What You Need To Know About Ray LaHood
What You Need To Know About Ray LaHood
Ten years ago today, Ray LaHood was gaveling in House impeachment proceedings against President Clinton. Today, President-elect Barack Obama announced that he would be serving as the next Secretary of Transportation.
LaHood is a moderate Republican who has broken with his party over Amtrak funding, voting yes last summer to expand passenger rail service. He also broke with the GOP on the Saving Energy Through Transportation Act. In 2005, he told the Peoria Journal-Star, “We’ve got a good Amtrak system in Illinois and I don’t think we want to destroy it by talking about privatization.”
Friends of the Earth responded to the LaHood nomination by saying: “While his overall record on energy and environment issues is poor, LaHood has in recent years broken with many in his party to support crucial investments in passenger rail and public transportation, and he is a member of the Congressional Bike Caucus.” LaHood also supported the bicycle commuter benefit bill.
But while LaHood has certain strengths, working long hours away from home doesn’t appear to be one of them. When Democrats ousted the right-wing Do-Nothing Congress in 2006, LaHood worried about returning to a five-day work week:
Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), 61, one of those who announced he’s packing it in, said that the Democrats’ new five-day workweek made traveling back home that much more difficult.
“I do think the schedule and the flying is a huge pain for people, particularly those who are from the Midwest or even further West,” he said, adding that it’s “probably the worst part of the job.”
“I think that has played into these retirement announcements,” said the seven-term congressman from Peoria.
In May 2007, LaHood was part of an 11-person group that went to the White House to urge Bush to change direction on Iraq, a brazen act which earned him the wrath of Karl Rove. LaHood continued to support the Bush strategy in Iraq.
Over the last two years — after announcing his early retirement from the House — LaHood has been more open to criticizing Republicans. “The [GOP] strategy is to lay low and then blame [Democrats] for not getting anything done,” he said. “The truth is, we all lose.” He also heralded the new House leadership: “They [Democratic leaders] can send their members home crowing about their accomplishments, and they’ve done it in a bipartisan way, which is exactly what they promised to do.”
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Will Blago pick LaHood’s replacement?
December 19th, 2008 at 4:45 pmMy bad…I missed the part about early retirement.
December 19th, 2008 at 4:47 pmbush nuthuggers like insanity, rush the lush and angry trannie annie coulter must be foaming at the mouth over this bipartisanship displayed by the president elect.
December 19th, 2008 at 4:51 pmIsn’t LaHood Italian for ‘The Hoodlum’?
December 19th, 2008 at 4:59 pmOn the plus side, if the president wants to know how something will play in Peoria, all he has to do is ask Ray. Peoria’s in his district.
December 19th, 2008 at 5:18 pmrepublicans hate facts Says:
While Obama has a few progressive areas of interest such as education, he’s basically a conservative guy.
I am with you on this republicans hate facts.The endless fawing over Repukes by Obama is beginning to look troubling.
December 19th, 2008 at 6:03 pmaw jeez, dutch… you went’n'didit…
…
good ol’ peoria… my old home town… haven’t been back there in too many years…
have deep roots, and some relatives still there… there’s quite a history that i never knew much about, regrettably…
i was 5 when my whole family moved to s.central illinois, many decades ago…
but i always loved the end of the trip back there, topping the hill on I74 and seeing the bridge and the city down below, and it was always so beautiful to me… “almost at nana’s!”…
the guy’s name is unfortunate, in a way… the connotations…
but i don’t know much about him other than the above…
will be interesting to see how this works out. i’m guessing he did enough good things for peoria and surrounds to have kept going back to d.c. for them… and it’s a tough town, as i recall…
was it rachel? or randi? who said, ‘well it’s the republicans who can make the trains run on time’…
i’m glad he is an AMTRAK fan… that trip to chicago is much easier taking the train… just wish it was smooth enough to read comfortably…
let’s work on that, ray.
December 19th, 2008 at 7:34 pmRHF, anyone who actually read The Audacity of Hope knew he was going to govern from the center-left and put together a coalition of the willing to move this nation toward a more liberal path. But it doesn’t mean he’s sold out. He’s an incrementalist.
December 19th, 2008 at 9:36 pmHey, our Muslim terrist President-elect Obama has decided to nominate an illegal immigrant as his Secretary of Labor!
