Everyone knows Paul Hackett from his campaign to win a Ohio seat in the House of Representatives in a special election. Fewer people know Rob Portman. It was Portman’s seat, vacated when he was nominated to be the U.S. Trade Representative, that Hackett was after. Now Portman has been nominated to run the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
“The OMB has the central responsibility of implementing the full range of my administration’s agenda, from defense programs that will keep our people secure to energy initiatives that will break our dependence on oil to tax policies that keep our economy growing,” Bush said at the White House.
Portman’s job will include ensuring the government “spends the taxpayers’ money wisely,” meets the goal of cutting the budget in half by 2009 and manages “federal programs efficiently,” Bush said. “The American people deserve results for every hard-earned dollar they send to Washington.”
“It’s a big job,” Portman said.
It’s a big job because lying is hard work. If Portman is supposed to help Bush meet his goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 and he is also supposed to continue Bush’s tax policies then…he might as well say that he plans to create Cold Fusion in a dixie cup using AAA batteries and a small box of milk duds.
Meanwhile, it should surprise no one that someone named Schwab is going to replace Portman as the U.S. Trade Representative.
Susan Schwab, currently a deputy trade representative, would succeed Portman, Bush said. He urged the U.S. Senate to “promptly” confirm both nominations.
