Former Ill. Gov. Edgar to replace Mineta as Transportation Sec?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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Former Illinois governor surprised at job possibility

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Bush still hasn’t decided whom to nominate as transportation secretary to succeed Norman Mineta, who left the job July 7 after six years on the job.

Meanwhile, Washington is showing how it loves to fill an empty Cabinet seat with speculation.

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar is said to be under consideration. So are a Cabinet secretary, two federal transportation officials and a White House budget aide.

“As soon as he has a nominee to announce, he will,” said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. “Secretary Mineta left the Cabinet only a few weeks ago, and a decision on a nominee will be made soon.”

Two women who served under Mineta are considered top candidates to succeed him: Federal Aviation Administration chief Marion Blakey, known for her management skills; and deputy Transportation Secretary Maria Cino, who has a reputation for political savvy.

Others said to be in the running:

_Edgar, a Republican former two-term Illinois governor.

_Elaine Chao, secretary of Labor.

_Michael Jackson, deputy secretary of Homeland Security, formerly deputy secretary of Transportation.

Edgar told the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday he was “surprised” to hear his name in the mix and had not been contacted by the White House.

“I can’t figure out where my name came from,” Edgar told the Chicago Tribune for a story posted on its Web site Tuesday night. “I have not thought about it, to be very truthful.”

Clay Johnson, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, has also been talked about as a possible candidate. He’s been Bush’s friend since prep school and served in his administration as governor of Texas.

Carol Hallett, former president of the Air Transport Association, lost out to Andrew Card for Transportation secretary in the administration of Bush’s f

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So, according to your story former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar is interested in the job but doesn’t know how his name came up. Politicians… always playing both ends.

CC

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Don’t know about his transportation credentials (though he’s been known to take a bike ride or two), but as far as politicians, I wouldn’t mind seeing a guy like Edgar in there. He was “squeaky clean”–something very rare in Illinois politics.

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Jim Edgar is probably a longshot and is getting a lot of mention around here mostly because he served two terms as governor of Illinois. He is a relatively moderate Republican who has been willing to work with Democrats, a necessity in Illinois but could be viewed as a liability by the current regime in Washington.

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hope jim gets the job. i thought he did ok as guv[:)]

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My guess is Edgar understands the importance of Amtrak to the economy.

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Ouch!

He’s just been ruled out.

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Now we know where Edgar stands on Amtrak…

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Wire service report July 7, 1998

SPRINGFIELD, IL
Fearing a possible cut in federal funding for Amtrak train service in Illinois, Gov. Jim Edgar and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in a joint news conference in Springfield on Monday called on Congress to allocate the full subsidy proposed in the new budget.

If they don’t receive the full $621 million requested by President Clinton, Amtrak officials say they may have to scale back capital improvement plans in the coming year.

Last year, Congress and the Clinton administration agreed to continue providing annual appropriations for capital improvements and maintenance, as part of a plan to make Amtrak self-sufficient by 2002. But some congressional leaders are threatening to reduce or eliminate funding for the federal fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Durbin on Monday compared the threatened cut to “throwing the switch in the
middle of a trip.” Edgar released a copy of a letter he sent to the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Transportation, urging full funding.

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Poor guy just wants to stay out of politics, but his name keeps getting brought up for various positions. I think the last push for him to take office was for senate(?) a couple years ago.

Good guy though. Personally I’d like to see him as John Mccain’s running mate for prez.