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Obama announces Gregg as Commerce Secretary; Lynch will appoint Bonnie Newman

by: David

Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 12:19:23 PM EST

Well, it's apparently a done deal. Sources are now confirming that NH Gov. Lynch, reputed to be a Democrat, will name Bonnie Newman -- definitely a Republican -- to take over Judd Gregg's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat.

I'm not crazy about this. Since it's no net change in the Senate (and no, I don't think Newman will be much easier to beat than Gregg would've been, unless she falls flat on her face), we're left with President Obama's apparently deep-seated conviction that Judd Gregg is the right man for the job -- second only to Bill Richardson. Maybe he's right. It's just that there's nothing in Gregg's background or accomplishments, such as they are, that would suggest that to be the case.

Maybe the grand gesture of bipartisanship is more important than what the Commerce Secretary actually does. Maybe this will pay dividends in getting a few GOP Senators to vote for cloture on the stimulus bill. If so, maybe it's worth it. I hope so.

David :: Obama announces Gregg as Commerce Secretary; Lynch will appoint Bonnie Newman

Tags: commerce, Obama, Gregg, Newman, (All Tags)

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Obama announces Gregg as Commerce Secretary; Lynch will appoint Bonnie Newman | 15 comments

Some are blaming Lynch (0.00 / 0)

But look, if Gregg said I won't take the job if you don't promise me a Repub replacement, and Lynch promised, especially if Obama asked, I think Lynch did the right thing. I hear Newman is pretty moderate (maybe even more so than Gregg?)

I think this is a pretty decent shot at a pickup in 2010 no matter who's in the seat. Especially if Paul Hodes runs.

The real sticking point for me is your last one - I don't see Gregg as really some sort of awesome standout in this area. Except for his unapologetic business-friendliness.

Left in Lowell: cuz why read the Lowell Sun if you don't have to? ;)

by: Lynne @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 11:57:13 AM CST

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I would have liked a caretaker selection.... (0.00 / 0)

rather than Newman who will likely run for re-election in 2010. IMHO Lynch royally screwed this one up.

Listening to Charlie Baker talk about fiscal responsibility is like getting lectured on abstinence from Paris Hilton - Tim Murray

by: johnk @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 12:16:18 PM CST

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The Associated Press is reporting (0.00 / 0)

that Newman has said she is intending to step down in 2010 rather than run for a full term.

If convincing Lynch to appoint a Republican was the only way Obama could get Gregg to accept the nomination, I don't think Newman was necessarily a bad choice. If she stands by her word and steps down in 2010, we could have a wide-open race for the seat, and a greater chance that a Democrat could take it.

I agree with everyone David, though, that Gregg doesn't seem to have any outstanding qualifications worth too big of a compromise.

by: kaj314 @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 13:39:32 PM CST

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mheh, maybe (6.00 / 1)

Gregg was in a very, very weak position. A huge part of me thinks we'd have had a better shot beating him than winning completely open race. We had a better shot beating Sununu than a random Republican, too, which helps explain why he was handily beaten. Gregg wasn't in great fundraising shape and not looking forward to a tough reelection fight against a very popular Hodes at the age of 62 and after years of not having competitive reelection campaigns. Would have been his first tough race in well over a decade, from what I've read.

---
My thoughts are mine and mine alone. They should not be considered representative of any other organization, group or person - save me.

~Ryan.

by: Ryepower12 @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 17:02:38 PM CST

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He had what. $900k? (0.00 / 0)

Not too shabby for a NH race with two years until the election. The Lynch appointee (whomever!) starts at $0.

by: stomv @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 17:27:49 PM CST

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I'm not sure (0.00 / 0)

but $900k isn't that much, not when a huge chunk of NH is in the metro Boston market. Because of our overlap with NH, it's actually not cheap to run a media campaign there.

I'm not sure how much Hodes has on hand, but I bet he would have out raised Gregg with very, very little trouble - and his base of strength (his district) is where the Boston media overlaps with NH - so he's already pretty popular there.

I still feel as though Gregg would be better to run against than a random, younger, Republican - who can't be tied down by Gregg's Bush/Iraq record. I'm not going to say that this will definitely be the cases, only that Gregg almost certainly would have lost a reelection, whereas there's the chance for a strong Republican without a ton of baggage to get into that race to take on Hodes. Who that person is, I don't know. We'll see. Maybe this incoming appointee ignores her promise that's not on camera and runs anyway. If it's not on camera, it doesn't count.

