Nussle Running for RNC Chair

So it looks like Jim Nussle is really going to run to be the next chair of the RNC.

From the Politicao (via Marc Ambinder)...

This White House's formal link to the GOP's post-Bush era? Jim Nussle, director of the Office of Management and Budget, plans to run for chairman of the Republican National Committee. As a Republican House member from Iowa, he was part of the Gingrich transition team that ushered in the "Contract with America." He was the GOP nominee for Iowa governor in 2006, and retired from Congress in 2007. Nussle has to lay low for now because he's working on the transition. Attribute all this to Nussle sources.

This tells me that Nussle isn't done in Iowa politics.  He could be RNC chair for a few years and then possibly use that stature to run for Harkin's Senate seat in 2014 (or maybe even Grassley's in 2010 if Grassley retires and Iowa Republicans can't find an adequate repalcement).  

No longer would Nussle be the former Congressman who lost a bid for Governor, but he would be a former RNC chair that had spent time working in the White House.

Nussle Confirmed as White House Budget Director 69-24

The Senate voted 69-24 to confirm Jim Nussle as White House Budget Director today.

According the to the Des Moines Register, Nussle...

will advocate the president’s budget policies and manage government regulations in the powerful but highly bureaucratic post.

Here is a list of the 24 Senators that voted against Nussle...

Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brown (D-OH) Byrd (D-WV) Clinton (D-NY) Conrad (D-ND) Dorgan (D-ND)

Inouye (D-HI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD)

Nelson (D-FL) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Sanders (I-VT) Schumer (D-NY) Stabenow (D-MI) Whitehouse (D-RI)

And here are 2 interesting comments from Democrats that voted against Nussle...

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., who had supported Nussle in a committee vote, said he and Nussle always have had a good personal relationship “but this goes beyond a personal relationship – he has been an architect of this fiscal policy.”

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., called the nomination an “outrage” and urged its rejection.

“I would not vote for a man who put a bag over his head in the House of Representatives” because it shows “hostility to this great democracy,” said Boxer. She was referring to an episode early in Nussle’s career in which he donned a bag to protest the House check-bouncing scandal.

Nussle Nomination Up for Vote on Tuesday and Why to Vote Against Him

The nomination of Jim Nussle as the OMB Director will be up for a vote in the Senate on Tuesday. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has written a lengthy piece at the Huffington Post about why he is voting against Jim Nussle.

Here is what Sanders concludes...

In my view, it all comes down to the phrase "which side are we on." Are we on the side of those people who make huge campaign contributions to Congress and the White House, or are we on the side of tens of millions of working families, struggling hard to keep their heads above water? That is the choice we face.

And, that is why I am voting against Jim Nussle. Not because he is not smart, he is. Not because I don't like him, personally, I do. I am voting against Jim Nussle because I believe we should not give a break to the heirs of the Wal-Mart fortune. Rather, we should be fighting to substantially increase financial aid for low- and middle-class families so that every American, regardless of income, can receive a college education.

We should not give another tax break to the former CEO of ExxonMobil and his family. Instead, we should be working to support working families all over this country who are desperately seeking quality and affordable childcare.

I don't think that the heirs to the Mars Candy Bar fortune should get a tax break. In my view, it is far more important that we keep our promises to the veterans of this country who now find themselves on waiting lists to get the health care they need.

If, as a nation, we are serious about addressing the long neglected needs of the middle-class and working people and creating a fairer and more egalitarian society, we have to invest in education, health care, housing, and our infrastructure. We have to deal with the crisis of global warming and sustainable energy, as well as many other areas. We also have to reduce our national debt. Given that reality, Congress must develop the courage to stand up to the big money interests, to the wealthiest families. We must roll back the tax breaks given to the wealthiest 1 percent, and we must demand that fortunate people rejoin American society and understand that like everybody else in this country, they are part of America and not a special breed. If we are to keep faith with our children, our seniors, our veterans, and with those people who have no health insurance, we can do no less.

It seems very clear to me that we, as a nation, need to change our national priorities, and that the U.S. government should start paying attention to the struggling working families of our country rather than the powerful special interests who have so much power in Washington. We need a budget director who will remind the president that he is supposed to represent the interests of all Americans, and not just wealthy Republican campaign contributors.

That is why I am voting against Jim Nussle.

Nussle's Confirmation to White House Budget Director Unlikely

Jim Nussle's confirmation as White House Budget Director seems to be unlikely to happen.

From the Cedar Rapids Gazette...

The committee vote today was 22-1, with only Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, in opposition.

"President Bush is completely out of touch with the economic realities facing working families in America," Sanders said. " Bush needs to hear the truth, not an echo. He needs a budget director who will make him face the facts, not fan his fantasies."

The timing of the Senate vote was unclear. Congress was struggling to wrap up action on several issues, and the nomination of the Manchester Republican was not considered a priority for some Democrats before the month-long August recess despite the wishes of President Bush.

Sanders and an unidentified Senator have placed holds on Nussle's confirmation, which means it won't come up for a vote until the holds are removed.

Here is video of Sen. Sanders questioning Nussle during the Senate Budget Committee's hearing.

Nussle Doesn't Play Well With Others

Iowans already knew this, but some Senators are questioning Nussle's ability to work with Congress.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette has this quote from Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)...

“While I understand the president’s desire to appoint an OMB director of his choice, a number of members have spoken with me about their very real concerns about his nomination,” Conrad said.

