Gregg Withdraws Nomination for Commerce Secretary

It's all drama for Obama! Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), who President Obama nominated to be Secretary of Commerce after Bill Richardson withdrew, has withdrawn his nomination, claiming "irresolvable conflicts" between himself and the Obama administration. Gregg told Politico, "I’ve been my own person, and I began to wonder if I could be an effective team player. The president deserves someone who can block for his policies. As a practical matter I can contribute to his agenda better—where we agree—as a senator and I hope to do that.” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that Gregg had "sought out" the nomination, “Once it became clear after his nomination that Sen. Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama’s key economic priorities, it became necessary for Sen. Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways. We regret that he has had a change of heart."

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By Jen Chung in News on February 12, 2009 6:55 PM

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Pull My Finger

Haaaa haaaaa haaaaa Obama sucks! Haaaaa Haaaaa Haaaaaa

Zyskandar A Jaimot

to Felix - the Gov.ofNH had promised a GOP replacement for GREGG - but owing to the other 'promises' of DEMBHOLES STIMULUS-SHIT-ROLL would be posted for 48 hours prior to any vote & that its 1071 pages+ and hardly any member of CONGRESS has read it in its entirety AND + REPREHENSIBLE NANCY'sphincter-of-the-House-of-Fools'PELOSI has to leave for ROME tonight cuz she needs another facelift/botox injection/ass tightening from the POPE no less - this STIMULUS SHIT ROLL will be voted on without everyone knowing exactly what's in it!!! DAMN AREN'T THOSE WETLANDS RODENTS LUCKY IN PELOSI'S SANFRAN DISTRICT GETTING $30MILLION DOLLARS AND ALL??? GOOD THING TIS HAS NO EARMARKS!!!

Felix Hoenikker

This may have more to do with the GOP losing another senate seat. The NH gov is a Dem.

Politburo

The gov had promised to appoint a GOP.

Zyskandar A Jaimot

to SP - am not 'HUGO' like FATTY CHANEZ - merely someone who is fed-up with MOODY MARXISTS who dress in black and elekt fellow MORONSKIS because they think it makes them look serious!!!

Zyskandar A Jaimot

The AMERILAN REVOLUTION is coming to the DEMBHOLE CONGRESS and its bloodletting&savagery will make the FRENCH REVOLT look tame!!! BEGIN TO COWER WANNABE MARXISTS AND COMMIE CRAPSTERS - YOUSE STIMULUS SHIT ROLL IS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR HOPED FOR END!!! GOODBYE COMMIES ONCE AND FOR ALL.

SP

lol, is this HUGO???? Where ya been you crazy bastard?

libhomo

Another Republican big shot is playing games while our economy is in serious trouble. The average American will be frustrated by this. The average unemployed worker in NH will be furious with Gregg.

jaycjay

Basically, regardless of what he's now saying it's clear that Gregg's "conflicts" boil down only to his unwillingness to take the heat from his Republican colleagues for being a bipartisan supporter of Obama's programs.

The census objection is smoke and mirrors, the Obama administration hasn't proposed anything different for that agency than has been in place for decades. Coordination with the White House over budgeting, etc. has been standard procedure.

The stimulus bill: here's what Gregg said just a few days ago: "We need a robust one. I think the one that's pending is in the range we need. I do believe it's a good idea to do it at two levels, which this bill basically does, which is immediate stimulus and long-term initiatives which actually improve our competitiveness and our productivity."

He got immediate heat from other Republicans after that statement, and apparently decided that the Commerce appointment just wasn't worth the expense in political capital within his own party.

Politburo

That rationale doesn't make sense, though, as Gregg indicated he doesn't plan to run for reelection in 2010. If you're not planning to run for any future office and you're taking a cabinet position in an opposition administration, political capital is pretty much irrelevant, no?

I think his public explanation is pretty reasonable. He just didn't really think through how much he would have to give up his own independence and how much he would be carrying someone else's water.

NannyState

The garbage republicans can just go live in a bunker in Wyoming for all anyone cares. They have nothing to offer and they bring nothing to the table.

rcltrh

Is it just possible that our freaking DEMOCRATIC president could appoint DEMOCRATS to his positions?!?!?!?! We voted the CORRUPT REPUGNICANS out of the damned office for a reason. Why all this reach across the aisle crap? Just reach across the aisle and open the door and show them the way out of the office in every single position and in every single way. We do not want any more corrupt, greedy, hypocritical, gay hating, false-Christian, tax evading, buddy system, repugs in any shape form or fashion right now. So Obama, get them the hell out of our Whitehouse and put the party we elected in there.

Zyskandar A Jaimot

With our new 'STALIN' - PREZ BARACK'incurably-dishonest'OBAMA amd hos DEMBHOLE COMRADES taking/usurping the 'census' functions of the COMMERCE DEPT. - then applying all that EARMARKED PORK to PELOSI's rodents + REID's mob-Vegas buds not to mention 'GREEN FRICKIN GOLF CARTS' - what was left for SENATURD GREGG to do??? BE JUST ANOTHER MOODY MARXIST DUMMY FOR THE NEW SMARTER/TRANSPARENT/RESPONSIBLE FASCIST/PARTSAN DICTATOR???!!! Ha.

fakenewyorker

i don't get it. he voted to disband the commerce dept. then sought out the position, got an offer, and decided to withdraw because of ideological differences? is he a ringer or something?

the pres. is really letting the republicans eat his lunch.

Guest

Nah. Nothing to do with ideology. Although it looks like Gregg timed it to embarass Obama, his withdrawl is all about local politics.

From Matt Cooper:

a couple of sources in New Hampshire politics chalk it up to the abuse Gregg was taking over the past few weeks, first from some on the right for going into the liberal Obama administration and then from all sides for being too cute about the stimulus package, abstaining from voting for or against it. Gregg was ridiculed in New Hampshire's most important newspaper, the Union Leader.