For his third nominee to lead the Commerce Department, President Obama has turned to Gary Locke, who combines the gubernatorial experience and Democratic pedigree of first pick Bill Richardson with a fiscal conservative streak more reminiscent of second pick Judd Gregg.
Locke built a decidedly pro-trade record during his eight years as the nation's first Chinese-American governor in Washington state and then as a China trade specialist with an international law firm. Locke helped arrange deals in China for Microsoft, Boeing and Weyerhaeuser. He guided Washington through a serious budget shortfall, but he took some criticism for doing it in part by cutting services. He also helped push a successful ballot initiative that linked Washington's minimum wage to inflation.
A comparison of Locke's positions to those of his two predecessors for the Commerce job follows after the jump.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
Updated at 1:30 p.m.
Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke was introduced this morning as President Obama's nominee to head the Commerce Department. Obama has to be hoping the third time's the charm. His two earlier choices for the post, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., both withdrew.
"I'm sure it's not lost on anyone that we've tried this a couple of times, but I'm a big believer in keeping at something until you get it right," Obama joked at the press conference announcing Locke's nomination. "And Gary is the right man for this job." Obama went on to praise the country's first Chinese-American governor for his work wooing business to Washington state and for growing the state's high-tech economy. With this pick, the only Cabinet seat without even a nominee is back down to one: Health and Human Services was originally intended for former Sen. Tom Daschle, who withdrew his nomination after it emerged he had failed to pay all his income taxes.
Subscribers can view Locke's Almanac of American Politics profile here.
By CONGRESSDAILY STAFF
Former Washington Gov. Gary Locke, a Democrat, is expected to be named soon as President Obama's third choice for Commerce secretary.
Locke, 59, was the nation's first Chinese-American governor when he served two terms in the Washington statehouse from 1997 to 2005. He now works in the Seattle-based law firm Davis Wright Tremaine.
Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson backed away from the post after initially accepting offers from Obama.
By ALINA SELYUKH
Just as the dust was settling last week from the exits of Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer, Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., whipped up the tumult again. By pulling out of consideration for Commerce secretary, a post previously abandoned by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), Gregg became the Obama administration's fourth high-level dropout so far.
But while this administration has set a turnover record for an incoming Cabinet, it's hardly the first to run into problems with its nominees. Bill Clinton leads among recent presidents with a total of six major nominee dropouts over the course of his presidency, followed by George W. Bush and his Cabinet's two withdrawals. Three previous presidents -- George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter -- each slipped once. All but Reagan had at least one kink in their first-term Cabinet selection process, with Clinton accepting three withdrawals.
Details about each of those instances follow after the jump.
Continue reading Obama Challenges Clinton For Most Nominee Dropouts.
By ALINA SELYUKH
(Credit: Getty Images)
Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., weren't frequently mentioned in the same breath until President Obama nominated first one and then the other to head the Department of Commerce. Both have served stints as governors, and they shared six years on the House floor in the '80s -- that about covers the similarities. So it raised some eyebrows that, after nearly a month with no Commerce nominee, Obama would choose Gregg for a position he'd previously envisioned Richardson filling.
During the announcement of Gregg's nomination, Obama acknowledged the seeming incongruity of his pick. "Clearly, Judd and I don't agree on every issue," he said, "most notably who should have won the election." In fact, Gregg's opinion of the very department he is now set to lead has differed sharply from his Democratic colleagues: He voted in 1995 for a budget resolution that would have eliminated the agency outright. Possibly the closest Gregg has come to sounding like a Democrat was when he helped George W. Bush prepare for the 2000 and 2004 presidential debates by playing Al Gore and John Kerry during Bush's pre-debate prep.
But even if Gregg tempers his conservatism to better fit the White House's policy agenda, how different an influence will he be at Obama's conference table than Richardson? The examination, based on the two nominees' previous statements and actions, is after the jump.
By DAVID HERBERT
In his first public appearance since announcing Sunday that he was withdrawing his nomination to become Commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson insisted that the decision to step aside was his alone and hinted that he'd like to serve in the Obama administration down the line.
"Sometimes your own dreams and plans must take a back seat to what is best for the nation," Richardson said at the mid-day press conference in Santa Fe. "The president-elect said in his statement yesterday that he looks forward to my future service in his administration. I still believe I have a lot to give in public service."
