SO CORRUPT HE JUST COULDN'T BE A PARTY TO IT:

Gregg flip-flop emboldens GOP (CHARLES MAHTESIAN, 2/13/09, Politico)

Republicans applauded boisterously when Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) opened a closed-door meeting in the Capitol basement Thursday night by announcing Gregg’s withdrawal.

"He made a difficult decision to turn down a job that a lot of Republicans could take," said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.). "Here's a guy who's going to turn down his place in the history books."

In pulling out, Gregg pointed to “irresolvable conflicts” on the two issues behind which the Republicans have been closing ranks—the stimulus package and the alleged politicization of the census.

“We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy,” he said in a statement issued by his Senate office.

By citing reservations about the economic recovery package, Gregg reinforced widespread GOP criticism about wasteful spending that has less to do with reviving the economy than rewarding Democratic constituencies. And by noting his differing view on the census, Gregg breathed life into Republican charges of a White House power grab over a critical Commerce Department function.

It'll be fun to see who takes a job that the Senator has basically just redefined as being Rahm Emanuel's prison wife.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Homey Just Got Played: (brothersjuddblog.com)
• Sen. Gregg withdraws as commerce secretary nominee saying he "made a mistake." (slate.com)
• White House Intends to Circumvent Gregg on Census (politicalwire.com)

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 13, 2009 9:09 AM