White House Blames Judd Gregg — And He Does, Too

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has just released this statement, putting the blame for Judd Gregg’s withdrawal squarely on Gregg — that Gregg had said at the outset they could work together despite economic policy differences, then didn’t follow through:

“Senator Gregg reached out to the President and offered his name for Secretary of Commerce. He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace, and move forward with the President’s agenda. Once it became clear after his nomination that Senator Gregg was not going to be supporting some of President Obama’s key economic priorities, it became necessary for Senator Gregg and the Obama administration to part ways. We regret that he has had a change of heart.”

Late Update: It turns out Judd Gregg blames Judd Gregg, too:

“I couldn’t be Judd Gregg and serve in the Cabinet. I should have faced up to the reality of that earlier,” Gregg said. “I’ve been my own person and I began to wonder if I could be an effective team player. The president deserves someone who can block for his policies. As a practical matter I can contribute to his agenda better — where we agree — as a senator and I hope to do that.”

Latest DC
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: