Pres. Obama picks another Republican

From the AP:

President Barack Obama has nominated former Republican Rep. Jim Leach as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In a White House statement issued Wednesday, Obama says he is confident that with Leach as chairman, the endowment will continue its mission of "supporting the humanities and giving the American public access to the rich resources of our culture."

Leach represented Iowa in Congress for 30 years. He endorsed Obama in the presidential election, and spoke at the Democratic National Convention.