Maybe Gregg backed out because the job would require heavy lifting and for short money.

He was likely told that if he continued down this path that he'd be sacrificing some money with some GOP minded law firm or think tank after his retirement. I'm wondering when the media is going to start focusing on the active attempts of the GOP to remain as bitterly partisan as possible in the face of tremendous (and increasingly unadvisable) outreach by the Obama administration.

The only thing that changed DURING the vetting / feeling out process is that Obama indicated that Gregg would not oversee the Census. Circumstantial evidence that Gregg either a) took it as a personal insult that Obama would presume Gregg couldn't handle census professionally, or b) planned to use his appoiment to the post as a way to change Census, and didn't much care about anything else.

Either way, good riddance.

The Republicans stepped on his neck. I have a feeling word has gotten out that anyone who cooperates with the Obama adminstration can kiss their Republican career goodbye.

there's no evidence that Gregg's departure has anything to do with new information that vetters had missed.

But there are a couple clues. 1) A former staffer (Kevin Koonce) had been fingered in a recent plea deal related to Abramoff. The claim was that Koonce received gifts in exchange for Gregg's legislative actions. 2) Koonce now works for a lobbying firm that represents trade associations, which almost certainly will have dealings with the Commerce Dept. 3) Greg Craig at DOJ has recently taken over the vetting process.

The Greg Craig part is new, and it is far more likely that he would have focused on the Koonce issue, because, if nothing else, any meaningful malfeasance connecting Gregg to the Abramoff scandal will reflect strongly on Craig. Imagine the conflict of interest if Obama's DOJ has to investigate his recently appointed Commerce Sec.

this seems to be a tough post to fill...first Richardson, then Gregg. Ok, OK fuck it, I'll be Secretary of Commerce! I mean we need closure on this, so we can fill more important posts like Head of the President's Council on Physical Fitness.

Gregg declared his full support for Obama's spending program---and then recused himself from supporting it.

Gregg actively campaigned for the job---and then withdrew. Obama didn't seek Gregg out; it was the other way around.

Gregg said the stimulus was a good thing; declared that the Census issue was minuscule---and then cites irreconcilable differences on stimulus and Census.

Gregg spent years trying to destroy Commerce as an entity---then begged for the job? C,mon now, isn't that like giving the captain of the Exxon Valdez another supertanker full of oil?

Oh, wait---Gregg is a republican....

Did Larry Flynt have an influence on Judd's final decision?

And, somewhere, Gordon McCrae breaks out with "Poor Judd is dead"

This is another step toward oblivion for the republican party. We're getting very close to the day where Obama can say he tried to work with the minority party, and despite their decimated numbers on Capitol Hill, they've made it clear they're not interested. He doesn't need them, and the country has made it plain they don't much want them. Until they get serious about their responsibilities, we'll all be better off without them.

Most likely it was heat from the wingnuts and the Abramoff connection.

regardless the actual reason...

it appears once again...

that republicans have swiped away obama's attempts at...

bi-partisanship..

GOP 2009: we win...if obama loses...

@saint zak:
"..anyone who cooperates with the Obama adminstration can kiss their Republican career goodbye..."
Funny, at this point I'm inclined to believe that anyone who cooperates with a Republican can kiss their Republican career goodbye. They are a dying breed, and they've painted themselves into a corner, cut off their lifeline, cut off their nose to spite their face, and every other metaphor in the book. Americans aren't buying what they're selling anymore.
Gregg will be a small-print footnote in the history of the death of the Republican party.

you know who I often feel bad for? THE OTHER "REAL" REPUBLICANS. We all know 'em: people who aren't necessarily bad people, not racist or sexist, might even support same sex civil unions if not outright gay marrage. But people who, nonetheless, believe that the GOP represents fiscal responsibility, strong military, smaller government and fundamentally "American" values, while Democrats are misguided at best, and more often drains on the system, don't wanna work but wanna get paid types who threaten our nation's fabric. They're disillusioned, but like abused spouses, so many of them aren't willing to give up on the relationship yet. And the party's ruliing class knows this. They still see a "permanent majority" as possible; their only crime was backing the wrong horse in Bush (something they're not prepared to admit in public en masse, though Gingrich is dipping his pudgy toe in that pool of late). All they have to do is distance themselves from Obama, actively work to undermine him, and convince the base that he's a failure and even his successes would've been even bigger had McCain or Romney or Sara Peron made 'em.

The odds are, they're gonna get their asses handed to 'em in 10 & 12, and lose millions more disillusioned former Repub voters. But shhhhh! don't tell them!

I think Gregg showed his true colors. Republicans in the Senate shouldn't "trust" him to tow the party line any more than Democrats should "trust" him to be down with the bi-partisan thing.....

And that shit about the Census - that was just shit. The only people who believe that are the nutters on the right - which was who he was trying to appease what that shit. He needed to get back into the good graces with the GOP after betraying them to work for the Obama administration.

