apparently, not so well.
given the under-whelming support of the RATpublicans on the stimulus bill, among other rumblings, combined with obama’s cabinet choices, an ongoing cause of much consternation among the people of a more progressive leaning, it just took another hit.
Sen. Gregg Withdraws His Commerce Nomination
Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire abruptly withdrew his nomination as commerce secretary Thursday, citing “irresolvable conflicts” with President Barack Obama’s handling of the economic stimulus and 2010 census.
ok, l get the party line bs about the stimulus act, but really, he knew that going in. in fact, he lobbied for the appointment, according to the report:
“Senator Gregg reached out to the President and offered his name for Secretary of Commerce,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement. “He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the President’s agenda.
“Once it became clear after his nomination that Senator Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama’s key economic priorities, it became necessary for Senator Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways. We regret that he has had a change of heart.”
how polite, couldn’t have had anything to do with this l’m sure. <snicker>
another bite on the outstretched hand. l hope sooner, rather than later, obama and the demoRATs begin to take charge of the situation and tell the RATpublicans to sit down and STFU.
oops…via npr news.
When I went to the polls, I didn’t vote Post-Partisan or Bipartisan. They weren’t even options. I voted Democratic.
I did that because we live in a civilized, democratic society where the transfer of power is orderly and not accompanied by grabbing the leaders of the losing side and beating them about the kidneys until they piss red for a week the way I’d like to have done it.
That said, I’m all for bipartisanship. But only if the Republicans go the way of the Whigs and the Democrats split into far left and center left parties. The kind of bipartisanship that involves playing nice with thugs whose ideological convictions are firmly rooted in the bronze age is not something I need.
If Obama doesn’t start kicking some ass, I may suffer potentially fatal cognitive dissonance when I begin to regret not voting for Hillary Clinton. So please, President Obama, for my sake, if not for the sake of the country, shove bipartisanship so far up John Boehner’s ass that his tan falls off.
The bipartisanship is very strange to me. I understand trying to get the country back on a track that is not as wide as the gauge that`s gotten so wide you could run two one wheeled trains on the same track, in opposing directions.
But, the following of the bush doctrine in invoking state secrets to shut down a whole court case, contrary to what was explicit or at least implied during the campaign, is one of the most disconcerting things to me, so far.
Sen. Leahy`s little charade of truth & reconciliation to protect the perpetrators of war crimes from prosecution is not a harbinger of change, It brings back the bipartisanship code of protecting their collective asses.
So on one hand bipartisanship works for them as a whole, but when it comes to be bipartisan for the good of the people, the rats want all the cheese.
dada, I`m as disappointed as you.
That light at the end of the tunnel might turn out to be just a firefly at the mouth of it.
.
(CitizensForEthics) Feb. 4, 2009 – Following the guilty plea by Todd Boulanger, an top associate of Jack Abramoff, there has been a flurry of news implicating former hill staffers.
The Hill wrote about “Staffer D” from the latest round of Abramoff related investigations. His name is Fraser Verrusio and he worked for Rep. Don Young (R-AK). Today, we meet “Staffer F” who worked for New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg:
( AP ) – A person familiar with the case confirmed that “Staffer F” in court documents is Kevin Koonce, who worked as legislative director in Gregg’s Senate office from 2002-04.
Staffer F was cited in a guilty plea by Todd Boulanger, a former deputy to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In federal court, Boulanger admitted he plied the staffer with front-row tickets to a hockey game, meals and drinks and other tickets to a baseball game, and in exchange received favors in spending legislation.
The total value of the gifts Staffer F took from Boulanger exceeded $10,000, court papers said.
The biographical details about Staffer F contained in court documents — his job title at the time in the Senate office — correspond to Koonce’s. Koonce has not been charged with any crime. He now works at a private firm, Sorini Samet & Associates LLP.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."On my planet President Obama is increasingly popular, the Pukes are splintering with Republican governors actively lobbying for the President’s agenda, and the President goes from legislative victory to legislative victory. What’s it like on your planet?
from John Podesta’s other hangout, Thinkprogress
reminder: John Podesta was head of Obama’s transition team.
A sucker for playing nice….Obama is. In my neck of the woods, we say once bitten….but the second time around we kick your ass up and out your throat.
If Obama really believes — and I hope he does not — that the Republicans will ever deal with him in good faith, then he is dangerously naive, and hopefully his native intelligence will come to his, and our, rescue, and he will emulate Abraham Lincoln more than Neville Chamberlain.
The Republicans are, at this point, an internal enemy, not a loyal opposition. The ones that aren’t crazy or stupid are outright evil — which is not to imply that there isn’t considerable overlap between those three groups in the GOP — and what we need to be doing is looking for ways of neutralizing their influence instead of expecting to work constructively with them. These are people who are enthusiastically in favor of torture and extrajudicial killings, and not, well, decent human beings.
yeah, that’s worked out real well.
paraphrasing zandar1: anybody who seriously believed the house RATs would reciprocate, please raise your hand…
currently the bill in the senate has 59 ayes….l expect it will pass with 61.
RAT’s don’t do bipartisanship…not now.
maybe, as boo posits, they’ll come around to it in certain instances, but at this juncture, they have no compelling reason to.
I’m waiting for President Obama to say –
“Hey, see I tried. Now it’s time to deploy sharp elbows…and Rahm’s stubby middle finger… that’s the only thing these fellas understand”