I was willing to give Barack Obama credit for some 2010 political jujitsu over the New Hampshire Senate seat. The (legal?) deal that Judd Gregg insisted on — that his replacement had to be another GOP — seemed odd in an era of post-partisanship.

But I became convinced that a caretaker GOP Senator for two years would be worth it since Democrats could then fight for an open seat. I further decided that Judd Gregg’s two votes to abolish the Department in the 1990′s were simply the kind of genuflection to the Norquist wing that every GOP needs to make every now and then.

But the stink of Abramoff in the Obama Administration?  This is not the kind of change I believe in, and it is not the hope millions of Americans — Democrats, Independents, and many Republicans — voted for last November.  The Obama White House can do a much better job of explaining the advantage of having Judd Gregg in his Cabinet, now that we know that the Senator was, at best, hoodwinked for years by a corrupt legislative director who allegedly traded the Senator’s vote for bribes from Abramoff associates.

A person familiar with the case confirmed Wednesday that ”Staffer F” in court documents is Kevin Koonce, who worked as legislative director in Gregg’s Senate office from 2002-04. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is still under investigation.

 Staffer F was cited in a guilty plea last week by Todd Boulanger, a former deputy to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In federal court, Boulanger admitted he plied the staffer with front-row tickets to a hockey game, meals and drinks and other tickets to a baseball game, and in exchange received favors in spending legislation. 

The total value of the gifts Staffer F took from Boulanger exceeded $10,000, court papers said.

 The biographical details about Staffer F contained in court documents — his job title at the time in the Senate office — correspond to Koonce’s. 

The Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, refuses to get aboard Rachel’s "secretly awesome" Judd Gregg train. She points out that the Congressional Black Caucus is very concerned about the nomination. Gregg voted against increased Census funding — which he’ll oversee next year! She says Judd Gregg voted to protect gun manufacturers from prosecution when their products are used in commission of a crime.

When you look at his record, we have many, many concerns about how he would function as Secretary of Commerce. And, given that, we are raising these red flags early on so that we can move forward in this confirmation process understanding that there are many, many issues that many of us are very concerned about.

Watch Congresswoman Barbara Lee explain to Rachel Maddow that there are several reasons for cartoon-head-shakes over Judd Gregg’s selection: that Commerce is responsible for the Census, where undercounting, especially in minority districts, costs $2200 per uncounted person.  Counting correctly costs money; Gregg voted against money for the Census Bureau.  She lays out what she’d like to see in a better Commerce Secretary nominee:

We would want to see a history of supporting small businesses — women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses — these businesses create many, many jobs. And during this economic downturn we need these businesses engaged, working with our Department of Commerce, to make sure that they are provided the support to create the jobs our country so desperately needs.

So I want to see someone who is strong on economic development, who is strong and committed to creating jobs, who understands why it is important to be inclusive of the entire country in the job creation effort.

When you look at his background and his record, I don’t believe his record justifies the position of Secretary of Commerce, based on the importance of what this department brings to our country.

Do we really need the "same old ideas and the same old policies" of the past eight years of GOP misgovernance brought into Barack Obama’s Cabinet?

And do we really want to wake up to this Washington Post headline one day soon?

Obama Cabinet Member Linked to Abramoff

It could happen.

UPDATE:  Well, it has.

Former Gregg Staff Under Investigation 

After Obama introduced Gregg at the White House on Monday, the Department of Justice contacted Gregg’s Senate office to inform him of the investigation. He immediately informed the White House.

The Justice Department has informed Gregg that he is not the target of an investigation, he said. "My office is fully committed to doing everything possible to aid investigators and will continue to be thoroughly transparent in providing them with any and all information necessary to see this issue through."

[snip]

Boulanger said he turned to Staffer F to tap into Gregg’s position on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Koonce’s current lobbying firm said on its Web site that Koonce "developed legislative strategies and coordinated legislative staff and managed banking, tax, and trade issues for Senator Gregg."

Boulanger asked Staffer F in September 2002 for help preserving a $3.5 million earmark for a client.

In January 2003, Boulanger turned to Staffer F to fight a threat to Abramoff’s tribal clients, who would donate $12,000 to Gregg’s campaigns; then- Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was pushing to allow Alaska Native firms to open gambling casinos anywhere in the United States. Staffer F said that his office had "flagged" the proposal.

[snip]

In October, Boulanger e-mailed Abramoff that they needed another favor. Boulanger wrote, "easy money," adding that Staffer F "practically lives in our various suites. We are shady."

This is bipartisanship we can believe in?