Posted on 06/19/2007 1:14:34 PM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Jim Nussle, the Iowa Republican named to run the White House budget office, rubbed more than a few Democrats the wrong way in his 16 years in Congress.
But Nussle's combative style may be just what President Bush desires for a White House budget director whose tenure will be dominated by battles with the Democratic-controlled Congress over spending.
Nussle, 46, left Congress last year after a failed bid for governor of Iowa. His relationship with the president dates to 1999, when Bush was seeking his first term and Nussle endorsed him for the Iowa caucuses, a key early test.
Nussle helped shepherd Bush's budgets through Congress as chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2001-2006 and he formed a close relationship with White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten when Bolten was budget director.
As House budget chairman, Nussle helped draft the blueprint for Bush's signature 2001 and 2003 tax bills, though the focus was typically on the more balky Senate, where compromise was often needed. In the House, though, Republican leaders and conservatives such as Nussle regularly rolled over Democrats — and took pleasure in doing so.
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Jim Nussle put together a solidly conservative voting record in Congress despite representing a Democrat-leaning district (carried by Gore and Kerry). He certainly knows how to fight the good fight, and could be just the ticket for President Bush.
Hopefully Nussle will return to elective office soon. He would make a good Senate candidate to take on Harkin (although I think Steve King is looking to run and break the streak of sitting GOP Congressmen losing to Harkin), and he could also regain his House seat in 2008.
BTW, the conservative Nussle raised some eyebrows by joining the Giuliani team in Iowa; I guess he won’t be actively involved in the Iowa Caucuses now. Could Fred Thompson’s entry into the race have led to Nussle realizing the mistake he made by endorsing Giuliani?
What will he say when he finds that 2.5 Trillion dollar hole in that Shamnesty bill???? A lot of good people have been compromised over this one.
Nussle is the worst possible choice to run against Harkin. Commie Tommy has been squashing former Congressmen for over thirty years, one after another.
I’d like to see Nussle try to regain his old seat in Congress.
He’d definitely start out with name ID and money. Hell, there’s probably 20-25% of the voters in his district who think he still their member of Congress.
Winning back seats like Nussle’s will be the key to the GOP regaining control of the House.
From what I understand, he was a PAID advisor, and I really doubt Rudy got his moneys worth.
lol.
The problem with Jim Nussle isn’t that he’s “combative”, it’s that he’s soulless, a terrible excuse for a human being.
Well, Nussle isn’t a sitting Congressman, which is what Harkin has shown a habit of bringing the premature political career-enders for (Bill Scherle in 1974, Sen. Roger Jepsen in 1984, Tom Tauke in 1990, Jim Ross Lightfoot in 1996, Greg Ganske in 2002). But the question is, who else besides Nussle or King could take out Harkin at long last in ‘08 ? He’s been a cancer on the great state of Iowa for 33 years.
Regaining his old seat would be a safer bet. It’s appalling that the Democrats have 3 out of the 5 seats in Iowa’s House delegation. 2 of those freshman moonbats ought to be premier targets.
That’s an awful thing to say. Where do you come to such a conclusion about the man ?
I’m still trying to figure out how Jim Leach lost his seat in the 2nd CD.
His liberal Republicanism aside, he had incredible name ID and decent constituent services.
I know the district leans Dem - but he’d won there many times before with little effort.
>>>That’s an awful thing to say. Where do you come to such a conclusion about the man ?
Could be something to do with his divorce and surrounding circumstances.
Nussle would not be a good choice. I think he lost a lot of support during his work for Rudi, Nussle really seemed to indicate a willingness to throw conservative ideas over the cliff.
And the fact that he, in the words of a radio talk show host, “left his wife for the office hottie, hasn’t endeared him to some of us.
Steve King could do it, although I’m not sure that he wants to give up his safe seat.
Bill Salier could maybe do it, if he didn’t hurt himself too badly in the aftermath of his loss to Ganske.
The problem isn’t that Nussle is, or was, a Congressman, per se. The problem is that you have to have a conservative warrior to beat a socialist warrior like Harkin. You have to go to war. Nussle, and the other Congressmen you listed didn’t prove to be capable of that. And Harkin had them for lunch.
Personal experience - both my own, and friends of mine.
Leach was lucky that he won reelection at all in the last few cycles. His chronic disinterest in campaign fundraising was eventually going to bite him in the butt, and it finally did.
Divorces rarely are pretty, but without some specific details, I’d like to know what’s so bad about the man.
Leach was an awful RINO anyway. I’ve heard others on FR describe him as just slightly right of Chafee.
That sounds like that’s the clincher.
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