Judd Gregg's Refusal To Vote On Stimulus Provokes Firestorm At Home And In Washington

New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg's decision to abstain from voting February 10 on the economic stimulus bill has not only left officials in Washington confused but has provoked a firestorm of protest in his home state.

When the Manchester Union Leader first reported in a brief, six-graph story that President Obama's nominee for Commerce Secretary had "recused myself from voting during the pendency of my nomination," the reader comments immediately poured in.

Ann, of Ashland, N.H. wrote, "I am very disappointed with SENATOR Gregg's decision. NH's representation has been compromised," followed by Tom of Campton, "Either do your job or resign," and then by Dennis from Merrimack, "I've got this violent urge to hurl! He should consider never returning to New Hampshire. What a disgrace!!!!!"

The surge of criticism was so strong that John Distaso, the paper's top political reporter, wrote another story: "Gregg's non-votes get reaction back home."

Gregg got some sympathy from state GOP chair John H. Sununu, who said Gregg is in an "unusual and difficult position ...There may actually be some implicit conflict on any bills that may have funding in them because they may have funding that's going to go through the department he is going to run."

But sources in New Hampshire and Washington said Gregg's decision was based more on political considerations than on possible conflicts of interest. If Gregg voted for the bill, he risked incurring the wrath of Republicans, especially those who will be voting on his nomination as Commerce Secretary. Conversely, if he voted against the bill, he risked a huge Democratic outcry, and the prospect of going into the Obama administration while suspected of questionable loyalty.

One of New Hampshire's leading conservatives, Charles Arlinghaus -- president of the conservative Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy and past executive director of the state Republican Party -- told Distaso, "It seems to me that if you're a senator, you should vote on everything. And if you're not going to vote, you should probably quit."

Some of the sharpest criticism was voiced by Washington-based conservative Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "You recuse yourself because you have a conflict of interest and if he believes he has a conflict of interest by taking the job, he shouldn't take the job. And if he isn't being bought, then he should feel free to vote and vote against [Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid] when he feels Reid is wrong, even if Obama is with Reid. The point of having a Republican in your Cabinet is that you are saying you are open to different ideas," but that won't happen "if you're folding up your conscience and your New Hampshire interest and your track record into a little suitcase and putting it in a little corner and then doing what you're told."

Norquist was called and raised by Larry Kudlow, who questioned (assaulted might be more accurate) Gregg on CNBC.

"You don't approve of this stimulus package. You are a guy who wants lower spending, lower taxes, lower deficits, lower debt, Kudlow declared. "What are you going to do here, are you going to go out and sell something that you fundamentally opposed for 25 years?"

Gregg: "No I'm going to support something I think makes sense. And I think that a major stimulus package makes a lot of sense ... You've got to remember Larry, if we don't get this economy going, the numbers in this stimulus package are small compared to the loss of revenues for the federal government."

Kudlow: "We are hoping you keep the principles of your long and outstanding record."

Gregg: "I think you can be sure I will stick to my principles. But I will do it from within the tent, so I am not going to discuss what I am going to offer."

The White House press office deferred questions about Gregg to his Senate staff.

The Huffington Post asked Andrea Wuebker, Gregg's spokeswoman, "How does the Senator explain not voting on the stimulus when, as Commerce Secretary, the stimulus will be part of his mandate, and, on a broader level, he will become a key player in the Obama administration's economic team?"

"The Senator has recused himself from voting pending the confirmation hearing," she replied.

Comments

[Forest]

08:26 PM on 02/15/2009

Ya gotta love how the repubs are falling (for it).

[DorightWoman]

02:25 PM on 02/14/2009

Gregg didn't VET himself very well, did he? Bet he was "waterboar­ded" by the GOP to back off

[lagumbo]

05:53 PM on 02/13/2009

PRESIDENT OBAMA please stop with the bi-partian­ship thing. These creeps will never support you.e can do this without them. They are so use to doing things their way, even when it is breaking the law, which they have done many times.You have a democratic congress and the amreican people behind you, we don't need these creeps. You will do just fine.

[Forest]

08:28 PM on 02/15/2009

Hang in there. He knows what he's doing and don't expect him to be pre dictable.

[liviapeacock]

09:21 AM on 02/13/2009

Just sent my senator a tongue lashing.

Embarrasse­d in NH

[misty1]

06:34 AM on 02/13/2009

Its time for Obama to wake up and realize that the republican­s want to cause problems and not
have solutions as long as he is in the white house. The good thing about this is that Gregg will
have to answer to the constituen­ts in his state. Who I bet are not pleased with his bull. He was elected to make decisions and vote on items that come up so far he as not done so. I bet next time
he is up for election the press will remind us of his failed vote and his failed attempt to smear Obama. President Obama when you pick your next person for commerce look among the
people from Chicago that you can trust and have you back these republican­s do not have your
back and anything they can do to make your presidency seem null and void they will.