His re-election race will be interesting. While I don't know how those in New Hampshire felt about him going for a cabinet position - aren't his chances slimmer than before and didn't Obama win New Hampshire.

There is something we don't know. An embarrassing tax problem; illegal household help; perhaps some indiscreet past behavior. Think Bernard Kerik, John Edwards, and most of Obama's picks. This census/stimulus stuff was just to give him a face-saving exit.

When will Ben and Jerry's announce their new Flip Flop Delight - Mostly strawberry with a touch of blueberry.

This mystery is nothing that 20 years' worth of 1040s can't clear up.

Oh, and Koonce.

The most likely explanation of Judd Gregg's withdrawal from consideration for Commerce is his too-close-for-comfort ties to Jack Abramoff and the labor conditions/sweetheart deals in the Marianas. The role of his staff, and his responsibilities for oversight, would've been raised in confirmation hearings. Or, I'd like to hope so.

Several of those staff ties have been outlined in this dailykos story:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/13/32013/1373/707/696949

I don't think it's plausible this much power could be wielded by staff without Gregg's knowledge. Even if it were possible for staff to pull that degree of corruption off without Judd Gregg's explicit involvement and approval, it would've made for a very public, very messy issue during the upcoming hearings. And it'd've been much worse than Daschle's faux pas, which was legal, if unseemly.

I do find it amazing Gregg can be nominated and withdraw without the obvious connection being said out loud.

Gregg oversaw the Marianas and any trade & labor issues there as Chairman of the Senate Appropriation Committee Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary. I'd have to read up to verify with precision, but wouldn't these committees have oversight during the Tom DeLay-Jack Abramoff machinations? Especially over U.S. territories like the Marianas?

Two nuggets among many from the kos story:

"Being a conservative true believer helped Gregg win elections, but he also had the benefit of his family name. Gregg's father was a former Governor of New Hampshire in the early 1950s. And Gregg's father had appointed Louis Wyman (Robert Coughlin's grandfather) as New Hampshire's Attorney General. Wyman and Gregg the elder were supporters of Joe McCarthy-like witch hunts and the anti-communist hysteria of the day. In fact they were responsible for some of the worse Civil Liberty violations in New Hampshire history as they passed and enforced New Hampshire's Subversive Activities Law. Judd Gregg and Robert Coughlin came from the same wacko conservative stock.

Wyman died in 2002 and both Gregg and Coughlin paid tribute to him at the funeral service. I somehow find it hard to believe that Robert Coughlin and Judd Gregg never met and I think the Coughlin/Gregg connection is the Senator's second link to the Abramoff scandal. In an October 2001 memo to his clients on the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), Abramoff advised them that in the aftermath of 9-11 money was coming from Commerce and Justice—two Departments that Gregg oversaw as the Chairman of the Senate Appropriation Committee Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary. The Boulanger plea makes it clear that Jack and his team knew how and were able to work Judd Gregg's staff for their clients, but that's all."

Thank god this didn't happen.
Maybe Obama will finally get it into his head that now is the time to crush these vile beasts once and for all, not offer them cabinet positions and beg for their meaningless votes.

I'm all for bipartisanship, as long as one of the parties isn't the GOP.

Gregg had a reputation, apparently, for being a little odd. And he appeared a little odd to me during his presser.

The guy is strange. He's a real New England eccentric. The question is why Obama took him up on his offer to take up Commerce.

Absent something in a closet somewhere, another (slight) possibility is that Gregg was commandeered to set Obama up for another fall, and he chose to do it. A cheap Rethug dirty trick. He solicited the job, and then didn't have the courtesy to tell the White House first that he had changed his mind. There's definitely more to the story.

Of course, Obama should never even have considered him. Gregg's credentials for the job are thin at best, but our president still seems deluded by a (nonexistent) bipartisanship. Stunts like this make him look like an amateur.

I'd say Dan P (5th comment down) is really on to something. Good sleuthing, Dan.

The Constant Weader at www.RealityChex.com

I'm guessing the Republicans have some dirt on him.

It was planned. The Republicans did this deliberately to try and embarrass Obama.

After watching this guy's presser yesterday I'm thankful that he declined and I'm wondering what the hell Obama was thinking choosing him to begin with. Big Mistake in my mind. The guy is Looney Tunes and really didn't seem at all like a bright bulb to me. A policy wonk?? I don't buy it!! We need the BEST people in this cabinet. It's what the American people want and deserve! Don't pick idiots to a cabinet post in a hollow attempt to look bipartisan. That is failure on par with the previous administration and a stick in the eye to the American people. I'm the biggest Obama fan out here..but that choice was stupid, irresponsible, offensive. If that's the "best" the Republicans have then we're better off letting that fruit rot on the vine than picking it. Lame!

hey! don't you be insulting new englanders by claiming that gregg's a "real new england eccentric." he's a garden-variety asshole that could easily be found in any corner of this country.

