Jim Nussle

Jim Nussle
36th Director of the Office of Management and Budget
In office September 10, 2007 – January 20, 2009
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Rob Portman
Succeeded by	Peter R. Orszag
Chairman of the House Committee on the Budget
In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	John Kasich
Succeeded by	John Spratt
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 1st district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Jim Leach
Succeeded by	Bruce Braley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Tom Tauke
Succeeded by	Jim Leach
Personal details
Born	James Allen Nussle (1960-06-27) June 27, 1960 Des Moines, Iowa
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Karen Nussle
Residence	Manchester, Iowa
Alma mater	Luther College, Drake University
Occupation	attorney
Religion	Lutheran

James Allen "Jim" Nussle (born June 27, 1960) is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. Nussle served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2007, was the Republican nominee for the 2006 Iowa gubernatorial election, losing to Democrat Chet Culver and was the director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2007 to 2009.

Early life and career

Nussle was born in Des Moines, Iowa. After high school, Nussle studied in Denmark (his political action committee (PAC) was at one time called "Great Dane PAC" and he is of Danish descent). He then received a B.A. in international studies, political science, and economics from Luther College in 1983, and a J.D. degree from Drake University in Des Moines in 1985. While at Luther he was a member of the Zeta Rho Tau fraternity and was the lead singer in a band called ZPT blues band. Nussle also founded the Luther College Republicans chapter during his time at Luther. Upon graduation from Drake University law school, Nussle took his first step in becoming a public servant when he was elected as the Delaware County, Iowa attorney in Manchester. While in Manchester, Nussle became a volunteer firefighter. Currently he is the president of a his own media consulting firm and chief operating officer of pro-ethanol trade association.

Political career

Congressional career

When the incumbent six-term Republican in what was then the 2nd District, Tom Tauke made an unsuccessful run against Senator Tom Harkin during the 1990 election, Nussle ran as the Republican candidate for Tauke's House seat.

Nussle's first election to the House was the closest election for him during his entire tenure in the House. He and challenger Eric Tabor had been in a virtual dead heat in the time leading up to the election. Just before the election, Tabor became embroiled in a controversy regarding absentee ballots that family members had cast. This controversy caused some votes to not be counted at the end, and also cost Tabor other votes as well. Ultimately, Nussle won by 1,600 votes. Tabor did not concede the election to Nussle until the day after the election.

In 1992, as a result of redistricting, Nussle's district was merged with the 3rd District of Democrat Dave Nagle. This was because Iowa's House delegation was being reduced from six down to five Representatives. The merged district was more Nussle's district than Nagle's, which worked to Nussle's advantage even though he had only one term to Nagle's three. Nussle won reelection by 2,900 votes.

Nussle's first exposure to national attention came when he made a speech from the well of the House while wearing a paper bag over his head to protest the "shameful" ethical behavior involved in the House banking scandal. It remains a trademark reminder of Nussle.

He became Chairman of the House Budget Committee in 2001, the first Iowan to serve as chair of this committee. His position brought national and international interest to his district, including the ONE Campaign, the lobbying group formed by Bono of the rock band U2. The group has targeted Nussle's district with billboard and radio ads. On March 23, 2006 they placed a statement in Nussle's article on Wikipedia, regarding poverty in Africa and Nussle's budget influence, hoping to influence Nussle. (The statement was quickly removed by editors as it violated Wikipedia policies on maintaining a neutral point of view). On March 24, 2006 the Des Moines Register contained a story about this revision in which ONE confirmed that they had placed the statement.

Nussle's voting record was relatively conservative, despite representing a district with a slight Democratic lean. He had a lifetime rating of 85 from the American Conservative Union. His district has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1988. Typical conservative positions Nussle embraced are supporting restrictions on abortion and supporting President Bush's tax cuts. His district was renumbered as the 1st District as a result of the 2000s (decade) round of redistricting, and became even more Democratic with the addition of much of Iowa's share of the Quad Cities. However, Nussle was reelected handily in 2002 and 2004.

2006 Gubernatorial bid

When Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack announced that he would not seek a third term as Governor in 2006, a number of people from both parties began exploring running for Governor. That included Nussle, who began considering a run shortly after Vilsack made his announcement. On June 2, 2005; Nussle announced he would run for governor. His only serious primary challenger, Bob Vander Plaats, withdrew from the race to endorse Nussle and become his running mate.

