Obama ready to nominate Gregg for Commerce

The New York Times is reporting that President Obama is ready to nominate Republican Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire as the next secretary of commerce. If Gregg is nominated and confirmed, the move would dramatically alter the balance of power in the Senate, as New Hampshire’s governor, John Lynch is a Democrat who would either appoint a Democrat or Republican whose views are more in line with the Democrats’ as Gregg’s replacement in the Senate, giving Senate Democrats 59 Senate seats. Democrats would then be one step away from holding the filibuster-proof 60 seats, which many believe would happen as Democrat Al Franken continues to wait for the legal resolution to the results of the 2008 Minnesota Senate election. Should Franken prevail in the legal proceedings, then Democrats in the Senate would wield power never seen by any party for many decades.

Daschle nomination in trouble

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD)

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), President Obama’s secretary of health and human services nominee and the director of the newly created White House Office of Health Reform, is facing problems with his confirmation after the revelation that he failed to pay taxes on a the use of a car and driver. In reviewing his finances while preparing for the lengthy confirmation process, which includes FBI background checks, numerous questionnaires from the committee overseeing the confirmation and the confirmation hearing itself, Daschle discovered the error and paid the back taxes plus interest.

However, this tax problem is one that could derail his nomination, especially given the fact that Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner had a similar tax issue and the Senate Finance Committee ended up allowing his nomination to continue. As the Senate Finance Committee is handling Daschle’s confirmation, some believe that Senate Republicans will filibuster the nomination in order to derail it. However, aides to Senate Democrats and the White House are firmly stating that Daschle will be confirmed. The Senate Finance Committee will have a closed-door meeting to privately discuss the future of Daschle’s nomination.

Ordinarily, a nominee in this situation would most likely not make it through the confirmation process, but given the fact that this nominee is Tom Daschle, who is well-liked on both sides of the aisle by his former Senate colleagues, he could not only survive this, but be overwhelmingly confirmed. While this does not mean that he will not be grilled by Senate Republicans, Daschle, who was instrumental in setting up President Obama’s Senate office and then his presidential campaign, currently has the full backing and support of President Obama and many of his senior staff, who happen to have previously worked for Daschle (two former Daschle aides in the Obama Administration include senior advisor Pete Rouse and White House Deputy Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer), therefore, many in the White House have enourmous amount of loyalty and respect for Daschle.

Sunday talk show lineup for February 1

This Week: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Google CEO Eric Schmidt, FedEx CEO Fred Smith then a roundtable with David Sanger, Bob Woodward, Martha Raddatz & George Will

Face the Nation: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) & David Brooks

Fox News Sunday: Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) & Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Meet The Press: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), followed by a roundtable with Erin Burnett, Steve Forbes & Mark Zandi

Steele elected RNC chairman

Former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele was elected the chairman of the Republican National Committee after six rounds of balloting. After the second round, Mike Duncan, the incumbent chair, withdrew from the race, shifting the contest to a pitched battle between Steele and South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson.

GOP hit over Rush Limbaugh in new web ad

Gregg to Commerce?

Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)

Neither Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) or the White House are commenting on rumors that Gregg has been discussing becoming secretary of commerce with President Obama. Should Gregg be offered the position and accept it, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, a Democrat, would be able to appoint Gregg’s replacement, giving Democrats 59 seats in the Senate. Should Al Franken end up winning the court battle over the 2008 Minnesota Senate election, Democrats would then control the filibuster-proof 60 seats.

Landing Gregg as commerce secretary would be a major coup for President Obama and Senate Democrats. Gregg is considered to be quite qualified for the post and would be easily confirmed by the Senate. Senate Republicans would be unable to offer any valid opposition to the move and would also have to overwhelmingly vote for his confirmation, while sucking up losing another Senate seat.

Blagojevich removed from office

The Illinois State Senate voted unanimously to remove Rod Blagojevich from office. The 59-0 vote removes Blagojevich from office immediately. Blagojevich is the eight governor in United States history to ever be removed from office.

In a second vote, the Illinois State Senate voted 59-0 to ban Blagojevich from ever again seeking or holding public office in Illinois.

Illinois Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will now take the oath of office and become governor of Illinois.

Blagojevich defends himself in front of IL State Senate

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich defends himself in front of the Illinois State Senate, who could, and likely will, remove him from office by the end of the day. Many are now betting that it will be a unanimous vote to remove Blagojevich.

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House passes economic stimulus bill

The House of Representatives has just passed the economic stimulus bill by a vote of 244 to 188. Not a single Republican voted in favor of passing the bill, despite numerous tax cuts inserted into the bill at the direction of the Obama administration.

