By KEVIN FRIEDL
Barack Obama rounded out his Cabinet-level nominations in Chicago this afternoon, naming California Rep. Hilda Solis (D) as his choice for Labor secretary, Illinois Rep. Ray LaHood (R) as his Transportation secretary pick and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk as his nominee for U.S. trade representative.
The president-elect's choices bring a Latina, a second Republican and a Southerner into his Cabinet. He also named Karen Mills, an economist and adviser to his transition team, to head the Small Business Administration.
Taking place in the wake of President Bush's announcement about the auto bailout, on a Friday afternoon and after the superstar picks Obama has already announced, this round of nominations had a somewhat perfunctory feel, and reporters' questions focused more on the state of the economy than on Obama's team itself.
"This is not an optimal situation, but what we're going to have to do is make the best decision we can with the hand we're dealt," Obama said in response to a question about his stimulus plan. Repairing the economy, he said, involves focusing "single-mindedly on job creation, increasing demand, getting the economy back on track, fixing our financial markets."
"That is going to cost a significant amount of money on the front end," he acknowledged, adding that deficit spending was nevertheless necessary to stimulate the economy. "Then we'll have laid that groundwork for long-term economic growth."
"We're going to have to be bold," Obama said.
Solis is known in the House as a close ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi as well as a strong union supporter, and her selection was cheered by organized labor even before the choice became official.
LaHood's reception by transportation interest groups was more reserved. Patrick Forrey, president of the air trafiic controllers union, released a statement saying only that he was "looking forward to sitting down with Secretary-designee LaHood as soon as possible" -- hardly a ringing endorsement.
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