Obama taps House Republican, Schapiro for key posts

Barack Obama will tap Rep. Ray La Hood (R-Ill.) to be his transportation secretary and Mary Schapiro as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, according to a senior Democrat.

{mosads}Schapiro, who now heads the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, is a former SEC commissioner. She will reportedly by the first permanent female chairwoman of the SEC.

The Hill reported Wednesday morning that LaHood was in discussions to join the Obama administration. By Wednesday evening, the decision to appoint LaHood as head of the Department of Transportation was finalized.

LaHood will be the second Republican in Obama’s Cabinet. The other is Robert Gates, who is staying on as defense secretary.

Reached on his cell phone Wednesday morning, LaHood was mum, saying, “It’s probably not a good idea to discuss this at this moment.”

LaHood does not sit on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Department and did not introduce any transportation bills in the 110th Congress. He did not run for reelection in November.

LaHood, a centrist, is friends with incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

The Illinois Republican backed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president, but was critical of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain’s running mate.

In October, LaHood said Palin’s rallies “don’t befit the office she’s running for.”

He lamented some of the names Obama as being called at the rallies by attendees, which included “traitor” and “terrorist.”

Those names “certainly don’t reflect the nature of the man,” LaHood said at the time.

President Bush appointed a Democrat, Norm Mineta, to run the Department of Transportation in 2001. Mineta resigned in 2006.