Gregg, a moderate Republican from NH, would send a signal of both bipartisanship with an important Cabinet post but also potentially give the Democrats the 60-vote Senate margin in that could be filled by an appointment by the Democratic Governor John Lynch---although knowing NH's streak of independence I could see Lynch appointing an Independent who then could organize with the Democratic Party.

United States Senator. - If a vacancy occurs in the office of United States senator, the governor shall fill the vacancy by temporary appointment until the next state general election, when a senator shall be elected for the unexpired term.

This would be be a double stroke bringing in a Republican who essentially is on the fringe of the WingNut Rights while also summarily boxing out the minority in the Senate if they had to once Franken's 225 vote margin is upheld. Sure it will place enormous pressure on the MN court and then the MN Governor to provide the certification but to quote Dick Cheney---"elections have consequences", so does malfeasence.

No question the Gregg appointment would also provide genuine expertise in Banking and Commerce at a time when the best hands need to be on deck.

Politics is always about power, TR held a carrot and also stick. FDR used guile and compromise to gain what appeared to be consensus but the reality he always framed it his way and he controlled. Lincoln brought competing interests together to save the Union with those who believed the Union needed to be saved.

The GOP are not there yet. They haven't believed they have lost. They haven't come to realize that the nation is really in peril.

So it is now my contention that Obama damn the torpedos and unleash his power now. Force the bill into the Senate. Then mobilize his grass roots army to tsunami every GOP Senator in any battleground state:  Start with Kyl, move to Snowe, Grassley, Alexander, Specter, & Vitter,  then continue with  Voinovich, Gregg and Ensign

They all know that eventually 59 is coming to the Senate and I think Kyl, Grassley Alexander and Vitter can have their seats put in play.  Force political pressure on them to vote with the Dem's. In fact all four of these seats could be had in 2010.  

Instead of direct pressure use flanking move and begin splitting the GOP on survival tactics.  I would also begin organizing a Dem opponent in Boehner's district, alongside the conservative Indiana border but start making him hold down the fort. In fact you could organize side by side since IN Pence is adjacent in the neighboring IN. Also begin organizing in VA's 7th District (Cantor) where VA became a Blue State and Richmond could be turned.

Politics is about pressure and applying re election pressure far more convincing than soft talk in front of cameras.