President Obama's second nominee for Secretary of Commerce, Senator Judd Gregg, has withdrawn his name from consideration , citing policy differences with the stimulus plan and the Census.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.
"Not an auspicious beginning"
ReplyDeleteI'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.
ReplyDelete