Thursday, February 12, 2009

Party chairs on Gregg withdrawal

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley and New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman John H. Sununu has released statements on U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg’s decision to withdraw his nomination for the top Commerce post.

Sununu on Gregg:

"Senator Gregg made it clear in his statement and his conference call why he felt he should withdraw his name from consideration for Secretary of Commerce, and his decision confirms that he is a man of principle and commitment. I wish him and Kathy nothing but the best in the future."

Buckley on Gregg:

"At a time when it appeared that Senator Judd Gregg was going to put aside partisan politics to work with the president on fixing our economy, he has instead decided that being in lock-step with conservative Washington Republicans is more important than finding solutions to these serious problems.

"We need leaders in Washington who are going to roll-up their sleeves and work across the aisle to fix our broken economy. The fact that Senator Gregg has withdrawn his name from consideration because of his objection to a recovery package that that will help jump start our economy, create millions of new jobs, and provide broad tax cuts for working Americans is simply out of touch.

"It has been clear from the beginning of this process that Judd Gregg no longer has an interest in serving the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate."

Hodes hits Gregg over nomination withdrawal

U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) has released a statement that is critical of U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg’s (R-NH) decision to withdraw his nomination to be the Secretary of Commerce.

Below is the Hodes statement:

“I am surprised and disappointed at this sudden withdrawal. Senator Gregg would take us back to the years of George W. Bush rather than moving forward with the change agenda that the American people clearly want. I will continue to work with President Obama to create jobs and rebuild our economy for the middle class.

I will be a candidate for the United State Senate in 2010. I look forward to working every day to stand up for New Hampshire as we come together to confront the economic crisis facing our nation.”

Gregg withdraws, what is next?

Now that U.S. Sen. Judd (R-NH) has decided to withdraw his nomination to become the next Secretary of Commerce, here are some questions worth considering.

-Did Gregg receive any pressure to withdraw from GOP leaders?
-Who did Gregg contact after he made his decision? What did they tell Gregg?
-What does Bonnie Newman think? What does John Lynch think?
-How does this affect U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes decision to run for the United States Senate?

NRSC airs web ad against Hodes

The NRSC has a new web ad that criticizes U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes support for the stimulus bill.

According to the NRSC, “The video highlights U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes’ (D-NH) support for the largest tax increase in American history, as well as this year’s massive spending bill, which adds over one trillion dollars to the federal debt and contains many egregious examples of wasteful spending, including $335 million for STD prevention and $150 million for honeybee insurance. As he prepares for his 2010 U.S. Senate bid, Hodes will be forced to explain these fiscally irresponsible votes to Granite State voters.”

Hodes announced earlier this month that he would run for the United States Senate next year.

NRCC targets Shea-Porter

The NRCC has begun airing a radio ad against U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH).

“While middle-class families are hurting and looking to their leaders for help, Carol Shea-Porter has failed to deliver real relief,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain in a press release. “Carol Shea-Porter had a choice to pass an alternative proposal that would have created twice as many jobs at half the cost and in less time, but she chose to pass this package of pork instead. After running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, Carol Shea-Porter now has the obligation to explain why she’s willing to pile even more mountains of debt onto our grandchildren without regard for how middle-class families’ hard-earned tax dollars will be spent.”

Lynch 'respects' Gregg's decision

Gov. John Lynch (D-NH) said that he “respects” U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg’s decision to withdraw his nomination for Commerce Secretary.

"I very much respect Senator Gregg's decision to withdraw and stay in the U.S. Senate,” Lynch said in a statement.

Lynch also said thanked Bonnie Newman, the woman Lynch selected to fill Gregg’s seat.

"I want to thank Bonnie Newman for her willingness to serve. She is a great public servant, who I am confident will continue to make important contributions to our state and our nation."

Gregg withdraws nomination

U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) has announced that he is withdrawing his nomination to become the next Secretary of Commerce.

Gregg said in a press release that he has “irresolvable conflicts” with President Obama over the stimulus bill and the attempt to have the White House oversee the Census.

Below are excerpts from the Gregg release:

“I want to thank the President for nominating me to serve in his Cabinet as Secretary of Commerce. This was a great honor, and I had felt that I could bring some views and ideas that would assist him in governing during this difficult time. I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle.

“However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy.”

Gregg added, “As a further matter of clarification, nothing about the vetting process played any role in this decision. I will continue to represent the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate.”

Sununu take over of NH GOP now complete

If you worked for former U.S. Sen. John Sununu’s campaign, there is a good chance you could get a job working for the New Hampshire Republican Party.

John DiStaso reported that Ryan Williams, Sununu’s former campaign communications director, has been hired to fill the same post for the state party.

Shortly after former Gov. John H. Sununu became chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, DiStaso reported that former Sununu campaign staffers BJ Perry, Paul Collins and Andy Leach were all volunteering for the state party.

It now appears that the Sununu take over of the state party is now complete.