John McHugh, GOP Congressman, Obama's Pick For Army Secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) - A White House official says President Barack Obama will nominate Republican Rep. John McHugh as secretary of the Army.

McHugh has represented New York in Congress since 1993 and is ranking GOP member of the House Armed Services Committee.

The president will announce McHugh's appointment at the White House Tuesday morning. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the formal announcement is pending.

Comments

[bunnyv]

01:47 AM on 06/03/2009

Are we done "reaching across the aisle" yet?

[iridium53]

01:41 AM on 06/03/2009

A Secretary of the Army that's never served in the military.
Not much empathy for the men and women that serve here.

[lagumbo]

12:53 AM on 06/03/2009

I would say PRESIDENT OBAMA is one hell of a poker player. This is why the republicans are so upset. THE PRES., they just can't figure out. MR. PRESIDENT just keep bleeding that repubs. party. Brilliant move from a brilliant man. ha ha ha ha

[kankan]

12:28 AM on 06/03/2009

Dear Mr. President:

I admire your centrist position on appointments. It makes a lot of sense, you made your point very clear that a true President leads with no party in mind except for the American people.

But that being said, you are still black and they are still white. You are still Democrat Party, and they are still Hate-Everyone-Except-Republican Party. I am failing to understand how you feel it is in the best interest of American people to provide job posts for the men and women who hate you because of your party affiliation and the color of your skin. You need to reconsider the reality you are living in.

Peace.

[tangelan]

06:52 PM on 06/03/2009

I don't agree with this. Not every Republican is a racist. They just won't stand up to those that are. Look at this as the strategy that it is. The more moderates the President moves to the other side, the more chance the bad ones don't get re-elected. The President should work it as long as he can. This is just one more nail in the coff!n.

[mergina]

11:09 PM on 06/02/2009

I wish Obama would finally stop pandering to 'the other side' that hates his guts and will try to stop him at every turn.

[patrickmcdougal]

12:44 AM on 06/03/2009

Umm, maybe he is picking those that he finds will best fill that position. Why do we want to act like the party that we have condemned for eight years?

[golferman]

05:16 AM on 06/03/2009

I sort of agree with you. But I still don't trust a repub.

[marbiol]

10:28 PM on 06/02/2009

...maybe im dense...but...wouldnt we be...better SERVED with one of OUR OWN in this slot? The rs have NO POWER!! Whay give them even an iota of power....

[barkrudedog69]

10:38 PM on 06/02/2009

It is America....I don't know if you are aware of this or not but he is OUR OWN and he does work for US not say Chavez, Iran, North Korea, China, or some other nation. Don't be afraid. It is ok. There are millions of people in the country that have different points of views that somehow work together.

[marbiol]

11:03 PM on 06/02/2009

gee...sarcasm goes way over some of your heads!!! There ARE conservative democrats still out there!!!

[golferman]

05:51 AM on 06/03/2009

As an American he is our own. As a politician he is not our own. Meaning a democrat. If he is a moderate republican I can live with his appointment. If he is a wingnut then I will have to live with it. But I trust Obama to appoint the best people.

[UpstateNYMom]

10:01 PM on 06/02/2009

Great I predict the dems will win this seat after the special election like Murphy did when he took Gillibrand's seat, who was appointed Hillary's Senate seat - then upstate will finally be free of the aging GOP rule here- yippie- good bye and good luck

[Oldtt]

11:01 PM on 06/02/2009

In the nearby NY 25th Congressional district, Democrat Dan Maffei was elected to replace long-serving Republican Jim Walsh when he stepped down in 2008. There is a Democratic tide developing in Upstate NY, which normally is reliably Republican-voting.

[petera63]

09:54 PM on 06/02/2009

It wasn't easy to find a high-ranking Dem without tax issues, I guess...