On February 21, 2006, the Iowa Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint against Nussle for not reporting any in-kind donations from the federal “Nussle for Congress Committee”. On July 12, 2006, the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board unanimously voted to close the investigation with a finding of no probable cause to believe that a violation of a statute or rule under the Board's jurisdiction occurred.

On June 6, 2006, Nussle won the Republican primary, but lost the general election to Chet Culver on November 7 by a wide margin. He even lost his own congressional district. Since the defeat, he first started his own consulting business and then was nominated to become the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under President Bush.

Three Republicans and four Democrats announced their intentions to seek the House seat Nussle was vacating in January, 2007. The primaries pared the candidates down to Democrat Bruce Braley and Republican Mike Whalen. Braley won Nussle's former seat.

OMB Director

Nussle was nominated by George W. Bush to replace Rob Portman as OMB Director, and was sworn in on September 10, 2007.^[1] A March 9, 2005 quote of Nussle's was included in the 2006 World Almanac and Book of Facts's list of notable quotes in 2005 (p. 39): "Everyone wants to get to heaven, but no one wants to die." According to the almanac, the quote refers to opposition to his proposed budget, which included cuts to several earmarks and programs; the statement was made during Nussle's tenure as House Budget Committee chairman.

Post-political career

Nussle at Growth Energy.

After leaving the Bush Administration in January 2009, Nussle founded The Nussle Group, a media and strategic consulting firm. In November 2010, Nussle became President & COO of Growth Energy.

Election history

• 1990: Defeated Eric Tabor 50%-49.8%
• 1992: Defeated David Nagle 51%-49%
• 1994: Defeated David Nagle 56%-43%
• 1996: Defeated Donna Smith 51%-48%
• 1998: Defeated Rob Tully 55%-44%
• 2000: Defeated Donna Smith 55%-44%
• 2002: Defeated Ann Hutchinson 57%-43%
• 2004: Defeated Bill Gluba 55%-44%
• 2006: Lost to Chet Culver 44-53%

References

External links

• The Nussle Group
• 2004 profile of Nussle in US News and World Reports
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

v t e Chairmen of the United States House Committee on the Budget Ullman Adams Giaimo Jones Gray Panetta Sabo Kasich Nussle Spratt Ryan

v t e Directors of the United States Office of Management and Budget Dawes Lord Roop Douglas D W Bell Smith Webb Pace Lawton Dodge Hughes Brundage Stans D E Bell Gordon Schultze Zwick Mayo Shultz Weinberger Ash Lynn Lance McIntyre Stockman Miller Wright Darman Panetta Rivlin Raines Lew Daniels Bolten Portman Nussle Orszag Zients (Acting) Lew Zients (Acting) Burwell

v t e Cabinet of President George W. Bush (2001–2009)   Cabinet Secretary of State Colin Powell (2001–2005) Condoleezza Rice (2005–2009) Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill (2001–2002) John W. Snow (2003–2006) Henry Paulson (2006–2009) Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (2001–2006) Robert Gates (2006–2009) Attorney General John Ashcroft (2001–2005) Alberto Gonzales (2005–2007) Michael Mukasey (2007–2009) Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton (2001–2006) Dirk Kempthorne (2006–2009) Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman (2001–2005) Mike Johanns (2005–2007) Ed Schafer (2008–2009) Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans (2001–2005) Carlos Gutierrez (2005–2009) Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao (2001–2009) Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson (2001–2005) Mike Leavitt (2005–2009) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Mel Martinez (2001–2003) Alphonso Jackson (2003–2008) Steve Preston (2008–2009) Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta (2001–2006) Mary Peters (2006–2009) Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham (2001–2005) Samuel Bodman (2005–2009) Secretary of Education Rod Paige (2001–2005) Margaret Spellings (2005–2009) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi (2001–2005) Jim Nicholson (2005–2007) James Peake (2007–2009) Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge (2003–2005) Michael Chertoff (2005–2009)   Cabinet-level Vice President Dick Cheney (2001–2009) White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card (2001–2006) Joshua Bolten (2006–2009) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Christine Todd Whitman (2001–2003) Mike Leavitt (2003–2005) Stephen L. Johnson (2005–2009) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mitch Daniels (2001–2003) Joshua Bolten (2003–2006) Rob Portman (2006–2007) Jim Nussle (2007–2009) Director of National Drug Control Policy John P. Walters (2001–2009) Trade Representative Robert Zoellick (2001–2005) Rob Portman (2005–2006) Susan Schwab (2006–2009)