Charlotte Mayor & Obama pal @AnthonyFoxx being considered for transportation sec.?

The Charlotte Observer, citing reports from the Bloomberg News service, writes that Foxx is indeed in the running to replace out-going Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood:

President Barack Obama is considering Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx for secretary of transportation, according to two people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News reported Wednesday.

Foxx declined to comment to the Observer before Wednesday’s City Council budget meeting. Foxx, 41, has long been rumored for a cabinet position in Obama’s second term, and the mayor has said previously he would consider a move to Washington, D.C.

The mayor has not yet announced he is running for a third term in November. Foxx doesn’t have a extensive transportation background, though he is passionate about building the city’s transit system, including a controversial streetcar through central Charlotte. He is currently an attorney for a Charlotte hybrid bus maker, DesignLine.

Foxx was invited to Obama’s White House several times in 2009 and 2010. Their relationship was considered to be a helpful factor in the city landing last September’s Democratic National Convention.

Well since Foxx nor his office will confirm or deny, I think it’s safe to say this is an accurate story.

Don’t be surprised if Foxx is picked because, as the article notes, he and our celebrity President have an – um – mutually “beneficial” relationship, to say the least and Obama isn’t exactly known from shying away from shameless, blatant cronyism, contra to his promises to be a “different” kind of politician on that front both in 2008 and 2012.

If Foxx is named to succeed LaHood, I have no idea what the process would be here to replace him as Mayor.  But suffice it to say that, whether it be by election or appointment, the next Mayor will likely be a Democrat, since electing Democrats seems to be a trend in city and county politics lately.  However, as the 2012 elections in NC demonstrated, this state most definitely did not trend Democrat – of which many long-suffering Republicans here are so very, very thankful.

As to the future and Foxx, as Drudge often says – developing ….