republican background. It is unfair to characterize him as a Republican. W had Democrat Norm Mineta serve as Transportation Secretary.
I adjudge Obama's being the worst start of a presidency in modern times for obvious reasons involved with choosing flawed cabinet members that has severely tarnished his administration's image in the early days. Who would have thought we would be talking about all the tax cheats and ethically-challenged people in his administration this soon? The whole Blago thing really raised a lot of red flags about the people from Chicago he has put in charge at the White House. Historians agree that Ford made the right decision in pardoning Nixon. Yes, it probably cost him the 1976 election, but it was a decision that allowed the country to move beyond Watergate at a time it was important to do so. The 1973-74 recession was deep and the last thing the country needed was a drawn out prosecution of the president. If you really believed Nixon should have been prosecuted, then you should also have believed Clinton should have been prosecuted for obstruction of justice and perjury, both of which he committed.
Newt Gingrich, who I'm getting sick and tired of seeing on FOX News every night, speculates that the Democrats want to manipulate the census count with illegal immigrants. Apparently, Gingrich doesn't know that illegal immigrants are counted in the census and included in the number used to allocate congressional districts among the states. That being said, the numbers could be manipulated to avoid a blue state from losing a congressional seat, or to help a blue state pick up a congressional seat. With Rahm Emanuel in charge, anything is possible. After all, this is the guy who won election by having Chicago city workers deployed while on the clock to work in his congressional campaign, although he claimed complete ignorance of what had taken place.
I was never really sure why Obama selected Gregg but I think Obama caught a good break when Gregg withdrew.....some suggest that Gregg has a top assistant who is under investigation for improper activities.
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