The Ice Flow

The Media missed it.

Shocked?

Sure you are. So is Guru.

They refer to Judd Gregg (R-NH) withdrawing from his nomination as Commerce Secretary in the Obama cabinet as the '4th Blow for Obama'.

Gee, I don't know...let's look!

1st 'Blow'

The 1st Commerce Designate was Bill Richardson, a guy who is Apostate to the Clinton Democrats, both in the cabinet and the country. Appointing him, a supporter with a solid resume was no blight on Barack - nobody doubts Richardson is competent, the guy has served his country and state with distinction.

But...he's got a thicket of ethical concerns to wade through, and his withdrawal in no way reflects upon Obama. In fact, by acknowledging the political debt to the guy and still not having to deal with the divisive energy around actually having him AROUND. Obama comes out in a win-win scenario, and the smirks on we newly docile NorthEastern dissidents accrue to the President without him having to do anything.

What could be wrong there?

2nd 'Blow'

Then there is Tom Daschle at HHS (Health and Human Services). Another political chit that had to be observed, another serious player with vast experience and a bust-out resume, another perfectly valid reason for the appointment, another guy with ethical baggage, another undesirable in the Upper RIght Hand corner of the Map disappears for reasons entirely of his OWN doing.

Who's complaining?

3rd 'Blow'

Guru has no idea what a 'Chief Performance Officer' (is that a Urologist?) does, so its tough to get worked up about the 'loss' of nominee, Nancy Killefer. One thing is sure, that is not a 'blow' that Barack will feel.

4th 'Blow'

And so we come to the 2nd Commerce Designee, the aforementioned Mr. Gregg. Ole Judd is a dinosaur, one of the last New Hampshire GOP still standing after a generational/demographic shift that has taken the Granite State from Red to Purple to Blue in the past two decades. He engaged in a series of balletic moves upon being considered and had to place language in his deal that insured the NH Senate slot he'd be vacating would not be given to a Democrat (ahead of the 2010 election when the natives will do so on their own, thank you).

Then, having secured those assurances, and seeing the Democratic Governor of NH, John Lynch, accede to them and select R - Bonnie Newman, to succeed him and seeing Ms. Newman, dutifully report and begin the introduction process in a tricky spot, he now pulls the rug out on EVERY deal he made...leaving the President looking for another Commerce Secretary and having wasted his time along with pissing off BOTH NH parties, creating useless waste work for Lynch and a life/career upheaval for Newman. Sure he has made himself a hero to the Trogolodytes. So is Sarah, and Cheney...

So let's see...Barack honors his goal of selecting a GOP member of the Cabinet (along with Defense Secretary Robert Gates) AND honors the spirit of the candidates concerns with an unprecedented re-working of traditional deference to the Governor and still doesn't have to deal with the schmuck in his cabinet - infused with the types of moronic, bad economics that are the hallmark/millstone of the GOP.

Final Score?

On Judd...GOP vow kept. Feudalist idiot not in Cabinet. NH looking like a lock for Dems in '10.

Keep taking 'blows' like that B-Bam and we may just have something!

As for the overall tally...all 'paybacks' and promises were honored without having Cabinet members that many Democrats do not want anyway. Barack certainly loses nothing with his base, losing out on political lifers with longer careers than the average Obama voters been alive.

He should break the box he was in and go for what he WANTS with the rest of the team, now.

He doesn't owe anyone else, and doesn't have to play this ridiculous game out any longer.

One observer, who shall remain nameless (but has a HUGE forehead!) would like to see Michael Bloomberg, NYC Mayor, self-made Billionaire and the state-of-the-art on Infrastructure and Budget offered the role. While the Mayor is likely to decline (he has a bigger job now and won the right to run again in '09 for a third term...), he is a patriot and a problem solver, in total control of himself, beholden to none and the absolute POSTER-child for post-partisanship (there's a phrase...) as a lifelong Democrat, who switched to the GOP to avoid a crowded Democratic primary, rode out that ruse as long as it benefited his City (with a hostile GOP President in office) and then switched to Independent the SECOND said loser could no longer benefit/harm his town.

Bloomberg automatically becomes the biggest and most trusted economic mind in the Administration and calms Obama base fears about Summers and Geithner, who would effectively slide into deputy roles.

It's a brilliant idea (wish I knew it's anonymous parent!) that would turn the 4 'blows' into the wind, where we've shown they already reside, in every sense but in the minds (teensy) of the Gossip columnists writing Politics from the Capital. They'd catch on to the above, probably...in July.