[pcisbs]

02:12 AM on 02/13/2009

Thank God for someone standing up for common sense. This stimulus package is a blatant insult to anyone with intelligen­ce. What has happened to our Party? Why have we allowed irrational fanatics to spend our money irresponsi­bly in a way which will make us all much worse off than if we did nothing?
What happened to the Democratic Party being one of ideas? Now it seems that we allow our leaders to whatever they want with our money as long as they stand with us in deriding Republican­s. My undergradu­ate degree was in Economic History and Theory. This stimulus bill fails to satisfy any of the criteria, which have been proven to create jobs and increase the standard of living for the average American. Why is everyone lying? Either President Obama, is truly having the wool pulled over his eyes and is economical­ly ignorant ,or he knows it will make our Country mutch worse off, but for some reason he doesn't care. If it is the latter, I may never be the same and I know many others in the same boat

[yuvid1]

12:04 PM on 02/13/2009

Or you (Pcisbs) are wrong. You are listening Rush again aren't you, and quit tuning in to Fox News. When you get all your informatio­n from conservati­ve sources you get to be a bit self-right­eous and think you have the answers when the reality is you do not. The truth is no one knows if this economic bill will work or not, long term, but it will certainly help to rebuild and strengthen our infrastruc­ture, schools, hospitals, national parks and other long neglected public projects in the short term. Is that socialism? Certainly stimulus of this type will create jobs for the people that need help the most the poor and the middle class.

[MysticInd]

01:41 PM on 02/15/2009

You need to review the bill; it will not help national parks that goes to the States which their numbers were cut; schools was also decreased; what's in it is the tax cuts which have proven not to work over the last decade; the two things that have substance is infrastruc­ture and federal database of every Americans medical history. This will give temporary jobs to constructi­on and IT workers.

I would not listen to Rush if you paid me. There are many economists that side with Pcisbs and they are rethugs and democraps alike.

The bill does help those currently out of work by extending their unemployme­nt benefits and health benefits through COBRA and that's just giving money to HMO's.

We did need something and some of it is good but overall it misses the mark.

[jimsteele2008]

11:33 PM on 02/12/2009

I think the president should spend at most one more week trying to get the GOP on board. They ain't comin'. They don't want to be a part of any success in this administra­tion. In fact, they are following the wishes of their real leader, Rush Limbaugh, in hoping and praying for the Democrats to fail. Our president as done his best at trying to cooperate with the 'Pubs. He doesn't need them.

What a sorry bunch of bastards the Republican party is turning out to be.

[Equalizer]

11:00 PM on 02/12/2009

EQ POLL:If you voted for Obama,are you happy with his early performanc­e?

http://mav­-equalizer­.blogspot.­com/

[Superfelo]

10:42 PM on 02/12/2009

Folks, let's keep it down. It is Abraham Lincoln’s 200 birthday, after all.
Everything has a reason for happening, and we are probably better off,
that Senator Gregg got cold feet.
There is no question that yes, we can get a commerce Secrectary that we will love, and will be worthy of the office. Many are called; but few are chosen, or choose themselves­.
The invisible hand of the universe is always at work. We did not think he was a good choice; but
the President has very good judgment, and he is trying to bring the country together.
But it is very apt to quote Mr. Elridge Cleaver, author of "Soul on Ice", who wrote something that is
very appropriat­e, and we should be reminded of, for the dire straits our country finds itself in these days:
"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem". Make your choice.
Enough said.


Enough said.

[SOLERSO68]

09:40 PM on 02/12/2009

He was buffaloed by the wing nut caucus, of whom he is one. It was a bad pick for a cabinet post. I understand the Lincoln-es­que gestures being made by President Obama. But before we offer the neocon(fed­erates) the olive branch of "malice toward none" we first have to gettysburg their a$$es. We havent marched to the sea yet

[Forest]

08:23 PM on 02/15/2009

Well put!

[BigDaddyJ]

08:48 PM on 02/12/2009

Spin it people .... Spin it !!!!!

Obama made a power move and Gregg PLAYED him ........ Gregg goes away and creates negative press for Obama ...... WHO STILL HAS HOLES IN HIS CABINET !!!!


Seamless transition ..........­....... NOT !!!! Just the opposite, with more to follow.

POLITICS AS USUAL ..........­..........­. Stay tuned !!

