Rep John McHugh Bolsters GOP Ranks Inside Obama Administration
We already have Robert Gates and Ray LaHood and Jon Huntsman, and now Carl Hulse reports that another Republicans will be joining the Obama administration as Rep John McHugh (R-NY) agrees to serve as Secretary of the Army:
Democrats say they would have a chance at winning the seat though it would still favor a Republican candidate. If Democrats were able to flip the representation, it would leave only two Republicans in the state’s 29-member House delegation with redistricting looming after the 2010 Census.
My guess is that the main political implications here relate to redistricting. Even if a Republican wins the seat, a cloutless freshperson is going to be a very likely candidate for getting screwed-over in a redistricting process that’s likely to require New York to eliminate a congressional district.
9 Responses to “Rep John McHugh Bolsters GOP Ranks Inside Obama Administration”
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June 2nd, 2009 at 10:30 am
Interesting that Pete Geren (D-TX) under Bush (R) is being replaced by John McHugh (R-NY) under Obama (D).
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 am
Don’t forget the FEMA director, though he wasn’t an elected official.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:12 am
Because only Republicans can be trusted with military policy.
Message received, loud & clear.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:15 am
As one of his constituents, all I can say is good riddance to a time-serving toady.
June 2nd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Uhh, not to be impertinent, but, uhhh, is he qualified? (or, as jd implies, perhaps not qualified?)
How about more than the politics of the appointment.
Thanks.
June 2nd, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Well, he has a Master’s in Public Affairs from SUNY-Albany, which doesn’t seem common among Republicans, at least. Then there’s long service on the Armed Services Cmte. (Aspin had a similar resume, and he became Defense Secretary.) It’s a job that’s more policy and budget than military strategy, so I guess I’m not so concerned about yet another national security job going to a Republican. It does foster the perception, though, that Democrats can’t handle national security jobs, and it also fails to groom a Democrat for future jobs up the executive ladder. I think that’s a real concern as much as the other, because without promoting from within the Dems will continue to fall victim to this perception.
Since the Hill called him one of the 50 most beautiful people on Capitol Hill, though, I think this definitely kicks the Obama White House into America’s Next Top Male Model territory for a throwdown.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:32 pm
There are more Republicans in the Obama administration than in the New York congressional delegation. Nice to know.
Also: do you ever get the sense that Obama collects Republicans like Pokemon? I expect he makes Gates and LaHood fight, in the hopes that Gates will evolve into Gatesaur.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 pm
[...] think Charles Mahtesian’s take in Politico on the political strategems behind picking John McHugh to serve as Army Secretary is pretty shrewd. As with the co-optation of Jon Huntsman, Ray LaHood, and Robert Gates, Obama is [...]
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 pm
[...] think Charles Mahtesian’s take in Politico on the political strategems behind picking John McHugh to serve as Army Secretary is pretty shrewd. As with the co-optation of Jon Huntsman, Ray LaHood, and Robert Gates, Obama is [...]