I thought it would be Earl Blumenauer

but he needed more Republicans, so thats why I figure he chose LaHood.

16, Male, MI-01

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by: Menhen @ Sat Dec 27, 2008 at 20:59:59 PM UTC

I love Earl "the Bike" Blumenauer

but probably he is needed more to do battle in the House Transportation Committee when the highway bill comes up for reauthorization in 2009.

Also, we need Blumenauer to help lead the fight to get transportation policies included in any climate change bill. Background:

http://www.bleedingheartland.c...

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by: desmoinesdem @ Sat Dec 27, 2008 at 21:54:47 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

speculation on why Obama picked LaHood

I put some links in this diary:

http://www.bleedingheartland.c...

I was disappointed by the choice. Here's hoping Obama knows something good that we don't know about LaHood.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Sat Dec 27, 2008 at 21:56:02 PM UTC

I was at first hesitant about LaHood

Until I found a link from electoral-vote.com:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

This one, however, is loaded with meaning because LaHood is no ordinary member of Congress. He has been, as Shields pointed out, one of the most widely respected members of the House; a leader in the uphill struggle for comity between the parties; and a throwback to the days of his old boss Bob Michel, the minority leader who resisted the scorched-earth tactics of Newt Gingrich. Such was LaHood's reputation for fairness that he was the natural choice to preside over the House during the explosive impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton.

The significance of his accepting Obama's offer goes beyond the signal it sends of the new president's seriousness about outreach to moderate Republicans. As transportation secretary, LaHood will be at the center of the road and bridge construction projects Obama plans to make the highlight of his almost trillion-dollar stimulus program.

All the signs are that the stimulus spending will be opposed by congressional Republicans, whose shrunken ranks are increasingly dominated by right-wing Southerners who care not what their stance does to harm the party's national image.

The spectacle of LaHood facing off in congressional testimony against those naysayers will dramatize a split that is crippling the GOP.

If this split keeps the GOP torn like this, then they can possibly kiss their hopes of a comeback in 2010 and taking back the White House in 2012 good-bye.

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28, New Democrat, Female, TX-03 (hometown CA-26)

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by: californianintexas @ Sat Dec 27, 2008 at 22:09:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

LaHood will be fine

As you say, he's a bit of a throwback.  One of the "good" republicans willing to work across the aisle.  I suspect he'll do a good job at Transportation in advising President Obama.

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by: ChadInFL @ Sun Dec 28, 2008 at 05:51:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Additionally

Perhaps it can also be used to hurt Schock in IL-18: "We used to have representation that would work with people..."

Follow the elections in Georgia at the 2010 Georgia Race Tracker.

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by: TheUnknown285 @ Sun Dec 28, 2008 at 22:07:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'd been hoping Bill Richardson would get that job

He was one of the few presidential candidates to talk about this issue on the campaign trail in Iowa:

http://www.bleedingheartland.c...

I have no idea if Richardson had any interest in this job or was ever considered.

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by: desmoinesdem @ Sat Dec 27, 2008 at 21:57:34 PM UTC

I don't really understand Transporation

It meant something back during the construction of the Interstate Highway system and the modernization of the rail system and the construction of the air travel network, but now, it's sorta a backseat job. Perfect place to stick your token Republican.

I don't really know why Obama picked LaHood. I assume it's because he worked well with LaHood as part of the Illinois Congressional delegation and decided he wanted him to be the token Republican in the cabinet on in a department where he can't do much damage with his base (i.e. not a top level department).

Liberty Avenue Politics - a place for politics in Southern Queens

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by: nrafter530 @ Sun Dec 28, 2008 at 00:33:58 AM UTC

As I said above

Obama probably chose LaHood to show that he is willing to reach out to moderate Republicans, and that LaHood will be at the center of Obama's stimulus program for building roads and other stuff, which will be strongly opposed by most of the Republican caucus and drive an even deeper divide in them which may make a 2010/12 comeback very difficult if not impossible.

My blog
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28, New Democrat, Female, TX-03 (hometown CA-26)

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by: californianintexas @ Sun Dec 28, 2008 at 03:26:23 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

just out of curiousity

where are you from?

In Minneapolis/St. Paul, our roads are complete shit, we have probably the worst mass transit for a major metro area in the country, and 35W is all replaced but there is a bridge in St. Cloud that crosses over the Mississippi as well that is closed because it wobbles...  And then another major bridge, highway 52 over the MS that starts just after dtown St. Paul and goes south is apparently in worse shape than 35W was before it collapsed!

Hopefully you're lucky to live in a state that has invested in it's transportation but MN has not and Transportation and Energy/EPA were the picks I was looking forward to because they are two biggest failings I see every day.

Tink plus Oberstar as chair for the House trans. committee, oh man, us Minnesotans would be living the high life, taking choo choos all over the place.

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by: Andrew @ Mon Dec 29, 2008 at 03:17:14 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

LaHood was a good choice

I think LaHood will help Obama's stimulus plan that includes adding infrastructure, which would fall under the Department of Transportation.  Having a respected guy like LaHood will help Obama's support with some of the reasonable members of Congress.  LaHood can make some persuasive arguments to the GOP, which will help our country.

40, male, Democrat, NC-04

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by: Tarheeman1993 @ Mon Dec 29, 2008 at 16:54:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]