A deal to keep Senate balance?
Republican says if Gregg gets Commerce job, his replacement would caucus with the GOP.
WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. Judd Gregg has told colleagues that if he becomes commerce secretary, his replacement would affiliate with the GOP, denying Democrats total dominance, his party leader said yesterday.
That would require an agreement involving President Obama, who would appoint Gregg to his cabinet, and New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, who would name Gregg's successor to the Senate.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky suggested such an arrangement was in the works.
"Sen. Gregg has assured me that if this were to happen, if it were to happen, it would not change the makeup of the Senate," McConnell said on
Face the Nation
on CBS. "In other words, whoever is appointed to replace him would caucus with Senate Republicans, so I think it would have no impact on the balance of power in the Senate."
Lynch's spokesman, Colin Manning, declined comment on any agreement, saying only, "This situation is still between the White House and Sen. Gregg."
Gregg spokeswoman Laena Fallon had no comment.
Leading the pack to replace Gregg was his former chief of staff, Bonnie Newman. Officials expect Lynch, a political moderate who enjoys broad popularity, would name her to fill the final two years of Gregg's term. She would not seek a full term in 2010.
Newman served in the administrations of both Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. She was Gregg's top aide when he was in the U.S. House, served as a Harvard dean and was one of Lynch's first Republican supporters. Others being discussed include former state House Speaker Doug Scamman, also a Republican.
Replacing Gregg with someone other than a Democrat willing to side with the party would deny Democrats the legislative control they seek in the Senate. Sixty votes are required to end debate in the 100-member chamber. Democrats have 56 seats, plus two independents who caucus with them.
A seat from Minnesota is vacant while the state high court considers the validity of a recount putting Democrat Al Franken ahead of Republican Norm Coleman.
Republicans can bottle up legislation through a filibuster if they retain 41 votes.
Officials said Obama is set to make Gregg his third Republican cabinet official as early as today.
Obama's cabinet already has two Republicans: Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who was appointed by President George W. Bush and then asked by Obama to remain, and former Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois, who did not seek reelection to the House in 2008 and was named transportation secretary.
If Gregg were nominated, he would be Obama's second choice for the Commerce Department job. A grand jury investigation over how state contracts were issued to political donors led New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, to withdraw from consideration.