Monday, February 16, 2009


FREAK OF THE WEEK: U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg

This week, the FredBlog shines the freaklight on U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, the New Hampshire Republican who just couldn’t decide whether or not he wanted to be President Barack Obama’s commerce secretary.

At first, Gregg wanted the job. He knew Obama was looking to create a bipartisan cabinet, and so Gregg reached out to the president. As Obama told the Springfield (Ill.) Journal-Register, “Mr. Gregg approached us with interest and seemed enthusiastic.”

This was odd enough since, in 1995, Gregg voted to abolish the Department of Commerce. When that didn’t work, Gregg worked to block then-President Bill Clinton’s effort to increase funding for the department.

OK, so Gregg’s “interest and enthusiasm” was weird enough, but then Gregg insisted he would only take the job if he were given a guarantee that his seat would be filled by another Republican. You see, if Gregg were to become commerce secretary, he would have to give up his senate seat. Under normal circumstances, Gregg’s replacement would be chosen by his state’s current governor – Democrat John Lynch, who would be expected to appoint a fellow Democrat.

But Obama talked with Lynch, and they worked it out. Lynch agreed to appoint a Republican, just to satisfy Gregg’s condition.

Everything was set. Gregg talked up the need for bipartisanship as Obama would get more bipartisan cred for appointing Gregg. And the balance of power in the Senate would not be disturbed because Lynch agreed to appoint a Republican replacement. In fact, Lynch had already chosen New Hampshire’s next Republican senator.

So what did Gregg do? Pull out!

That’s right. Noting that he has too many policy disagreements with Obama – “irresolvable conflicts,” Gregg called them – he changed his mind.

First off, Gregg is a fiscal conservative, and he had to know from the get-go that he would be at odds with the Obama administration over economic matters. But secondly, after all of Gregg’s talk of bipartisanship, he withdrew over what amounted to partisan differences over issues including the stimulus package – which Gregg voted against.

He was a dope for wanting the job at the start. He was dopier for wanting his Senate seat to get special treatment. And he was the ultimate in dopiness for flip-flopping on bipartisanship and withdrawing his nomination.

As part of his withdrawal statement, Gregg said, “I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate.” Ain’t they lucky. 

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