Would Judd Gregg Really Be The Third Republican?

New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg is expected to be announced later today as President Obama's nominee for Commerce Secretary and nearly every media outlet running a story on this development has touted Gregg as the third Republican in Obama's Cabinet.

Gregg is certainly a Republican as is Ray LaHood, the Transportation Secretary and former Republican Congressman from Illinois, but I'm going to take exception to the designation of Defense Secretary Robert Gates as a Republican.

Yes, Gates was appointed by W Bush and previously served in other Republican administrations, but that distinction does not in and of itself make him a Republican. Especially not in a technical sense as Gates remains (and apparently always has been) a registered Independent.

Is this nit-picking? Yeah probably, but it is also lazy journalism at best on the part of pretty much every media outlet there is, so I'm gonna pick it.

Note:
The White House is making reference to Gregg as the third Republican as well.