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Update: Josh Nelson points out that LaHood’s environmental record is pretty awful.
This one seemed to come out of nowhere. LaHood’s pretty reasonable as Republicans go, even if he did chair the Clinton impeachment he was chosen because he was seen as more fair and less partisan than most others. He’s one of the few Republicans who refused to sign Newt Gingrich’s contract for America, and anyone who tells Gingrich where to get off can’t be all bad.
He hasn’t been that involved with transportation issues. Adam Doster at Progress Illinois does the run down:
So what can we glean about LaHood’s record on this issue? The moderate Republican has broken with his party over Amtrak funding, voting yes last summer to expand passenger rail service. In 2005, he told the Peoria Journal-Star that "we’ve got a good Amtrak system in Illinois and I don’t think we want to destroy it by talking about privatization." In 2006, he received a 66 percent rating from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, a major transportation construction lobby. He also voted in favor of the Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008, a bill to promote increased public transportation use that garnered string bi-partisan support. Other than that, we know very little.
Ryan Avent thinks one can only assume this either means Obama doesn’t care much about transportation issues, or he expects someone else to do the heavy lifting. But LaHood is well known for bringing Republicans and Democrats together to get bills through, and that’s the sort of person Obama likes, indeed, the sort of person Obama sees himself as. So I’m not so sure, it could, in fact, be that Obama expects LaHood to work the legislature hard to push through Obama’s transportation plans.
Bottom line is we really don’t know. I can’t get very worked up about this appointment one way or the other. We’ll have to see how it plays out. Obama did promise to choose some Republicans and as Republicans go, LaHood’s pretty decent.
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There is a reason LaHood is an Amtrak fan .. and the reason was on the History Channel last night .. it’s the Empire Builder line .. look it up .. I’d bet it runs right through LaHood’s district
I’m not a big fan of Progressive Punch scoring… but you know it’s just dreadful when folks like LaHood scores 13.22%
I think the key question here is who is going to be the infrastructure czar in the economic team… that’s going to decide on and push forward the key transportation (and other projects) that will be integrated into the fiscal stimulus package.
Personally, I’d rather have a Transportation Secretary who understands urban transportation systems (the need for mass transit in cities and suburbs as an alternative to private auto use). I don’t want somebody that focuses on inter-city highways.
Private Rail System Owners like John Snow refuse to carry passengers. They know how poorly they maintain their own switches and equipment. Government-owned Amtrak carries all the passengers over Snow’s poorly maintained rail system. In case of an accident, the government, not Snow, pays the claims.
Tort reform now helps keep the expenses down for loss of life and limb. Party On.
Meanwhile there is Ken Salazar at Interior. This gleaned from his wiki article:
Looks like we’re gonna have to make good use of Erica Payne’s The Practical Progressive and work like hell to get progressive congress critters elected in 2010.
Like so many other of Obama’s nominees, this is another WTF was he thinking one.
ho hum
At least this will please the New Diversity Concern Trolls, who were desperately seeking a new GOP in Obama’s cabinet.
He’s certainly not thinking like the majority of people who voted for him.
Fuck ‘em.
JEBUS~! OBI!!!!!!!!!!
lol
naaaa, this is what i think of these choices from hell…
this is opinion only, no backup linkys or anything i’ve heard or anything substantial, just an opinion like the little round brown things we allllll have……
if’n it were ME, i’d go in as the new and only and first black prez, and i’d appoint these people. the good, the bad and the ugly. it’s how i’d pull or attempt to pull this civil war larvae of a country together, in the beginning of first term.
THEN as time goes on, when any of these people prove themselves to be hacks, traitors to the agenda or “divas” with their own agendas (I THINK we know who that might refer to……..), i’d start the replacement with the A team I wanted to begin with. that’d be my move and i think it’s what he’s doing.
but i’ve been wrong huge and often before, and i’m an eternal optimist, so take it with an ocean of salt and please, do your laughing in your hands and eye rolling in the corner where i don’t have to see it.
i like this place, want to feel comfortable coming back.
:)
The little I know of LaHood is that he is a conservative who has the rep of being well liked by both Democrats and Republicans. IIRC he’s a pro-lifer but that probably wouldn’t be an issue at Transportation. He has zero experience on Transportation as far as I know. His being for Amtrak is a down-state Illinois thing and isn’t indicative of anything. It looks like Obama was just trying to find a generic Republican to add to his Cabinet. A pity he never felt the need to add a progressive or two, considering they make up so much of the Democratic base.
