RSS Feed MenuHere’s at least one presidential appointment that Republicans can cross off their worry list: Obama’s pick of Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) as Secretary of the Army, announced on Tuesday. McHugh is a strong, wise choice for the post—even if it means there will now be more Republicans in the Obama administration (5) than in the entire New York congressional delegation (2).
Matthew Yglesias is right to point out that post-census redistricting in 2010 will eliminate at least one of New York’s 29 seats, possibly more. Like all majorities, the Democrats would guarantee that their own party reaps the benefits.
But Republicans should not get too anxious. McHugh’s district, NY-23, is not NY-20. Unlike many of his upstate colleagues, McHugh easily survived the upstate Democratic sweeps of ‘06 and ‘08. Since arriving to Congress in 1992, he won reelection with heavy percentages each time, including in our tougher recent years: 70.7% in 2004, 63.1% in 2006, and 65.3% in 2008. Back in 2002, the Democrats didn’t even put up a challenger for the seat. Now, however, they’ll definitely seek to squeeze out another upstate upset since Obama actually won NY-23 last fall by two more points than he did in NY-20.
Politico and others report that Robert Taub, McHugh’s chief of staff, “is likely to be an early frontrunner for the Republican nomination.” If so, he’ll definitely get it. I can’t really see NY state senator Joseph Griffo, another interested candidate, beating a McHugh-backed Taub in a primary.
Better we have someone like McHugh as Army secretary: In Congress he’s been a staunch defender of the war on terror and an advocate for a muscular foreign policy. When he spoke at a recent conference for the newly formed Foreign Policy Initiative, he demonstrated a very strong command of the details of the situation in Afghanistan and articulated his support for Obama’s troop surge to save the country. A memorable moment came when McHugh told the audience:
By recognizing that we have to rebuild both our military and civilian capabilities and capacities both in Pakistan and Afghanistan, by recognizing we have to reengage our ISAF and NATO partners in hopefully more productive ways and on and on and on, I can only say to the President: Sounds good to me, boss.
Well, now McHugh will really be calling Obama “boss.” And unlike another recent Obama nominee I can think of, there is virtually nothing controversial about McHugh. He’ll make a very good Army Secretary.
As for the two likely Democratic challengers to McHugh’s New York seat — state senators Darrel Aubertine and David Valesky — both won their current seats by thin margins in hotly contested races. A victory by either one of them in the special election would not be much appreciated by the state Senate Democratic caucus. As The Albany Times Union put it:
A run by either Senate Democrat, however, could prove risky for Senate Democrats, who currently control the chamber by a narrow 32-to-30 margin. The loss of a single seat to the GOP would result in an evenly split chamber — with no sitting lieutenant governor to break a tie.
Nevertheless, Republicans shouldn’t be focusing on the state legislature. They should be focused on retaining John McHugh’s seat in Congress. Like the race in NY-20 just a couple months ago, it’s theirs to lose.
balconesfault // Jun 3, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Will the Club for Growth put up a candidate to run against Taub?I am beginning to wonder if Obama’s greater political goal is to airlift as many moderates out of the Republican Party as he can, and leave a more ideologically pure regional party to contend with in 2012.
ottovbvs // Jun 3, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Another brilliant little move by the president who is just an empty suit to all the far right political and strategic geniuses who so freely give us the benefit of their wisdom. He gets an operationally competent guy to run the army; enhances his reputation for bipartisanship; opens up a seat the Dems could win; and removes another moderate Republican from the northeast from their house caucus. And he does it all while smiling.
ottovbvs // Jun 3, 2009 at 1:06 pm
BTW Qualtere promised definitively here up to the last minute that the Republicans would take back Gillibrand’s seat so in the Nostradamus department his predictions don’t have a golden track record.
midcon // Jun 3, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Obama does seems to be able to formulate strategies that achieve multiple objectives. Fortunately, he also continues to further the marginalization of the GOP. At this rate, he will have stripped the GOP of all their moderate leaders. Without the voice of reason they represent, it will be interesting to see what message will emanate from the far right.
balconesfault // Jun 3, 2009 at 1:26 pm
“Without the voice of reason they represent, it will be interesting to see what message will emanate from the far right.”I think we see that message in many of the comments here.
sinz54 // Jun 3, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I’m an American first, a conservative second, and a Republican not at all.I would much rather have a strong voice for a strong military speaking up within the Obama Administration (where it has been lacking), no matter what that does to the GOP’s situation in the House. The GOP can afford to lose one more House seat.The U.S. can’t afford to be without a strong army, despite what the pacifists at MoveOn.Org think.
ottovbvs // Jun 3, 2009 at 4:11 pm
midcon 1:21 PM”Obama does seems to be able to formulate strategies that achieve multiple objectives.”…….As many have observed Obama is playing chess while the GOP is playing checkers……I’d go further and say the GOP is playing tiddlywinks….checkers requires a modicum of tactical skill……BTW I can also confirm his choice of burgers is pretty good too…..Someone took me to the Five Men burger joint for lunch today….very good.
sinz54 // Jun 5, 2009 at 7:18 am
midcon: I doubt that Obama can ever strip the GOP of *all* its moderate leaders. (The GOP still has their Minority Leaders in Congress, etc.)But as I’ve said several times before, if the GOP continues to be marginalized (more by its own doing than anything Obama has done to it), it’s leaving the field open for another Ross Perot-type third-party challenge.
RightNow09 // Jun 5, 2009 at 8:07 am
The race to replace McHugh should be interesting.The voters that Jim Tedisco needed to win NY-20 stopped voting Republican after 2004. The voters of NY-23 have stuck with the GOP staight through 2008. It’s going to be a close race, no doubt. But I’m cautiously more optimistic about NY-23 than I was for NY-20 (which we should have won, even just narrowly).