I think he didn't think it through. He'd had it with campaigning (doesn't want to run in 2010), thought that running an agency would be a good career move and good, interesting work, but didn't think how uncomfortable the politics would be.

Andrew,
It may be true that the Republicans are just trying to pull the rug out from under Obama. Esp to emphasize their contentions re policy differences.

I really want to believe that Obama & staff are aware that Daschle was wasit-deep in lobbyists and Gregg is waist-deep in the Abramoff corruption scandal.

Nominating both, then, would appear to honor both men and bestow the respect and favor of the President. But it would allow Obama to sit back and watch both nominees subsequently go down in flames as various facts came to light. That would clear the decks of two major players heavily weighted down by special interests and corrupt dealings, freeing Obama to operate as he wished and less indebted to Gregg, Daschle or their tainted judgment.

Maybe Obama nominated these guys knowing they'd be suckered into accepting and would fail or have to pull out. In that scenario, Gregg withdrew before the dirty laundry aired.

Unfortunately, it's more likely Obama is genuinely trying to work with existing players, advance comity and get something done without upsetting the other guy's applecart. Too bad, though.

If the President wants to stay with a R, nominate Paul O'Neill to really upset the Rs. Or Kevin Phillips.

karen marie,

Sorry, but we here in NY have a monopoly on asshole politicians. You should feel fortunate in New England that you have eccentrics, like Chafee and Jeffords.

I don't even want to talk about what they got down South.

"hey! don't you be insulting new englanders by claiming that gregg's a "real new england eccentric." he's a garden-variety asshole that could easily be found in any corner of this country."

Maybe so. But having lived in New England and many other places in this country, New England has way more than it's share of assholes. And that includes Texas!

Arrogant, provincial, Assholes.

Never been anywhere else, but convinced they live in the best place in the world and if your grandparents were not born there, you don't belong.

Oh, and being 'different' is a bad thing!

.

Think Bernard Kerik, John Edwards, and most of Obama's picks.

I didn't realize that four out of hundreds of picks now counts as "most."

Innumeracy is a sad, sad state.

Live girl or dead boy?

I'm going with 'pressure from the GOP' - but the threat being "no lobbyist gravy train for you, after you leave the Obama Administration."

No inside knowledge here, just a WAG.

If Gregg were a woman you can guess what her decision would be blamed on and what pejorative terms would be used.

That aside, it cannot be doubted, considering the "timing" of his announcement that the Grand Ol Taliban Party was the motivation for his decision.

Also the "timing" of his announcement shows that Senator Gregg is truly low class, even by the standards of a politician.

The President of the United States honored him by offering him a position of prestige and he responded by attempting to dishonor the Presidency by trying to detract and distract from a Presidential speech on a topic that is of supreme importance to most Americans
.
In doing so he has dishonored himself and showed us another facet of just how low and how childishly petty and traitorous the Grand Ol Talibans can be.

I sincerely believe that the Republicans have only recently figured out that Gregg's expected replacement, Bonnie Newman, is a lesbian. Ms. Newman does not advertise the fact and is not "out" but it is an open secret in N.H. Eventually, this fact would have made it into the national media and I think the level of homophobia on the GOP side is so great that they could not imagine having one of "them" within their own caucus who, unlike Larry Craig and others we could name, would not bother to hide her orientation. Can you actually imagine people like Inhofe, Vitter or DeMint welcoming a gay person into their midst and having to court that person for their vote on a regular basis. I can't.

Yes, the timing was the worst ever. What a mean thing to do. He couldn't wait till the week-end--or say later today? Obama handled it with incredible class, with humor injected at the last minute into his fantastic speech.

And yes--good riddance! Now let's get a good solid Democrat in there.

And let's hope a Democratic senator is replaced by whomever is appointed.

I'm not quite so quick to absolve the President on this.

When the President is hiring a sitting Senator from the other party for his cabinet, isn't it an integral part of the process for the President to make good and damned sure that the Senator understands full well the "implications of being in the Cabinet versus myself as an individual doing my job?"

Especially considering the last 16+ years of mostly-Republican-initiated partisan warfare?

I should think that subject would be gone over with a fine-toothed comb before a Democrat invites a Republican into his cabinet. If it wasn't, it's not Gregg who is at fault.

Being a Republican is like being in the mob. You don't cross the mob.

My guess is that they wanted control of the census to get info to gerrymander like they did in TX. It's no secret that they think the south is going to net them more seats that they don't have to work to fill. Dems want to count EVERYONE, including illegal immigrants and they fear that that will give Dems an edge in the south that they were counting on. They are ticked that Obama took that into the WH and are already crying foul on the census before it even begins.