Which, unfortunately has become the norm for his selections…! Arne Duncan as DoE Sec…? Now that he’s got the jump shot covered, how about ‘Slam Dunk’ reprising his CIA role…?
hey!.. I want more diversity too. Let’s see.. how about progressives who are white, black, latino, asian, straight, gay, bi, christian, muslim, jewish, hindu, buddhist, etc., even christianist, if we can find a progressive one ;-)
I love it. We’re all up in arms about the Holder nomination, because of pardoning Marc Rich, but when the guy who oversaw the Clinton impeachment and is a republican, we love him. LOL What the hell?
I’m not laughing but hoping you might be right. I can rant and rave ’til the sun falls from the sky but it’s gonna be what these people do that tells the tale. I’m not holding my breath, however.
After this is Labor the only position that is left?
This kid ain’t doin’ any bowin’ and scrapin’. I want people with a clear new vision, not fuckin’ cataracts.
He’ll prolly reappoint Elaine Chou.
i swear ian, i don’t get it, i just don’t.
southern and i were talking about some of the appointees in the last thread-here is my epu’d response.
and add on the chrysler right-before-christmas-outta-here-good-luck-suckas crap.
epu’d
i’ve been a little, um, dismayed i guess is the word, over a few of the announcements.
but beyond that, choosing warren kinda set a tone that is going to reverberate like a cracked bell. say goodbye to lady liberty, no more bell ringing. it is sooooooo wrong, for countless reasons.
like i said earlier, a few of the things he is doing is like dropping the drawbridge to the huns. i don’t get it.
there is a arcade fire song that has a line in it that fits–
“how come nothing tastes good”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oljrHaEroa4
rock out, i’m gonna play it forty times. loud. cuz that’s where we are now.
That will require building and supporting a second and third party. I have come to understand that Chomsky and Nader are right: there is only one party in this country with two members with slightly different faces. Obama is making that fact crystal clear. Perhaps his betrayal of his supporters will nudge others toward understanding. It is encouraging that many are recognizing his administration for what it will be before it starts. Too bad we had to vote for him to prevent McCain and didn’t get much better. I will *never* vote for a Democrat or Republican again.
DNI too, since Brennan bowed out…!
Oi nominate meself for the “Hindu” Secretary of Meditation & Yoga Dept. *g* … and pledge to tolerate the insufferable Richard Gere once every fortnight … that ought to take care of the Buddhist & Asian thingy as well, so I’m a threefer !
I’m not bowin’ & scrapin’ either. As far as republicans in DC go, I hate their guts. LOL I’m serious…I don’t even care if they saved an old lady in a wheelchair with one hand from getting hit by a bus in an intersection and holding a sandwich in the other while doing so! They are all pond scum to me. ;-)
Never say never. Chomsky’s been right all along. Now perhaps the Greens will get off their ass and start putting a real national organization together. As far as an organizer or unifier Nader no longer has any cred with me. He is not the same guy who fought so hard for consumer rights.
Namaste SD !
Chomsky is like Wheat Germ … everyone knows it’s essential to good health but no one likes the taste !
I don’t care what gofers Obama chooses to get the job done, as long as he gets to job done. Obama promised some Republicans for cabinet, so he delivers some Republicans for the cabinet. If LaHood is willing to be a good gofer, that is fine with me. So I am one Obama supporter and campaign doorknocker and phoner who is not upset.
I would actually perfer another Republican, Blair from FDIC, over the Democrat who was chosen for Treasury.
Part of this is also gut feeling and intuition on my part, from Obam’s expressions that I have seen, from his election night speech to now. I have noticed how serious and focused and intent Obama’s expressions have been (compare especially to ol’ Joe Biden who is usually seen smiling and schmoozing up a storm, a more conventional power-nexus operator basking in anticipation of his coming power-nexus glory -whether real or perceived power is beside the point with that type -just as long as you are in the nexus, all is cool and wonderful). Obama has some plans, seems serious about getting them done and using people as needed to get them done, and is focusing on tactics of actually implementing his vision. Obama seems very sober and business-like in comparison to the other incoming admin Democrats, almost grim.