[morefromLA]

10:54 PM on 02/12/2009

This is the Republican game plan: lose, claim victory and go home to lose again?

[aofh]

08:46 PM on 02/12/2009

I think it is growing pains. I suspect that Gregg balked because of the backlash from movement radicals. That he applied for the job indicates that there is an effective challenge to what it means to be a conservati­ve in America. I think the position would have been a challenge for him, but the biggest part of that challenge would have been overcoming what is currently considered conservati­ve thought. The cynics appear to have won this time, but the elevation of their displays of lunacy is an indication of how desparate they are to maintain their world view. If Obama keeps pushing and others begin to join in in the pushing, they will break. And we will be a better country for it.

[faithfully]

08:51 PM on 02/12/2009

Here's my take; I have always thought Gregg somewhat of a worm(no backbone). While I think he really cares about the economy and could have brought some talent to the job-I just don't think he could take the nastiness of his fellow Republican­s-couldn't stand up to them and perhaps they had something on him.

[JohnLloydScharf]

10:43 PM on 02/12/2009

A radical wants a fundementa­l change in the institutio­ns of government­. Only an amendment allowing initiative­s, referendum­s, popular vote, and recalls on a national level could be considered a radical change in the institutio­nss of THIS government­.

[commentator101]

08:33 PM on 02/12/2009

"And if he isn't being bought..." Grover Norquist is really suggesting Greg is being bought? That makes no sense. Greg recused himself. An abstention makes no differrenc­e to the vote result. Why would Obama attempt to buy an abstention­?

The only explanatio­n I can think of for a remark like this is that either Norquist has a low IQ or the people that listen to him so he does it on purpose.

[naluca]

07:52 PM on 02/12/2009

This is how aclassic narcissist like Obama works: he charms someone into the magic circle - using what ever pretenses are available, false or not - and then is "surprised­" if the person ,manages to see reality and break free. Classic, classic, classic. When the interests of the US happen to coincide with what will get Obama adulation, in increasing amounts, we may be fine. Otherwise, look for more judgement failures and confusion on the part of the president.

Read up on the psychologi­cal syndrome of narcissism if you doubt this scenario, which will be absolutely true in general outline, if not in every detail. It can be traced throughout Obama's life.

[wedgie]

08:06 PM on 02/12/2009

Oooh. You so smart.

**

[gonow]

08:16 PM on 02/12/2009

Yeah, Fremon is smart, but
you can't see it.

[SOLERSO68]

09:47 PM on 02/12/2009

Yeah that is a completely accurate summary of what happened.

[Fremon]

08:13 PM on 02/12/2009

Please don't procreate! Obama wanted to reach out and add Repbulican­s to his cabinet and get alternativ­e points of view. I personally did not agree with Obama, thinking that he won the election and should have put in those that agree with him as every Republican President has done. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NARCISSISM­! Obama is finding out that the Republican­s are partisan and shouldn't be courting them. He should kind of act tlike Bush did except Obama would be acting for what was best fo the country and not special narrow interests. Gregg is a conservati­ve and should remain with his group. Finally, Gregg apparently in the past wanted to dissolve the commerce dept. so he really should never have been selected. I don't think it is a major loss and never heard of him/

[youngblood360]

07:46 PM on 02/12/2009

I hope Obama has learned his lesson that these bleeping Republican­s/Conserva­tive idiots will not reach across the isle. I have to say for the first time in my life that I'd like to see all Republican­s deported. I would much rather take my chances with one party rule that deal with these @!@#$%^&*(­)**

[tomterif]

09:54 PM on 02/12/2009

Well, Youngblood­, if you do decide you simply MUST have all of us Republican­s "deported" !, do you think you might please try to arrange for that to be to some very balmy, idyllic Polynesian "isle" ?

I'm quite certain that the word you were looking for was "aisle". : )

You see, Youngblood­... Maybe not all of us Republican types are "idiots", as you seem to presuppose­.

I myself, for example, am an Ivy educated [English and Philosophy­/Religion major] gentleman, who voted ENTHUSIAST­ICALLY for McCain/Pal­in in the last election, and am exceedingl­y, virtually PRETERNATU­RALLY well versed in "spiritual­ity", history, politics, literature­, religion, philosophy­, and "significa­ntly" well versed in many of the sciences, and economics, [I'd probably have to be considered "no great shakes" at "higher mathematic­s", though, but... Hey ! : )], and just generally should be considered to be "smart as a whip !" : ).

I suppose I'd STILL "at least consider" that [all expenses paid] retirement you're offering me, to that balmy, idyllic Polynesian isle , though : )