Politico.com reported today that a White House official said Sen. Judd Gregg is “one of the leading contenders” for commerce secretary. Yesterday I suggested several replacements for Gov. John Lynch to consider, but last night I smacked my head for not thinking of the one who would make the most sense: Donna Sytek.
Gregg is under tremendous pressure not to take the post unless Lynch agrees to appoint a Republican. Lynch is surely under tremendous pressure from within his own party to appoint a Democrat. The appointment of a Democrat is certainly a primary reason Gregg is being considered for the job. Sytek would be a great compromise should Lynch get the clear from the White House to name a Republican.
A former state GOP chairman and speaker of the House from 1996 - 2000, Sytek was a Republican legislator for a quarter century. She is highly regarded by both parties, is pro-life, and has demonstrated no interest in running for Senate on her own. She would vote a lot like Judd Gregg for the remainder of his term, but would almost certainly not seek re-election in 2010 (that would likely be a condition of her appointment).
Sure, this prevents the Dems from gaining a vote this year. And a more liberal Republican such as Walter Peterson would be more appealing to the Democrats. But Sytek would give New Hampshire two women senators, would give Obama and Lynch the opportunity to display real bipartisanship instead of the pretend version Obama has demonstrated so far, and would give the Democrats an open Senate seat to shoot for in 2010. The field of Democrats is going to be a lot stronger than the field of Republicans who would run for that seat next year (though historically it should be a Republican-leaning year).
If Obama is serious about this bipartisan business, he cannot accept Democratic replacements for himself and his VP and expect a Democratic replacement for Sen. Gregg. If he allows Lynch to appoint a Democrat, he exposes this move not as a bipartisan effort to bring a dissenting voice into the administration, but as a slick ploy to turn the Senate to the Democrats. It’s gotta be a Republican, and Sytek is a great, great choice.
If Sen. Judd Gregg becomes Commerce Secretary Judd Gregg, Gov. John Lynch will have to name his replacement. Speculation abounds over who would get the nod. These people would be at the top of my list, though not necessarily at the top of Gov. Lynch’s, or anyone else’s, list:
Republicans:
Tom Thomson. The politically active and very conservative son of former Gov. Mel Thomson would be a firecracker in the U.S. Senate. He might even wear flannel and dispense some of his award-winning syrup on the floor. Can you beat that?
Fergus Cullen. The immediate past state GOP chairman is a Yale and Harvard alumnus and small business owner who understands how to reach out to independents while upholding core Republican principles. He’d make an outstanding senator for the next two years. Whether he could win a primary challenge or a general election race is in question. But he’d represent the state well.
John E. Sununu. It’s kind of hard to justify appointing a senator who just got defeated, but John E. was possibly the best U.S. senator during his six years in Washington. No one would be better prepared to start working from day one.
Peter Bragdon. The state senator from Milford would be the top elected Republican in the state if Sen. Gregg takes the Commerce post. He is smart, articulate, fiscally conservative and likable.
Doug Scamman. The former House speaker has bipartisan respect, excellent political instincts, and a farm. He wouldn’t offend the left or the right. And how many career farmers are in the Senate these days?
Charlie Arlinghaus. The Josiah Bartlett Center president knows how to read budgets, root out and oppose wasteful spending and wear sweaters.
Democrats:
Jay Buckey. Astronaut, medical doctor, Dartmouth professor, and activist liberal. The guy wouldn’t vote the way I’d want, but he has a great mind and would be a formidable senator.
Lou D’Allesandro. Lou’s an institution. He’s put in enough hours for the party to justify his elevation to the plum post for two years.
Katrina Swett. The bridesmaid would finally become the bride. She’s smart, well-connected and politically experienced.
John Lynch. Why not? Wouldn’t you rather be a U.S. senator right now than be in charge of fixing the state budget? Who could blame him if he appointed himself and said, “See ya!” to Concord?
David Scannell. The former state representative and Democratic Party executive director is very smart and politically savvy. He doesn’t hate Republicans, either.
Paul Hodes. The 2nd District representative would fit in well in the famously chummy Senate (Carol Shea-Porter would not) and would be a safe selection who already has Washington experience. Plus, he sings. And I’d appoint him only if he sings for the seat. In public. In a tutu.
This is a truly scary road hazard.
So far this year state gas tax revenue is down $3.1 million compared to this point last year. Even doubling that, it amounts to less than the increase in the amount of money transferred out of the highway fund this year. The state is transferring more than $8 million more this year than it did last year. Increase the gas tax? How about reducing the highway fund transfers first?
America’s greatest contemporary writer died today.
For brilliant, engaging, thought-provoking and poetic prose, you can’t go wrong with John Updike. I suggest starting with the short story collection “Pigeon Feathers.”
For me, chancing upon Updike among the thousands of authors on the bookstore shelves was like visiting one of those tourist-trap gold-mining sites and discovering a massive vein of real gold among the little chips of mica and pyrite. No American in the last half-century has matched Updike’s writing for its combination of beauty and depth.
Nabokov, every bit the genius Updike was, cannot really be called an American writer. (Nabokov did refer to Updike as one of America’s greatest writers, the other being J.D. Salinger.)
I don’t think you can understand post-war American literature without John Updike. He turned a brilliant artist’s eye to the mundane, suburban lives so many Americans were living, and more remarkably than that, he didn’t mock them as so many “artists” think they are supposed to do. He loved suburban and small-town America. He moved from New York City to small-town Massachusetts in part so he could attend church without being an outcast. He was romantic and nostalgic about family and community and faith and love and America. I think his desire to understand all of these things helped his readers better understand them, too.
