WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama picked a Republican congressmen to be the next secretary of the Army Tuesday, bringing another member of the opposition into his administration's fold.
Obama said New York Rep. John McHugh is "committed to keeping America's Army the best trained the best equipped, the best land force the world has ever seen."
McHugh will make sure the country's troops can handle the new kinds of combat in the 21st century, including nonconventional warfare, the president said.
McHugh has represented upstate New York in Congress since 1993, and is the top Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee.
"The Army's always had a special place in my heart," said McHugh, who has also served as co-chair of the House of Representatives Army Caucus and member of the Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
In Congress, McHugh has devoted himself to protecting and expanding Fort Drum in northern New York, home of the Army's 10th Mountain Division.
In recent years, Fort Drum has grown as its soldiers face long deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, but McHugh and other New York politicians have fought to keep Washington from shutting it down as a cost-saving measure.
McHugh and then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton even went so far as to write a letter of protest to a fictional character on the television show "The West Wing" after an episode suggested closing the base.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said he would "work to ensure a swift and smooth confirmation for my good friend."
"Two words that characterize John McHugh are class and service, and in this new job he will once again be able to use both," Schumer said in a statement.
Since taking office, Obama has said he wanted to include Republicans in his administration.
If confirmed, McHugh will join Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a holdover from George W. Bush's Republican administration, at the Pentagon. Obama also selected former Republican Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois as transportation secretary.
Obama tried to get another Republican into the administration, New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg. Obama nominated Gregg for commerce secretary after his first choice, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, withdrew amid a grand jury investigation.But a week after his nomination, Gregg withdrew, citing "irresolvable conflicts" with the Democratic president.
If confirmed, McHugh's appointment would set off a special election for the House seat he's held for nine terms. Democrats held on to a conservative district in the state earlier this year after Kristen Gillibrand was appointed to the Senate to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's vacant seat.
The current Army secretary, Pete Geren, was appointed to the post in 2007 after his predecessor was forced to resign in the wake of the revelations about poor outpatient treatment of wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
By JULIE PACE, Associated Press Writer Julie Pace, Associated Press Writer
Associated Press reporter Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.
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Comments: 18
More change we will never see.
"More change we will never see."
Exactly what does that mean? I'm a little confused. Honestly!
I think it is pretty clear Lioyd.
Have you seen any change since Obama took over? I haven't and neither has anyone else. He plays crony with the Stock Market, throws public opinion out the window, continues the blood for oil war profiteering which he just moved to another level, moves the country each day closer to corporate socialism, lies and backpedals on every issue he talks about, sweeps the rule of law under the rug then becomes a hypocrite by telling other countries to prosecute their war criminals.
Its the same old neocon agenda of conquest Bush used.
The end does not justify the means.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said he would "work to ensure a swift and smooth confirmation for my good friend."
"Two words that characterize John McHugh are class and service, and in this new job he will once again be able to use both," Schumer said in a statement.
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In my opinion that statement alone is a significant change in the partisan politics we have become accustomed to. Your comment shows that you are not willing to give the Obama Administration even the slightest chance of working together with those on the other side of the political spectrum.
I welcome Republican congressmen John McHugh as next secretary of the Army , bringing another member of the opposition into President Obama's administration's fold.
Only if you could do the same. In the end, we are both Americans and should do what's best in the interest of the American people. I believe your skepticism is unwarranted.
I believe in doing what is best for my country Lloyd and that best is defined in the constitution that does not leave any room for lying political hacks or left over neocons that put us into the slime pit.
This con job of people saying give Obama a chance when they see the scam he is pulling is denying the truth of what is happening. All Obama is doing is putting more Bush cronies in military power to support the blood for oil wars that he is supporting and now expanding into Pakistan.
I don't recall if the BUsh Administration did similar things. Does anyone have any information on that readily available?
I can't think of one off the top of my head. President Obama seems to be in a catch 22 situation when it comes to his desire to reach out to Republicans.
He keeps extending his hand out, but many in the party refuse to open their clenched fists. I honestly don't know what else he is supposed to do other than reverting back to the failed policies of the past.
Obama is not resorting to anything Lloyd he is continuing the failed policies of the past and playing crony with the Stock Market.
Jack and Lloyd, there is a lot of truth in what you both are saying. The same groups and individuals still have tremendous wealth and power. It is very difficult to go against their perceived interests. They are too short sighted to understand that if teh poor do not prosper, those above them cannot prosper either. Our money blinds them to the truth.
Jack, President Obama signed an executive order to shut down the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay – the most potent symbol of excess in George Bush's "war on terror". He also signed two other executive orders to review the use of military trials for terror suspects and ban the harshest interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding.
On March 9, 2009 President Obama put an end to the stem cell research ban. Fulfilling a campaign promise, Mr. Obama signed an executive order expected to set in motion increased research that supporters believe could uncover cures for serious ailments from diabetes to paralysis. This reversed President George Bush's policy on stem cell research by undoing a 2001 directive that banned federal funding for research into stem cell lines.
On January 29, 2009 President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. This was opposed not only by the Bush Administration but by the Supreme Court. The legislation cancels out a Supreme Court ruling last year that declared plaintiffs had to file wage claims within 180 days of a company's decision to pay a worker less than a counterpart doing the same work."
I could go on and on and on and on about the differences between the two administrations. So for the life of me, I can't understand how all you see is the continuation of the failed Bush policies of the past.
It's easy to have tunnel vision and cherry pick, but there is more to the man than what you perceive. I've never seen a President come into office with so many issues to deal with. He's not going to be able to please everyone all of the time, but credit must be given where credit is due.
"Jack, President Obama signed an executive order to shut down the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay"
Then he decides to keep the torture chamber open. Its reported today that another victim of Bush committed suicide today.
He vowed to end the murder in Iraq and pull out the troops but leaving 50,000 troops in Iraq is not quite a pullout its a lie. He has extended the Bush blood for oil war into Pakistan.
He stopped military phony tribunals and then initiated them again.
Their is no change with Obama only the same old, same old say anything to get a vote politician.
His latest backpedal lie is that he was against taxing company health plans and even slammed McCain for the idea but now he is all for it.
Their is no cherry picking about it its called living in reality and supporting your constitution in place of plasying politically correct propaganda.
Lloyd,
I am not saying that he is merely continuing the failed policies of the previous Administration. I am saying that there are powerful vested interests supporting those failed policies because those interests expect to benefit by their continuation. I am saying that those interests will work in many ways to prevent substantive change and that those interests have wealth and power. I am saying that Obama will find considerable resistance to almost any changes he tries to make.
So Larry what do you suggest we do to stop these criminals that operate back stage?
I do have a complete solution based on my analysis of a huge range of problems all of which are based on the same aspect of nations. That solution is detailed at www.nopom.info . But that solution requires, for its adoption, that a rather large number of people actually understand it. Since the solution is unique and fundamental, it is hard to grasp at first glance. (It took me a couple of years and I was the one who accidently invented it.) Therefore I beg you to read the offerings at
www.nopom.info
or at least listen to the MP3 version of the book. In is in a novel format so the reading is easy and understanding is made easy by the story.
I don't recall Bush bring many, if any, Democrats into his administration, and even moderate Republicans such a Colin Powell were tolerated only for as long as they were willing to be mouthpieces for the Bush administration.
I suspect what Jack would call change is simply the substitution of one form of partisanship for another and that to me is not change.
Carol, you are right. Moderates are tolerated until they reach out to make compromises. The Republican Party has a way of chewing up and spitting out any dissent within the Party.
Colin Powell, Tom Ridge and Arlen Spector are perfect examples.