Gregg Withdraws as Commerce Secretary Nominee
Republican Pro-life Senator From NH Cites “Irresolvable Conflicts”
Republican Pro-life Senator Judd Gregg dropped out of the nomination as President Obama’s Cabinet’s Secretary of Commerce due to what he called, “irreconcilable conflicts.”
According to Raw Data at FOXNews.com, Senator Gregg said "I want to thank the President for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle.
“It has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.”
The Senator from New Hampshire said that the President required “a team that is fully supportive of all his initiatives.” He remarked on his admiration of President Obama, confidence in his leadership and expectations of many opportunities to support the President’s proposals, adding, “This will certainly be a goal of mine.”
“A Major Blow”
In Chris Cillizza’sWashington Post column, The Fix, Gregg’s decision was called a “a major blow to an administration seeking to put a series of Cabinet problems behind it” and said that his written statement referred to recent developments as evidence that he and the President were too different, ideologically, to work together successfully. While Gregg noted that the census issue was minor, overall, he concluded, "This was simply a bridge too far for me."
FOXNews.com reported that President Obama planned to share oversight of next year's census conducted by the Census Bureau which is part of the Commerce Department. Gregg said it was just a "slight" factor in his decision.
Gregg said he began to feel uncomfortable with his proposed role and it's success. As one who says he has followed his own path for 30 years, Gregg commented that he felt he couldn't be himself in joining the Obama Cabinet.
“I said yes. That was my mistake.” Gregg added that as a strong fiscal conservative. "It really wasn't a good pick."
Gregg Goes Back to the Senate, Then New Hampshire
According to the Washington Post, Senator Gregg abstained from the Senate vote on the stimulus package. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) praised Gregg's decision as "principled," adding, "It's great to have him back."
Without offering specifics, Gregg, first elected in 1999 to the U.S. Senate, said he didn't plan to seek another term. "Sometimes, there are other things to do in life."
President Obama Goes Back to the Drawing Board
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs remarked that Gregg’s exit had not dealt a blow to the president's effort to build a bipartisan coalition.
"This president remains committed to working with members on both sides of the aisle to get things done that are important for the American people," Gibbs said.
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