(With his universal acclaim as one of America’s greatest writers, it’s strange that as of mid-afternoon The Boston Globe still had not posted an Updike story on its Web site, given that he lived in Massachusetts. There still are Jim Rice stories up, however.)
John Updike has for years deserved the Nobel Prize for literature. Perhaps he’ll win it posthumously this year, though I doubt it. I suspect he’s too American to win it; that is, too pro-American in that even when he can be seen as critiquing the culture, it is clear that he doesn’t hate the country.
It’s going to snow tomorrow. I’ll be on the couch tomorrow night with a fire and my advance copy of Ray Bradbury’s new short story collection. If you enjoy great writing, it might be a good time to grab something by Updike and have a good read.
George Stephanopoulos is chief Washington correspondent for ABC News. He’s not a political commentator or an opinion journalist. He is the top reporter for ABC News in the nation’s capital. He is supposed to be an objective and impartial journalist. On the air, he appears to be that. He has surprised a lot of Republicans and conservatives with his on-air appearance of impartiality. But behind the scenes it’s a different story.
Politico’s John Harris reports today that Stephanopoulos is one of four former Clinton administration alumni who talk on the phone daily to shape Democratic Party policies and messages. The other three are Rahm Emanuel, Paul Begala and James Carville. Harris reports that these are more than just conversations among old pals. The four craft party messages, communications strategies and policies.
So although Stephanopoulos appears to be tough on Democrats on the air, he has in fact helped them to dodge his tough questions by coaching them on their message beforehand. ABC News Washington Bureau Chief Robin Sproul has said that her team is committed to fairness and objectivity. I don’t doubt that she means it. But I wonder what she will make of Harris’s report, assuming she didn’t know of these conversations already. To be fully objective, ABC News just cannot have a Washington correspondent who in his private time serves as an advisor to the White House chief of staff and two other top Democratic strategists.
Some folks are making reading recommendations for President Obama. I don’t presume that the President will ever get around to reading anything on any of those lists, or that he isn’t already well read. But just for fun, here are a few books I’d love to know the President has read.
F.A. Hayek: The Road to Serfdom
P.J. O’Rourke: Parliament of Whores
Dostoyevsky: The Devils
Allan Bloom: The Closing of the American Mind
Jonathan Swift: Gulliver’s Travels
George Orwell: Homage to Catalonia
Milan Kundera: The Joke
So neither Leon Panetta, Barack Obama’s choice to head the CIA, nor Dennis Blair, Obama’s choice for Director of National Intelligence, is a career intelligence official. Blair, who rose to command all Navy forces in the Pacific, spent two years working for the CIA. Panetta has never worked in intelligence gathering. Is that really… intelligent?
Blair said today that all interrogation and surveillance techniques should be lawfully approved.
That’s great. And isn’t it what Bush did? The President approved the harsh interrogation techniques CIA operatives used. Terrorists are not covered by the Geneva Conventions, so those legal restraints don’t apply. Then in 2006 the administration got Congress to approve the tougher techniques. It also got Congress to approve the wiretapping.
Meanwhile, President Obama issued executive orders banning the use of harsh interrogation techniques and requiring that interrogation methods be restricted to those approved in the Army Field Manual and comply with the Geneva Conventions.
However, The New York Times reported that White House Counsel Greg Craig “acknowledged concerns from intelligence officials that new restrictions on C.I.A. methods might be unwise and indicated that the White House might be open to allowing the use of methods other the 19 techniques allowed for the military.”
So despite the campaign rhetoric and the executive orders, Obama might allow tougher interrogation techniques than are presented in the Army Field Manual because CIA officials fear that his restrictions “might be unwise.” Very interesting.
On The Daily Show, NH Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson referred to himself a queen. I don’t think there’s any other way to interpret his comment, especially in context.
Here are links to the texts of the three official inaugural prayers.
Gene Robinson’s
Rick Warren’s
Joseph Lowery’s
What I find interesting is that the preacher who generated the most controversy was Rick Warren, but not for anything he said on Tuesday. Read his invocation, and it is all religion, no politics. But read the other two. They are overtly political. They speak of unity, but they clearly were written to provoke. Warren’s was just as clearly written to uplift. Funny how political outrage works.
On a side note, Lowery concludes his prayer with this paragraph:
“Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around … when yellow will be mellow … when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.”
Those are strange words for the benediction spoken at the inauguration of the first black President.
I’ve taken the trouble of condensing Barack Obama’s inaugural address into fewer than 10 words for those of you who weren’t able to see it live. Here goes:
I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
Some poetry in honor of our new President.
Barack Obama
Heaven sings thy lofty name
Whew, I have iPod
I flip the channels
Barack smiles on all stations
Please, not ESPN
You got elected
War, recession, deficit
All on you, brother
Caps, gloves, scarves and coats
Aretha has a big hat
Check toes for frostbite
Buttons and stickers
T-shirt, magnets, pen, mouse pad
I’m out eighty bucks
More programs for all
State gets bigger, trillions spent
Read constitution?
Glory be to thee
Obama! Obama! Yes!
Oh, look! Cute trinkets!
Giddy, quaking throng
Tears of joy, history swells
How you getting home?
Unity and hope
Nation together as one
Quick, put Limbaugh on
Help, we drown in debt
Made bad calls, lost house, subprime
Barack will save us
Supplicants beg him
Money, jobs, health care — not me
Please cut my taxes
All hail Obama!
Fair prince of prosperity
Gimme my cut now!
All media swoon
The messiah is arrived!
Shameless, fawning hacks
President of Earth
Citizen of the whole world
Oops, sovereignty gone
