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AmSpecBlog
What is Gregg Thinking?
If Judd Gregg were to leave the Senate to join the Obama administration, it would clearly be a slap in the face to Republicans. Even were New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch to agree to appoint a Republican, anybody Lynch picked would be a moderate who would likely be more vulnerable than Gregg in 2010. So what is Gregg thinking? Obviously, only he knows, but last July, The American Spectator hosted a dinner attended by Gregg, and looking back at my blog account from that time left me with a few possible insights.
At the time, Gregg was much more optimistic about the Republicans chances in the fall's Senate races than most political observers. He thought John Sununu would win in New Hampshire and that in the end, Republicans would only lose two or three seats. Of course, Sununu went down and Republicans ended up losing 7 or 8 seats (pending the official outcome of Norm Coleman's contest in Minnesota). The Sununu loss may have spooked him about his own chances of retaking his Senate seat in the increasingly blue New Hampshire in 2010.
In addition, Gregg may not be relishing the thought of life in the minority. During our dinner, Gregg complained about how under Harry Reid's leadership, the minority party was becoming as marginalized as it was in the House, which was a source of real frustration for Gregg. I can only imagine that feeling being deeper given how much more diminished Republicans are in this Congress. Whatever his frustrations are with being in the Senate, though, I don't see how things would be any better for him as a conservative Commerce Secretary in a very liberal administration.
One thing that was interesting was that as of last July, when I asked Gregg about his experiences working with Obama in the Senate, he said he saw very little of Obama:
He used to see him in the gym in the morning, and said Obama was in "great shape." But he didn't see him on the floor much, because Obama started running for president so soon into his freshman Senate term.
"I don't know who he is or what he stands for better than anybody else," Gregg said. "He's a blank page."
He did concede, however, that one has to respect Obama for what he's been able to accomplish having come out of nowhere.
Gregg later added that when people walked into the voting booth in November, they may ask themselves, ""Do I really want somebody three years removed from the state senate to be president?"He also said Obama had the potential to be a "transcendent figure."
Have Obama's transcendent powers gotten the better of Gregg?
Comments
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WendyG| 2.2.09 @ 6:51PM
>>>Have Obama's transcendent powers gotten the better of Gregg?
I guess he's ready to become a Stepford GOPer. It's enough to gag a maggot.
Sarge6| 2.2.09 @ 7:09PM
Larry Kudlow likes the prospect FWIW.
Morris| 2.2.09 @ 7:46PM
The problem isn't the GOP as much as it is the minority of right-wing wackos that have shaped the GOP image into a forever minority of the population! Gregg isn't one of those wackos.
Pingback| 2.2.09 @ 8:10PM
Michelle Malkin » Judd Gregg and Team Obama: A perfect fit links to this page.
around the track| 2.2.09 @ 9:00PM
To be Commerce Secretary? What kind of a jerk is this guy? Is he obsessed with the wonderful statistics this department publishes(no sarcasm), or does he want to spend interminable hours eating chicken dinners at business meetings(sarcasm intended)? Does he really think a liberal administration whose lead person in economics is Larry Summers will listen to his ideas? A jerk!! A real jerk!
Pingback| 2.2.09 @ 9:47PM
GOP Sen. Gregg likely to be named Sec of Commerce « Wellsy’s World links to this page.
Pingback| 2.2.09 @ 9:53PM
Sen. Judd Gregg accepts commerce secretary post - Dems on Verge of Having Filibuster links to this page.
John| 2.2.09 @ 10:20PM
So... Judd Gregg wants to be influential and powerful council to The One... Humm... interesting... good thing he is going to a nothingburger cabinet department like commerce... The One is going to value his (Gregg's) input - or is that output... like out of the Senate to leave the GOP at 39 seats...
Well for the favor Judd Gregg can play with his pencil sharpener.... and do whirlly gigs in his $1,000 office chair... He might even get to dictate memos to a secretary... er sooo sooorry Executive Assistant... so she/he can file them in the shredder room right next to his laundry tickets...
