Sen. Judd Gregg accepts commerce secretary post
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire has accepted President Barack Obama's offer to be commerce secretary, two administration officials said Monday.
And in a move that will leave the balance of the Senate unchanged, New Hampshire's Democratic governor will name a Republican to replace Gregg, state political sources said.
Gregg, a third-term Republican known for being fiscally conservative, said in a written statement Friday that he was among those being considered for the post, but White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said no final decision has been made.
Gregg's term is up in 2010. If he left the Senate, New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch could have named a Democrat to replace him, giving the Democrats the 60-seat majority needed to overcome Republican attempts to use filibusters to block legislation.
But state political sources from both parties said Monday that Lynch will name Gregg's former chief of staff, Bonnie Newman, to replace him.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/...rce/index.html
interesting to say the least