[yathink]

10:04 PM on 06/02/2009

No--you just have to find a warmonger to run the endless wars. We'll never get out of Iraq or Afghanistan. Or coming to a TV screen soon--North Korea. But maybe he'll be better than Louis Caldera, infamous NYC flyover approver.

[petera63]

10:16 PM on 06/02/2009

Anyone would be better than Caldera, I agree.

[barkrudedog69]

10:42 PM on 06/02/2009

Look at Korea-Truman got us into that one...He was a Dem.

[jackq]

09:06 PM on 06/02/2009

During W's time there was no Habeas Corpus; he had Habeas Interruptus.

[Yermammy]

09:11 PM on 06/02/2009

Barack is blocking habeas corpus at Bagram AFB even though a (Bush appointed!) Judge ruled that there should be...
That's not all-
Obama's support for the new Graham-Lieberman secrecy law
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/06/01/photos/index.html
Just when you think it can't get worse- it can.

[golferman]

06:04 AM on 06/03/2009

I don't like it either.

[MyTake]

08:51 PM on 06/02/2009

Not only did the Prez REACH ACROSS THE ISLE, he REACHED RIGHT THROUGH TO THE 3000 MEMBERSHIP LIST OF THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, David Rockefeller organized and funded as sits as Chairman Emeritus, and pulled this name from the CFR hat!

This is now over 300 administrative appointments that the Obama administration has pulled from the CFR membership roster.

The CFR is the de facto TRANSITION TEAM for each incoming U.S. President.

American politics is an absolute joke, they might as well outsource their entire government operation to the CFR and their parent group; The Bilderbergs.

[instagladiator]

10:33 PM on 06/02/2009

They already have. Oligarchy wins!!

[goingnow]

08:31 PM on 06/02/2009

It is so darned generous of Obama to pick Repubs for so many top posts. Surely there must be spots for Cheney and Bush somewhere just to show true character beyond comprehension.

[Yermammy]

08:41 PM on 06/02/2009

Funny of the Day! We have a Winner! (take your prize and join Michael Phelps in the "green" room).

[golferman]

06:08 AM on 06/03/2009

There is Secretary of Ignorance and Secretary of Torture.

[kimk3]

08:05 PM on 06/02/2009

With McHugh at the Helm,
Christian Fundamentalist Permeation
of the Army Likely to Continue

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

By Chris Rodda http://chris-rodda.dailykos.com/

[Yermammy]

08:07 PM on 06/02/2009

What could possibly go wrong with that? (Besides everything, I mean).

[TerryDArc]

08:03 PM on 06/02/2009

Bleeding the GOP on governor, one congressperson at a time! Now for a couple senators.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

08:05 PM on 06/02/2009

the Maine Senators . . . come on over. Probably waiting for a slow new cycle.

[Yermammy]

08:06 PM on 06/02/2009

Oh yeah, any more smart moves and we'll be in GREAT shape! We got em right where we want em, hunh? LOL!

[NobodysPoodle]

07:51 PM on 06/02/2009

Why should we care? Who is he? What are his qualifications? What is his background?

A little journalism please.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

08:02 PM on 06/02/2009

Really! Sheesh. Surely there is more to the man than that he is in the GOP, even though that is pretty bad.

[wonketteRAWKS]

08:06 PM on 06/02/2009

Here's McHugh's latest Op-Ed.....

http://thehill.com/op-eds/how-gop-can-reclaim-its-position-as--the-party-americans-trust-on-security-2009-06-01.html

[Cool-headed]

09:48 PM on 06/02/2009

Hear, hear.

[Wallysmom]

07:50 PM on 06/02/2009

I am just amazed that so many of the posts have absolutely nothing to do with the story. I think it is terrific that Obama has reached across the aisle on so many occassions with his most recent GOP appointments. This was a promise he made and something that had not happened over the past 8 years. It is not an administration of crazy liberals, I think he is trying for balance. If you want to rant about promises find a Huff article that has SOMETHING to do with the topic.