Sources: Dem approached for agriculture post

[Moloch]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska has been approached about becoming agriculture secretary in the Bush administration, according to two sources.

His appointment could add a second Democrat to Bush's Cabinet, as well as possibly increasing the GOP's Senate majority.

Republican Gov. Mike Johanns would get to choose Nelson's replacement, which could increase the GOP's advantage in the Senate to 56 seats.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/17/agriculture.secretary/index.html#

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. tell them to shove it.

n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Johanns is eyeing Nelson's seat. We fully expect him to run in '06.

Which makes it an interesting question ... who would Johanns appoint?

Think back to last July. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz – a hawk and guiding light of the neoconservatives – made an appearance in Omaha. He said the war in Iraq was succeeding and worth fighting, even though no weapons of mass destruction had been found, etc.
Wolfowitz then commenced to praising Nelson in a big way, right there in front of God and a bunch of Republican big shots and the whole darned Chamber of Commerce!
Wolfowitz said Nelson had shown "great fairness, great judgment great bipartisanship" as a member of the Armed Services Committee.
Wolfowitz then paused for a moment, turned to Nelson and said: “Thank you, Ben."
Don’t think the Wolfowitz praise of Nelson’s work was off-the-cuff. It was a “thank you” in more than a social context. Republican Gov. Mike Johanns (who wants the senate job) was sitting just a few feet away when Wolfowitz did his homage to Nelson. Wolfowitz had made clear that the administration was grateful to Nelson and it was, by golly, going to publicly acknowledge it.

http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/11/18/419c616c3a6d1

[Career Prole]

3. Bullshit on that! They should give it to Charlie Stenholm if they want to

"reach out".
Charlie was ranking minority member on the House Agriculture Committee and has a B.S. and M.S. in agriculture as well as actually being a farmer here in Texas.
He just lost his seat in Congress after more than twenty years in the House because of Tom DeLay's damned gerrymandering so he has lots of time for this cabinet post for which he is eminently qualified.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Watch him take it

Nelson never struck me as very strong-willed.

I hope I'm wrong.

[Chimpanzee]

5. I wish Mineta would quit too. I can't stand to give Bush any

legitimacy, however how small.:puke:

[Moderator]

6. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1001612