If the Holder nomination "pass" wasn't demonstration that the GOP is truly the STUPID PARTY... well... Gregg's throwing the Senate filibuster out the door for an idiot dead end powerless clone job is at least a demonstration that he is point blank stupid.
The fumes must be getting bad... the canaries are starting to swoon.
r/John
Bob | 2.2.09 @ 10:37PM
The replacement is a RINO, head of "Republicans for Lynch" [the NH Dem Governor], why did McConnell assume she can be relied on for the 41st vote? How does party discipline work on a short-termer whose political IOUs all are held by the other party? Is the GOP leadership getting rolled big-time on this?
Basil Plumley| 2.2.09 @ 10:54PM
@Bob
You used the terms "party discipline" and "leadership" in conjunction with the GOP Senate. The House GOP may be showing signs of both principles, but the Senate hasn't shown a capability or appreciation for either principle for quite a while.
Maybe someone should form a "gang of 14" to save us from the Reid & Co tyranny. Oh wait .......
HatlessHessian| 2.3.09 @ 12:32AM
Like most Republican Senators, Gregg is about himself. He is the product of the narcissist generation (also known as the Baby Boomers). Who cares about ethics, allegiance, party or principal when you can ride along with the big dog?
Let's face it, the Republican Party is a depressing conflagration of nihlistic grandma losers who enjoy being beaten, tormented and abused like McCain (our token Munchausen by Proxy candidate) and country club elites who are RINOs only because it was the easiest path to political success.
Too many fools bought into the myth of electing centrist candidates and subsequently created a party devoid of principal. It serves them right to have Gregg and his amoral ilk sieze their pensions, retirement savings and hike their taxes.
Bill Bailey| 2.3.09 @ 1:08AM
Larry Kudlow's a whore and Judd Gregg's a traitor.
Paul E. More| 2.3.09 @ 1:30AM
This is treason pure and simple. It is an indication that no opposition party, or no opposition period, is to be allowed for the “transformation” of America into a government dominated dysfunctional third world territory where merit is thrown out the window and who you are and “who sent you” will be all that matter.
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Deborah| 2.3.09 @ 5:57AM
I've come to the conclusion that Republicans (especially in the Senate) don't know how to be in opposition (you'd think all they'd have to do is look at Chuckie Schumer and Ted Kennedy to learn how to be major pains in the you-know-what). What a bunch of losers. I'm ready for a new party. I can't stand the RINOs or the Me-too Republicans. Don't they understand that that's what relegated them to minority status in the first place. Oh, no, the smart guys say it's Rush and Hannity and those damn conservatives. No, conservatives are the only ones in the party that have any clear idea of right and wrong. The rest have to stick their fingers into the air.
james 23| 2.3.09 @ 9:23AM
GOP=Whig. Kill it off.
J David| 2.3.09 @ 9:32AM
Heh! james23... You're right.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, *Wave 'bye-bye' to the GOP(at least at the national level)*, until/unless there is a ruthless purge of moderates(pragmatic, soulless, moral relativist, self-worshiping, mercenary, opportunists)and a return to conservative ideals, without which there is no effective *Republican* Party.
Pingback| 2.3.09 @ 10:31AM
Common Sense Junction » Blog Archive » Is Judd Gregg A Tax Cheat? links to this page.
Pingback| 2.3.09 @ 11:24AM
Obama Has ANOTHER Tax Cheating Nominee? UPDATED – The Mud Pit links to this page.
The Rev| 2.3.09 @ 2:49PM
It matters little if a politician dresses in a Donkey suit or an Elephant suit. They seem all to be interested exclusively in maintaining their grip on power, and on enriching themselves at the expense of the American people. Gregg will simply permit the placement of a willing tool for the Donkeys to expand their power base, then replace the 'place holder' who kept the seat warm until the next election cycle.
wickedlittledoll| 2.3.09 @ 8:46PM
Let's just hope the GOP proves more immune to the tax evasion super bug ravaging through the Democratic Party!
http://democralypsenow.blogspot.com/2009/02/outbreak-obama-hopes-republicans-more.html
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