So the word on the street is that President-elect Barack Obama is going
to be appointing retiring Republican Rep. Ray LaHood to be his new Transportation Secretary.
Yes, you heard that right, a REPUBLICAN! ::faints
How could he do this and who is this LaHood guy?
Well, he's my Congressman.
As such, I feel it's my duty to try to help put the appointment in context for the folks at DKos below the fold...
First off, I doubt that anything I have to say will assuage the fears of the DKos posters who are invested enough in transportation issues that they had specific picks in mind that they wanted hired to implement their particular vision for transporation issues, especially mass transit and high-speed rail. I don't claim to be an expert on transportation issues myself so feel free to school me in the comments.
Getting that out of the way though, I will attempt to help explain this pick to those of you who are just generally scratching your head about this guy and want help understanding how he may have come to be chosen.
Here's some reasons I think he was:
- Ray LaHood is close to Rahm Emanuel, as the Peoria Journal-Star newspaper reports:
Since LaHood is close with Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, and Obama wanted a congressional liaison who dealt with Republicans, the Journal Star recently asked LaHood if he was being tapped for any jobs in the incoming administration.
'I don't want to speculate on that,' LaHood said earlier this month. 'I think it would be presumptuous of me to speculate on that kind of thing.
'Rahm Emanuel and I are very good friends. He and I had six or seven bipartisan dinners this year that I invited some Republicans and he invited some Democrats. ... Sen. Obama and I worked very closely together when we were putting the transportation bill together a couple of years ago,' LaHood said then. 'I think I have a great relationship with both of them.'
- That article also notes that Obama has worked with LaHood on transportation legislation and found it a positive experience. Most likely this is regarding earmarks or other appropriations since both LaHood and Durbin have been on their chamber's appropriations committees.
- While LaHood clearly votes with Republicans on most issues and to us he appears a strong conservative, he has somewhat of an independent streak. He was elected to the House in 1994, but did NOT sign Gingrich's Contract with America. He came to Congress as an aide to former House Minority Leader Bob Michel, not as a Gingrich or Tom DeLay acolyte which probably helps to explain his more bipartisan nature. That said, he did preside over the House impeachment, likely to give the proceedings a more moderate/bipartisan appearance.
- Obama getting LaHood out of Illinois politics is a somewhat savvy political move, not just for the national appearance of bipartisanship, but as a strategic move for Illinois. While I have my doubts about whether LaHood could survive a primary for U.S. Senate or governor in 2010 as his bipartisanship and semi-independent streak has got him branded a bit of a RINO with hard-line Republicans here, he is one of the few Republicans in this state I could envision actually winning in a general election. So this is good for the Illinois Democrats (not that I'm totally convinced at the moment they deserve such a gift) who will be hobbled a bit two years from now because of the Blagojevich mess. And in 2005, LaHood did briefly consider throwing his hat in the ring to challenge Blagojevich but opted out and ran for Congress again instead. He opted not to seek re-election this year and a candidate he did NOT support in the primary, the 27-year-old Aaron Schock went on to win.
- Obama picking someone like LaHood tells me he wanted someone in his Cabinet who could reach out to moderate Republicans to get support for his big infrastructure investment plan and that he wanted a transportation secretary with a good understanding of the appropriations process as much as he wanted a transportation expert.
As, I said, Ray LaHood is my Congressman. Though I haven't ever voted for him because of his party affiliation, I think he's generally been a fairly effective representative and about as good a Congressman as I could get in this strongly Republican Central Illinois district. In the times I've met him I've found him to be a fairly good guy, especially as Illinois politicians go.
And I have to admit as an Illinoisan... as a Downstate Illinoisan.. I'm delighted by this pick. Not just for regional pride but because I feel like my interests as an Illinoisan will be well-served while at the same time I don't have to worry so much about political fallout for Obama that would come from him appointing some Chicago Democrat with shady connections or questionable dealings like a retired Democratic Rep. Bill Lipinski or some CTA goon, for instance.