2/02/2009

New Op-ed up at Fox News: Obama’s Senate Games

My newest piece went up today at Fox News. It starts this way:

You would think that Rod Blagojevich’s recent removal from office would make politicians extremely careful about appearances. Yet, President Obama may have now gotten himself into a similar situation over yet another Senate seat.

Over the last week, Obama has been in discussions with New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg about becoming the next Secretary of Commerce. There has already been an understanding that Obama was trying to tempt Senator Gregg with the offer to be head of Commerce so that the Democrats would obtain a filibuster proof senate. News articles have painted the offer as an attempt by Obama to bring Republicans and Democrats together.

Yet, as Politico’s Ben Smith noted on Saturday:

“The White House, I’m told, is still trying to get a guarantee from Governor Lynch that he’ll replace Senator Gregg with a Democrat.”


Smith’s statement was a single sentence and no other implications have been drawn from it. But a report in The Wall Street Journal’s Political Diary today seems to confirm this claim.

The Politico information indicates that Obama clearly does not view Senator Gregg as the best person to head the Commerce Department. Rather, it makes explicit that Obama was offering the Commerce job solely to buy a Senate seat for the Democrats. . . . .

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2 Comments:

Blogger ICONIC FREEDOM said...

“The White House, I’m told, is still trying to get a guarantee from Governor Lynch that he’ll replace Senator Gregg with a Democrat.”

If I were Gregg, end of discussion. No dice. Not taking the job no matter what they offered.

There is no guarantee that if Lynch verbally confirmed that he would replace Gregg with a Republican, that he would.

It is very easy to see that if Lynch were given perks or promises from the BO that he would say yes and then turn around and appoint a Dem with some excuse.

There might be "outrage" but it was last a news-cycle and be over with and the senate would shift.

"Chicago-Style" politics dripping with swill from some amazingly pathetic thugs feigning as politicians.

2/03/2009 6:59 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Events don't seem to support your take on this...

2/03/2009 1:46 PM  

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