“Our nation faces serious long-term fiscal challenges that can only be addressed with bipartisan cooperation. We need an OMB director who is fully committed to working with Congress to tackle all of the fiscal challenges facing this country.”

Who would put this guy in charge of a budget again?

While Jim Nussle was chair of the House Budget Committee he oversaw record deficits. I guess his record of charge and spend impressed the Bush Administration because today they have named Nussle as the White House budget director.

The Washington Post has the story and somehow comes to the conclusion that Nussle is a "hawk on spending issues." Wouldn't a nearly $9 trillion dollar deficit be enough evidence against that claim?

Still, the news of Portman's departure seemed to surprise lawmakers on the Hill, where there is not nearly the same affection for his successor, Nussle, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for governor of Iowa last year. Nussle had previously served as chairman of the House Budget committee and has been seen as a hawk on spending issues.

The Post does have an interesting statement from House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) about Nussle...

House Majority leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) was notably cool in his comments about Nussle when asked about the new appointment this morning. "Rob Portman was one of the best members I have ever served with, a person of keen intellect and a responsible legislator," he said.

All he would say of the new OMB director is that "Mr. Nussle is a Dane." Both Hoyer and Nussle are of Danish ancestry. "You can read into that into what you want to read into it, and what you want to read into it is correct," he added.

I have a feeling Nussle will fit right in with the others in the White House.

Election 2006 Posts

I thought I would go through the posts that I have written on the candidates and put them in one post to make it easier for people to find.

Governor
Quad City Times Endorses Culver
Watch out Chet, the Boogeyman is Catching Up! - recommended
Report from the Johnson County Democratic BBQ -recommended
Lamberti Attacks Nussle's budget record
Nussle Scams Teachers, Children, and Future with NCLB
Iowa Teachers Endorse Culver

1st District
Braley Endorsed by the Dubuque Telegraph Herald
Meet the Real Bruce Braley
Braley Profiled on FireDogLake

2nd District
New Poll in 2nd District...Leach 50%, Loebsack 48%
Comments on Leach and Loebsack Debate - recommended
My Meeting With Dave Loebsack - recommended
Report from the Johnson County Democratic BBQ - recommended
Centrism is for Suckers (or the Sierra Club and NEA get swindled) - recommended
Leach Votes to Give Rich Another Tax Break and Hurt Working Iowans
2nd District Convention Report -recommended

4th District
Message from Selden Spencer
Spencer Endorsed by the Mason City Globe Gazette
Wes Clark Raising Money for Selden Spencer - recommended
Spencer's TV Ad Up and Ready To Go
Notes from Spencer's Campaign Stop -recommended
Latham Criticized for Negative Attack
Not Very Many People Like Tom Latham
Spencer's Speech at the Harkin Steak Fry - recommended
Selden Spencer Media Day
Selden Spencer Blogging from Afghanistan - recommended
Spencer Gets Props on MyDD - recommended
Latham Better Watch Out
Spencer Barnstorming the 4th District
4th District Convention Report

Sec. of Agriculture
Meeting Denise O'Brien - recommended
Met Denise O'Brien Over the Weekend

We are Watching You

No, this is not about the Bush Administration and domestic spying. There are 2 new sites that take a close look at 2 Republican politicians here in Iowa and have a little fun while doing it.

Jim Nussle - Nussle and Flow
Steve King - King Watch

Chris at Political Forecast has a more in depth writeup on the new sites.

Iowa Teachers Endorse Culver

It was no surprise that Culver won this endorsement. It sure didn't take the ISEA long to announce it. They interviewed the candidates on Thursday and come out and announce it on Friday. Here is the writeup from Radio Iowa. It seems that ISEA President has nailed down what Nussle is all about with the 2 quotes that I highlighted.

The Iowa State Education Association -- the state teacher's union -- today (Friday) endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver. I-S-E-A president Linda Nelson of Council Bluffs says Culver's past classroom experience played a role in the decision. "It was important to support Chet Culver because he is one of us," Nelson says.

Culver taught history and was an assistant coach in two Des Moines high schools before he was elected Secretary of State in 1998. "I know what it's like to be on the front lines," Culver says. "What we need to do in Iowa is stand up and fight for education." A dozen Iowa teachers -- six Democrats representing the I-S-E-A's Political Action Committee questioned both Culver and his Republican rival, Jim Nussle, today, then the group unanimously endorsed Culver even though Nussle has promised heftier teacher pay raises than Culver has.

Nelson says Nussle's record in congress led them to believe he wouldn't follow through on his promise. "His voting record with the National Education Association -- our parent organization -- ranged from zero percent to 25 percent at the highest point," Nelson says. "Certainly both candidates talked about raising teacher salaries, and that's what we wanted to hear," Nelson says. "But what was important to our members was that Chet Culver truly had a plan in place that we intend to work with him...to make that happen."

Nelson says Nussle has had an opportunity to show his support of education at the federal level but that record doesn't suggest he'll keep his promise on teacher salaries. "His demonstration the last 16 years don't match with what he is saying," Nelson says. Only once in the past 24 years has the I-S-E-A PAC endorsed a Republican candidate for governor. Former Governor Terry Branstad got the I-S-E-A's backing in his 1986 reelection bid when he promised to raise teacher pay to the national average. Thirty-two thousand Iowa teachers are members of the I-S-E-A.