Commerce Department's Loss - Our Gain

It was announced today that Judd Gregg -- the Republican senator from New Hampshire -- has withdrawn his name for consideration as the next Commerce Secretary. Eschewing the usual vague explanation and failing to drag out the hoary "personal issues" excuse, Gregg was particularly blunt in his statement.

"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," Gregg said in a statement quoted by the Washington Post. "Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns."

When he was announced as the replacement noinee, President Obama claimed the choice was made as a show of bipartisanship, part of his goal of bringing people with opposing views into the Cabinet.

But apparently, the opposing views the Republican nominee brought to this position were just too opposite.

Perhaps there is no issue of concern to the Democrats as the upcoming census and its effect on the upcoming elections. The thought of putting that matter in the hands of a Republican, even one willing to sacrifice his Senate seat to help the new administration, was apparently too much for the Democrats to handle.

So when Gregg was announced, the Democrats advised of their plan to have the Census director no longer report to the Commerce Secretary but instead to White House officials, starting with the upcoming 2010 censs. The Census Bureau, which is under the Commerce Department, is responsible for collecting population data that helps in redrawing congressional seats, among other things.

Gregg had to realize that he was being used as a pawn -- he would be trotted out occassionally to show how bipartisan the Obama administration was, while having little real power over his department. By withdrawing, Gregg showed an unwillingness to take a cabinet position that was almost immediately planned to be stripped of its power.

With his withdrawal, there is still the issue of the White House influence over the upcoming census. The idea that this bureau would be politicized should be of concern to all. As House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said of the bureau, "It should not be directed by political operatives working out of the White House."

If a new Democrat Commerce Secretary (assuming there is a Democrat out there who has paid their taxes) hands oversight of the Census to the White House, it is not unfair for Republicans to be the ones wondering about the fairness and impartiality of the process? Unfortunately, if it results in great gains for Democrats in the House, it may not matter how much the Republicans complain.

Still, it's nice to have Gregg back and not have to worry about another Senate seat going to the Democrats.