Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, Says He Will Not Serve Past Obama's First Term

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Thursday he will not serve beyond President Barack Obama's first term, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The former Republican congressman from Illinois also said he would not run for public office again. He served in Congress for 14 years before joining Obama's cabinet. He said he wanted to enter the private sector after leaving the administration.

After Secretary of Defense Robert Gates retired on July 1, 2011, LaHood remains the only Republican in the Obama cabinet.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley have both said they will not stay past Obama's first term.

The Huffington Post's Sam Stein interviewed LaHood last May. The transportation secretary expressed concern for bicyclist safety and praised the creation of bike lanes in cities. When asked whether he was a "hipster" for defending cyclist safety, he said, "I don't even know what that term means."

Comments

[AZDave2]

09:16 AM on 10/14/2011

After Obama's re-election there will be a number of changes. That's fine. I think that in a new Administration the 99% movement will cause many changes in the Government so that the Cabinet will look more like the 99ers and more main-street middle-class friendly. Why? Because Wall street has bailed on Obama and the entertainment sector is doubling down on Obama together with students, the elderly who what their Medicare and Social Security, and minorities. The Republicans are moving even farther to the right (I don't know how much room is left on the right before they become absolute fascists) and even the Koch Brothers won't be able to buy this election like they bought the one in 2010.

[FatFeline]

06:26 AM on 10/14/2011

I do not think that he will have to worry about serving under Obama's mythical second term.

[mamala4]

08:48 AM on 10/14/2011

YOU are wrong...look at the cast of clowns and there is no way Obama will lose....the polls agree with me despite O's low ratings...just shows that compared to the dolts on the GOP side, Obama is still a winner.

[ritgar]

09:26 PM on 10/14/2011

How true. The repub clown car will continue to entertain until their demise. They are such a hateful, mean, spiteful group, how do they have any support? People can't really be that mindless, venal, and clueless to being sold down the road.

[rickroland]

05:44 AM on 10/14/2011

I'm surprised he stuck it out this long.

[onlythetruthcounts]

05:33 AM on 10/14/2011

Hipster? Where's the fedora and cup of Starbucks and tight jeans? He isn't even wearing brown! He ain't even chili.

[OHteach]

12:10 AM on 10/14/2011

What's with the hipster Headline?

[onlythetruthcounts]

05:34 AM on 10/14/2011

maybe they're trying to make an old white fat guy hip somehow? Never worked b4...

[Criss Strokes]

10:39 PM on 10/13/2011

Deep inside Obama doesn't want to stay for a second term either.

[jerzygurl]

05:26 AM on 10/14/2011

He must feel like Johnson did in 1967.

[Nick Tarlton]

06:45 AM on 10/14/2011

I wouldn't blame him with all the issues he has with the nutcases running the house...common sense will not get through to them. He has done everything to work with them, but they will not have it. They are determined to make sure nothing is done in this country except of course that the rich get richer and the middle class is destroyed.

[holyghostie]

10:04 PM on 10/13/2011

Hey Ray how about you stop wasting Millions of dollars on Click it N ticket. DOT spends a ridiculous amount of money on advertising this program. The programs own research shows that 97+ percent of Americans wear a seatbelt. Americans don't 100% comply in any area of law so stop wasting money...and apply it to an area where we might get more bang for our buck.

[sks504]

09:39 PM on 10/13/2011

All of them will be gone next year. He is the only one smart enough to know it.

[nedrick]

08:27 PM on 10/13/2011

Like he has a choice.

[Sarah Cuse]

07:27 PM on 10/13/2011

Breaking News!

[progressafarians]

07:02 PM on 10/13/2011

Neither will Obama (serve after Jan 2013)

[Deschris]

08:56 PM on 10/13/2011

That is what you think.We have 8 crazies opposing Obama.

[hotbarb2614]

09:12 PM on 10/13/2011

Eight crazies and all the crazies that vote for them

[trweste144]

09:29 AM on 10/14/2011

We also have many crazies making it so Democrats can't win in the states they gerrymander.

[Nathaniel Livingston]

06:19 PM on 10/13/2011

Thank God! What did he get accomplished?

[hotbarb2614]

09:13 PM on 10/13/2011

You might want to read before you make a comment.

[rlshf46]

10:25 PM on 10/13/2011

They never do! They just respond, and the scary part of it all is they vote! The more comments I read on this site, the more I understand why this country is suffering. We have either failed in the educational system in this country or someone is going one heck of a job at brainwashing.

[Nathaniel Livingston]

04:17 AM on 10/14/2011

I did read before I commented. LaHood didn't get anything done!