I am assuming his appointments are based on chosing he optimal exectuve flunkies to get things done. The reactionary wing still controls the congressional Republicans, and we have already seen what their strategy will be (which is right out of the ruthless, inhuman, and uncaring, radical revolutionist textbooks -prompt a crisis or turn a crisis into a disaster in order to exploit popular unrest and unease, fear and anger to grab power for their own purposes). So Obama will need optimal flunkies to deal with that little problem, to peel off moderate Republicans -who appear to be timid people who will require lots of care and nursing to do the right things.
I trust wonks like Krazy Train Joe, and expert cabinet secs like Chu will be calling lots of infrastructure shots in the new administration. People like LaHood willl execute, or be replaced.
Two Parties, each representing entrenched Corporate Interests to the detriment of the common citizens and the environment.
Namaste Petro
I’ve followed Chomsky for many years. His real world, real time analyses are spot on. That’s why he’s so despised by the right.
I wish I felt this way. I hope you are right. I’ve got a bad feeling about:
1.) All these real assholes that Obama keeps putting up.
2.) Flipping On FISA.
3.) Support of $700 billion bailout.
4.) Shyness w/r/t UAW support.
5.) Bipartisanship and bygones.
6.) Big carrot for MIC w/r/t reconstituted War in Afghanistan
7.) General Backpedalling from any hint of Progressivism.
I can only picture him as I remember him from the the days of the Republican Majority, he was a real favorite of Big Denny Hastert’s and a frequent appointee as Speaker Pro Tem. He would sit up there glowering as the Dems had one Delay led initiative after another
rammed, forced up, ahem,down, passed over their objections.Now we have to rely on Obama’s expressions? We’re sunk.
no, me neither. it’s like they are being chosen to fail.
then he can have what he wants with no holds barred.
He told us when he bailed on FISA,
That was aimed squarely at the most vocal portion of his supporters-us! He would rather we went away than keep making all that noise about the Bill of Rights then and the same is no less true today.
You can rely on anything you want to and form your own opinions.
As stated in my commment, I am also relying on my assessment of what flunkies and operatives and wardheelers and drones and gladhanders Obama needs as political tools (emphsis on ”tools”) to get his agenda passed, given the power of a potentially very destructive reactionary faction in Congress, and relative weakness of the Democratic leadership (especially in the Senate)
I hope that Obama is in fact what he was reported to be from time to time during the election campaign: underneath that cool and friendly exterior, he is an arrogant asshole who calculate carefully will do things his way to maximize chances of success, and use people as political tools in a cold and calculated (but as considerate as possible) fashion.
Of course, these reports were offered up by unhappy Democrats to explain why Obama would lose the election. But he won.
Anyway, why are people so worried about what Obama will do. He was the better choice. Any political movement that wastes time worrying about who this decadent and deprave political culture will vomit up, and how that person compares to one’s ideas or hopes, will fail. People need to work towards their goals just as hard as if McCain/Palin had one anyway. So why let this stuff, so far all symbolism and guesswork, phase you?
for the same reason i worried (and still do worry) about what bush will do – because the fate of millions of people depend on what the POTUS does.
John and Elizabeth begged the netroots to support their cause, the real progressive agenda. And Obama drove right over them (and “borrowed” many of John Edwards’ language). We could have survived the affair.
This Cabinet is a kick in the groin.
the affair wasn’t a show stopper for me – edwards’ very unprogressive record in the senate was.
Gosh… Ya think that just might be part of the reason he was chosen????
No Nelson, Amtrak does not run through La Hood’s district. I have lived here all my life and actually, the nearest Amtrak is 40 miles east of here in another district. And what do you have against Amtrak? Ever been to Europe? I think the European model would be well worth duplicating here versus being a slave to the automobile and the traffic congestion that comes with it.
LaHood’s pretty reasonable as Republicans go, even if he did chair the Clinton impeachment he was chosen because he was seen as more fair and less partisan than most others.
I have no idea whether or not LaHood is reasonable. I do know, however, that he didn’t chair the Clinton impeachment. That was Henry J. Hyde.
I asked exactly this question on dKos. What is with FDL and Holder?
A lot of us really don’t get it. And yeah, I’ve read the posts. Still don’t get it.