Lost in the stimulus battles and tax scandals of the past week was President Obama’s nomination of Republican Senator Judd Gregg from New Hampshire to be the new Secretary of Commerce. Picking a fiscal-conservative who once voted to abolish the Commerce Department as its new head in a very fiscally un-conservative administration might seem perplexing to some. But Gregg is an independent-minded, well-liked, and knowledgeable Senator who has also served in the House and as his state’s Governor. He has many friends on both sides of the aisle and can help Obama bridge gaps.

Even after Obama chose to keep Bush’s Defense Secretary, Robert Gates (registered independent) and nominated former Republican Ray LaHood as his Transportation Secretary (not a politically significant position), he needed to name another Republican to his cabinet to have any claim of a truly bi-partisan team.

So it made sense for Obama to pick Gregg, but did accepting the nomination make sense for Gregg and Republicans? Gregg leaving the Senate means we have one less of the precious few Northeastern Republicans left in Congress. Yes, Gregg will be replaced by Republican Bonnie Newman, but Newman has promised New Hampshire’s Governor, Democrat John Lynch, that she will not run in 2010, meaning the party will have to find a viable candidate for the seat in the next election cycle. Gregg winning reelection would have been difficult but having another Republican win it might be near impossible.

While no one questions Newman’s qualifications, the fact that Newman co-chaired “Republicans for Lynch,” helping Lynch unseat the then Republican Governor and has now received the ultimate political favor from Lynch is rather troubling. With so many Senate appointment scandals and a proposed amendment to ban Senate appointments gaining popularity, Republicans didn’t really need to get involved in the controversies.
Just how much influence Gregg will have at Commerce and within the cabinet in general is also questionable.

No one thinks he will have the influence and travel schedule that President Obama was going to give Bill Richardson, his original choice for Commerce. And there is already talk the Gregg won’t oversee the 2010 Census, one of the most important jobs of the Commerce Secretary. There are reports that the Census will be overseen by White House Staff, specifically Rahm Emmanuel. Having the man who used to be in charge of getting Democrats elected to the House now be in charge of the process that determines Congressional districts would not be a benefit to Republicans. If Gregg is truly bi-partisan pick, they wouldn’t take away his role in Census just because he’s not from Obama’s party.

While I have always been an admirer of Gregg, I believe him leaving the Senate is a great loss for Senate Republicans and I have no reason to believe the Obama Administration will let him serve the country to the best of his abilities at Commerce. I would love to hear what other Republicans think about the appointment.

Last 5 posts by Abel S. Delgado

• Let’s Support the Cantwell-McCain Bill - January 6th, 2010
• Deeds Gets Dirty, Doesn’t Win Anyway - November 2nd, 2009
• Obama & The Berlin Wall - October 25th, 2009
• The Nobel Prom King - October 11th, 2009
• Bureaucratizing Interrogations a Horrible Idea - August 28th, 2009