President Obama's second nominee for Secretary of Commerce, Senator Judd Gregg, has withdrawn his name from consideration , citing policy differences with the stimulus plan and the Census. (The President wants the Census Bureau to report directly to the White House rather than the Commerce department . Coming just a week after Senator Daschle withdrew because of tax difficulties, the Commerce chair is beginning to resemble the Defense Against the Dark Arts job at Hogwarts.
Every President loses a Secretary or two at some point in their term, but after a month in office and only a dozen-odd picks, President Obama has had one withdrawal over policy, three shot down for tax evasion and/or other financial irregularities, one accepted despite such irregularities because his expertise was needed for the stimulus package, and one granted a waiver from the President's own month-old rules about ex-lobbyists serving. Not an auspicious beginning. I repeat what I said before ; Rahm Emanuel needs to fire someone, or withdraw himself, before this starts to damage the Presidency.
2 comments:
"Not an auspicious beginning"
I've been thinking along the same lines.
And I'm not entirely surprised, either.
Maybe. I'm suspicious--Gregg's withdrawal is very strange. Particularly coupled with his announcement that he won't run again--in 2010. I detect the stink of an not-yet erupted political problem all his own; my guess is that he's got Abramoff-related corruption that he stepped in.
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