---
My thoughts are mine and mine alone. They should not be considered representative of any other organization, group or person - save me.

~Ryan.

by: Ryepower12 @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 20:51:46 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Numbiz (6.00 / 1)

Cash on Hand / debt:

Shea-Porter 35,329/0
Hodes: 56,378/0
Gregg: 897,845/0
Newman: 0/0

I think that's a distinct step in our direction.

~~~~
Believe it or not, I have even more to say...

by: sabutai @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 06:34:24 AM CST

[ Parent ]

if Newman runs for reelection (0.00 / 0)

Lynch should be primaried. I'll work on that campaign myself.

I don't mind a caretaker moderate republican, but if it's a Susan Collins wannabe who's running for reelection in 2 years, Lynch should pay a high price from NH Democrats.

The bottom line: Lynch didn't have to listen to Gregg and we didn't need Gregg in commerce. Gregg doesn't get to make that pick, it's Lynch's pick and Lynch will have to live with it.

---
My thoughts are mine and mine alone. They should not be considered representative of any other organization, group or person - save me.

~Ryan.

by: Ryepower12 @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 17:00:05 PM CST

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By whom? (0.00 / 0)

Lynch is enormously popular in NH, especially within the party. There's nothing legally binding to anything Newman may have said about running again, so the only consequences, if any, would be to her credibility. If she does run then we should run an aggressive campaign for the seat rather than whine about it. Besides, she chaired Republicans for Lynch, so this seems like everyone wins: Gregg gets a Republican, Lynch rewards a supporter. No, Lynch didn't HAVE to listen to Gregg, but he probably listened to Obama who wanted this to work. Plus he got rid of a stronger GOP incumbent in the process. I guess this is another instance where we disagree on the value of partisanship for its own sake.

by: Christopher @ Wed Feb 04, 2009 at 14:56:58 PM CST

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"this seems like everyone wins" (0.00 / 0)

-- except the American people, who instead of a creative Commerce Secretary get a tool. But hey, as long as Gregg and Lynch are happy, that's all that matters.

by: David @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 00:03:33 AM CST

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I guess... (0.00 / 0)

...I have more faith than you do that the President we just elected knows what he is doing.

by: Christopher @ Thu Feb 05, 2009 at 10:24:54 AM CST

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Lynne - isn't 'unapologetic business-friendliness' a PLUS in a Sec. of Commerce? (5.00 / 1)

I mean, that IS who the Secretary is supposed to be working with. How would an ANTI-business secretary help out Obama?

[I have decided to forego jokes about how the Adminsitration had to leave their party to find somebody who had actually met a payroll, knew how to add, and so on...]

Yr. Obedient Servant, Peter Porcupine, Republican

by: Peter Porcupine @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 19:31:55 PM CST

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Feh (6.00 / 1)

With all the scandals - including money ones - from your party for the last 8 (god, no, longer than that) years, I'd hardly be casting any stones regardless. I think we'd all know who'd lose that game, Blago, Spitzer, and the last two tax snafus notwithstanding.

RE commerce and business friendliness...if it's the biz-friendly nature of the last 8 years of Bush, no thanks. Like we need more giveaways and lackadaisical anything-goes as-long-as-you're-a-big-rich-corporation attitudes.

As long as Gregg does as he is told by Obama, he'll do OK. But if I were Obama, I'd take any advice from Gregg with a huuuuuuge helping of salt.

Left in Lowell: cuz why read the Lowell Sun if you don't have to? ;)

by: Lynne @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 20:04:08 PM CST

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You can always hope (6.00 / 1)

that he has "tax issues" like seemingly all of the Dem picks...

the government can give you nothing
that it doesn't take away, first

by: demolisher @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 12:52:41 PM CST

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it's a lot better than ... (0.00 / 0)

screw up the country issues like we had before.

Listening to Charlie Baker talk about fiscal responsibility is like getting lectured on abstinence from Paris Hilton - Tim Murray

by: johnk @ Tue Feb 03, 2009 at 13:22:40 PM CST

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Obama announces Gregg as Commerce Secretary; Lynch will appoint Bonnie Newman | 15 comments