Bipartisan drive hits second snag

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BARACK OBAMA’S bold experiment in bipartisanship has taken another hit with his second nominee for commerce secretary, the Republican senator Judd Gregg, abruptly withdrawing his nomination citing “irresolvable differences”.

Senator Gregg pointed to the stimulus package and changes to the Census Bureau as the two areas where he could not support Administration policy.

The bones of the stimulus package have been public for weeks. But the Census Bureau issue has been festering behind the scenes after the White House indicated it wanted to move it from the Commerce Department to an independent agency reporting to the White House.

The bureau is crucial; it is not only used for determining funding to programs but also to redistribute congressional districts.

Mr Gregg was the second nominee for the important post of commerce secretary. Bill Richardson, the Democratic Governor of New Mexico, withdrew because of a federal inquiry into donations.

When Senator Gregg came to his decision is unclear and two separate statements were issued – one from the senator and another from the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs – suggesting tensions.

Mr Gibbs said it was Senator Gregg who had “reached out to the President and offered his name for secretary of commerce”.

Senator Gregg said that he had thought he could bring some ideas and views that would assist the President at this difficult time.

“I especially admire his willingness to reach across the aisle,” he said.

“However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the census there are irresolvable conflicts for me.”

This latest setback in Mr Obama’s bipartisanship experiment is likely to further polarise the vote on the stimulus package.

There have been rumours that up to 20 Republicans, other than the three renegades who have been involved with negotiations, would support the bill in its final form.

Speaking in Peoria, Illinois, where he paid a visit to the Caterpillar factory, the President highlighted the fact that his Transport Secretary, Ray LaHood, who is from Peoria, was a Republican. Mr Obama said he would keep working on a bipartisan approach; Americans were “desperate” for Republicans and Democrats to co-operate.

The stimulus received support from Caterpillar’s chief executive, John Owens, who said $US790 billion might not be enough and he had said this to the President.

The fact that Mr Obama was in the Caterpillar factory campaigning in the same way as he did during the election shows that the experiment in bipartisanship is not going smoothly.

Mr Obama has let Republicans paint his stimulus package as irresponsible spending – and their message has started getting traction.

Polls show that while Mr Obama enjoys enormous personal approval, there are serious reservations about his stimulus package.

As a result Mr Obama has reverted to his old campaign strategies, taking his message on the road and directly to the public.

But in some good news for the President, his pick for director of the CIA, the veteran Democratic politician Leon Panetta was confirmed by the Senate late on Thursday.

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