The bill now heads to the Senate for its approval.

Blagojevich asks to speak at impeachment trial

This should be entertaining.

Palin starts PAC

Former 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has started a PAC, SarahPAC, based in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington. The move is a clear signal that she is building a national finance network for a possible 2012 presidential run.

Geithner confirmed by Senate

Timothy Geithner has just been confirmed by the Senate as the next secretary of the Treasury. The final vote was 60 in favor and 34 against with 4 senators not voting.

Blagojevich on The View

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Dowd: Paterson showed he is a joke in Gillibrand pick

Maureen Dowd compared Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and New York Governor David Paterson in their method for selecting their state’s Senate replacements for President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton. The piece concludes that Paterson looks more like a joke and unprofessional, while it also politely attacks Senator-designate Kirsten Gillibrand:

Instead they have Gillibrand, who voted against the Wall Street — as in New York — bailout bill. And who introduced a bill to balance the federal budget annually, which suggests she would oppose the $825 billion in deficit spending that President Obama proposes to rescue the country, not least New York.

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Paterson wasn’t thinking of New York, only of how an upstate ally who was a woman would bolster his own chances for re-election. We can only hope that an avenging Andrew Cuomo takes him out in a primary.

The 42-year-old Gillibrand, who has been in the House for only two years, is known as opportunistic and sharp- elbowed. Tracy Flick is her nickname among colleagues in the New York delegation, many of whom were M.I.A. at her Albany announcement.

Fellow Democrats were warning Harry Reid on Friday that he was going to have his hands full with the new senator because she’s “a pain.”

Blagojevich compares himself to Mandela, King & Gandhi

Some stuff you just can’t make up.

Blagojevich to appear on The View

Embattled Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) will appear on The View on Monday with his wife Patricia. The appearance should keep many on the edge of their seats as nobody knows what Blagojevich will say next.

Yesterday, Blagojevich compared his arrest to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and has accused Democrats of wanting him out of office so that they can raise taxes. When he was impeached by the State House in early January, Blagojevich accused the entire legislative body of wanting him out of the way because of what he has done “to fight for families.”

Sunday talk show lineup for January 25

Fox News Sunday: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) & Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Meet The Press: House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers, followed by a roundtable with Thomas Friedman, Michele Norris & Stephen Hayes

This Week: Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) then a roundtable with Carly Fiorina, Paul Krugman, Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts & George Will

Face the Nation: Vice President Joe Biden

Gillibrand to replace Clinton in Senate

Kirsten Gillibrand and Hillary Clinton

New York media outlets are reporting that Governor David Paterson will select Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand as Hillary Clinton’s replacement in the Senate. The announcement will be made tomorrow at a press conference in Albany, New York.

Gillibrand, 42, is moderate and is serving her second term in Congress. Before being elected to the House, she worked as special counsel to the secretary of housing and urban development during the Clinton administration, Andrew Cuomo (who was also considered for the vacant Senate seat), then she moved into private legal practice until her election to the House in 2006.

Update: The Gillibrand pick is already not sitting well with some New York Democrats.

At least one member on the New York delegation—Long Island Democrat Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was murdered by a crazed gunman 15 years ago on the Long Island Rail Road—is raising a red flag, calling out Gillibrand for an “awful” record on gun control. McCarthy said she won’t attend tomorrow’s press conference, citing an earlier commitment.

The New York Times is reporting that McCarthy would challenge Gillibrand in a 2010 Democratic primary:

Representative Carolyn McCarthy, a Long Island Democrat and ardent gun control activist, said Thursday that if Ms. Gillibrand got the job, she was prepared to run against her in a primary in 2010.

Report: Caroline Kennedy withdraws from consideration to replace Clinton in Senate

Reports are just hitting the wires that Caroline Kennedy has withdrawn from consideration to replace Hillary Clinton in the United States Senate. Kennedy cited “personal reasons” when she told New York Governor David Paterson of her decision.

The move could very well be seen as a way for Kennedy to avoid the embarrassment of not being selected.

Update: There are conflicting reports that Kennedy actually was asked by Paterson to reconsider her decision, which would indicate that he was inclined to select her for the seat. Additionally, The New York Times is now reporting that Kennedy withdrew because of tax problems and an issue with a housekeeper. There are also reports that Kennedy had, or is having, an affair with the publisher of The New York Times.

White House release first photos of President Obama in the Oval Office

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel confers with President Obama

President Obama spent part of his first morning in the White House calling world leaders