Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) shot down rumors that he could be President Obama's choice to replace Ray LaHood as secretary of Transportation.
"I respect Ray LaHood, I want him to stay there," Bluemanuer said Tuesday during an appearance on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal." "We don't want anyone breathing down his neck. Let's keep him in the job as long as we can."
In January, LaHood
announced that he would step down as Transportation Secretary. In making the
announcement, LaHood said he'd stay in his post until a new secretary is confirmed.
Blumenauer has made transportation one of his signature issues, but the Oregon Democrat said he likes his position in Congress.
"You know, I like what I'm doing and I think I can be a better advocate for livable communities and transportation doing the work I do in Congress and in other communities than being [in] a good bureaucracy with a president I respect," Blumenauer said. "I'd like to be kind of a free agent."
Pressed to clarify, Blumenauer said he did not want the post.
"I'm not interested," he said.
Other names
regularly floated for Transportation Secretary include former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) had also been mentioned as a possible secretary of Transportation but, like Blumenauer, the South Carolina Democrat
said he wasn't interested.