Cesar Chavez and Che are both turning over in their graves…in JOY! No one could have predicted…
December 19th, 2008 at 9:47 pmJust gets you right in the crotch, hey Daddy-Yo! Enjoy for the next eight years.
December 19th, 2008 at 10:11 pmAnybody seen Darlyy around? I’ve been kinda busy lately and haven’t had much time to read the intertubes…
December 19th, 2008 at 10:20 pmIf we assume that Obama wants Republicans on his Cabinet, he could do far worse than this one. I’m generally of the opinion that the stuff he says about bringing people together is worthwhile; if I ever became president (even if it were Constitutionally allowed, I would really hope that SOMEONE stops the American people from voting for me), I would veto EVERYTHING and just force Congress to have to override, and therefore agree on things. As much as Bush’s damage needs to be repaired, the partisanship (which was around long before Bush was in office) needs to be repaired as well. It would have been nice if Bush listened to Democrats, wouldn’t it? By exactly the same logic, it’s nice that Obama’s listening to Republicans, specifically Republicans who did not work to elect him.
Seriously, as much as I may not respect the ignorant half of America, Obama will be their president as much as he is ours. Besides, one of Biden’s big issues is transportation, so I’m sure LaHood will have more solidly Democratic help.
December 19th, 2008 at 10:30 pmHey Daddy-Ugh–why don’t you hop back on the short bus and go over to Malkin’ s playground or Red State. You are an idiot.
LaHood worked for a very decent man–Bob Michael who was Minority Leader when I was on the Hill. Michael was a very effective leader who was able to work with Tip O’Neill and get things done. Once Gingrich arrived that was the end of civility. I’m willing to give LaHood the benefit of the doubt.
This nation has been screwed 6 ways to Sunday by Bush and Cheney and the republican party, that everyone had better pull together to get this country back on track or we are all doomed.
Just today here in Massachusetts, Soverign Bank laid off over 1800 people and that was only one bank that did that–I just heard on The News Hour that thousands of others were canned in the banking industry, the investment area (Fidelity) and the big hospitals. This is not good.
December 19th, 2008 at 10:33 pm“Ten years ago today, Ray LaHood was gaveling in..”
Did you mean “groveling in”?
December 20th, 2008 at 2:49 amwhatever odds and ends LaHood may have done that aren’t bad, maybe even good, it can’t be a good idea to have a republican in charge of transportation when the nation needs leadership in moving away from an automobile-based society to a sustainable society. (And no sustainability is not limited to getting better gas mileage or alternatives to fossil fuels. Its addressing and radically changing the whole pavement, sprawl, waste-based way of life paradigm that is America.)
December 20th, 2008 at 8:27 amObama’s cabinet is looking good. Moderation appears to be one of his strengths.
December 20th, 2008 at 9:43 amLaHood is a good choice for transportation – he is a moderate Republican, and he is an advocate for the rail system.
Obama needs people from all corners to be on his team if we expect his bold moves to succeed — tapping people from one segment of the population would not be helpful in attaining his goals. Sometimes you have to “go along to get along.”
December 20th, 2008 at 10:04 amFor example:
I am president on a local board, and elections brought in two people not known for their agreeable personalities. I went to them in a spirit of cooperation, acknowledging their assets and complimenting them when I could, and enlisting their help in certain problems. Today, they are my allies, we work together, the entire board is effective and functional.
La Hood seems like a reasonable guy…could he be used to do the invocation?
December 20th, 2008 at 12:36 pm______
jb Says:
La Hood seems like a reasonable guy…could he be used to do the invocation?
December 20th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
______
Sounds like a good idea if this info is true:
“Republican Rep. Ray LaHood
wasnt he over the clinton impeachments?
im sure he’ll make a great transportation secretary”
Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record.
Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Jan 2007)
Voted NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research. (May 2005)
Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion. (Jun 1999)
Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman. (Jul 2006)
Voted YES on making the PATRIOT Act permanent. (Dec 2005)
Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004)
Voted YES on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance. (Sep 2004)
Voted YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2003)
Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=printer_friendly&forum=132&topic_id=8007811
December 21st, 2008 at 2:41 amLaHood may be one heck of a nice guy, but this appointment means the Privatization Train will ride hard and fast in 2009-2010.
That means more taxpayer money and public assets going to private companies. Rebuilding decimated government capabilities will take years.
Let’s hope some public assets remain after the distressed fire sale.
January 1st, 2009 at 12:52 pm