A federal grand jury is investigating whether the New Mexico Finance Authority awarded $1.5 million of work to California-based CDR Financial Products in 2004 as a result of pay-to-play politics. CDR donated more than $100,000 to two of Richardson's political committees, in addition to other contributions.
Richardson maintained that he and his administration acted properly and said he had "underestimated" how long the investigation would take. Richardson declined to answer when a reporter asked the final question of the press conference: "Governor, do you have a lawyer?"
Given Richardson's stated reason for withdrawing was that he did not want to slow the nomination process, President-elect Barack Obama will likely move quickly to fill the post.
But with the sudden Cabinet vacancy, "every special interest group that feels under-represented will see this as an opportunity to redress that wrong," said David Rothkopf, a former deputy undersecretary of Commerce for international trade under President Clinton. Latino leaders are already calling on Obama to nominate another Hispanic.
All things being equal, Rothkopf argued that Obama would be wise to tap a governor with experience growing a large economy. Considering the dire need to reboot the Midwest's economy, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) might not be a bad pick.
"Probably the best choice would be [New York City Mayor] Mike Bloomberg," Rothkopf said, "but I think he's got other plans."
Just weeks after being tapped by President-elect Barack Obama to be Commerce Secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name for the position, citing a pending probe into a company that has done business with his state government. Richardson issued a statement saying the federal grand jury investigation into a firm, which contributed to his political career and won a sizable state contract, "promises to extend for several weeks or, perhaps, even months."
Richardson, who would have led an agency that oversees the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Patent and Trademark Office, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, said he and his administration have "acted properly in all matters" and the investigation will bear out that fact. However, he concluded the probe would have forced "an untenable delay in the confirmation process." Obama issued a statement calling Richardson "an outstanding public servant" and said it is was a measure of his willingness to put the nation first that he removed himself from the running. Read more in CongressDaily (subscription required).
By DAVID HERBERT
If Barack Obama wants to prioritize e-government, he might look to the Commerce Department, which has quietly gained a reputation for being one of the most Web-savvy departments in the federal government.
Commerce has long been viewed as a sprawling, almost ungovernable bureaucracy, but over the last few years it has seen significant advances in areas both small (online video) and large (the 2010 census).
"I think the Commerce Department has been aggressive and progressive," said Arnold Jackson, associate director for the 2010 census.
Recently, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez pushed the Census Bureau to overcome technological barriers and offer an online form for the 2010 census, Jackson said. While the security software wasn't quite there to make the jump online in time for 2010, offering an Internet-based questionnaire is at "the very top of our agenda" for 2020, he added.
Commerce Secretary-designate Bill Richardson will oversee the 2010 census, and, depending on how long he serves, could be around when planning begins for the 2020 survey.
The bureau is also rolling out American FactFinder, an online database geared towards letting users dive into census numbers for themselves.
"I really think we're heading towards a Google-like approach to information search and dissemination," Jackson said.
Another Commerce agency, the Patent and Trademark Office, has turned to the Web in recent years to help alleviate its chronic backlog of applications, and Richardson could push for further movement online. The agency has an online wiki where the public can examine scores of software and business applications and point out existing inventions that might disqualify a submission.
Continue reading E-Government Ball Already Rolling At Commerce.
Pundits debate whether New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's announced nomination for Commerce secretary was a slight to the Latino community. Plus: Members of the media and Obama agree that he should bring back the beard.
By MARY GILBERT
Naming Bill Richardson as his pick for Commerce secretary today, President-elect Barack Obama emphasized the New Mexico governor's "breadth and depth of experience," particularly on the international front, and labeled him America's new "economic diplomat."
Richardson, who previously served in Congress, as well as state government, would be serving in his third Cabinet-level position. He was appointed ambassador to the United Nations by President Clinton in 1997 and a year later became secretary of Energy. With such varied responsibilities, "Bill has seen from just about every angle what makes our economy work and what keeps it from working better," Obama said of his nominee at a press conference in Chicago.
Obama highlighted Richardson's accomplishments in New Mexico, where under his supervision the state created 80,000 new jobs and kept unemployment to its lowest level in decades. But Obama particularly stressed Richardson's international perspective and "stature." He possesses a "deep understanding of today's global economy," Obama asserted, and understands that economic prosperity at home requires that "citizens of the world respect America's leadership" in the global economy.
Obama spoke of his former presidential rival's unique political style, joking that "during his 2002 campaign for governor, he actually broke a world record by shaking nearly 14,000 hands in just eight hours." But ultimately, Richardson is someone "who shares my values," the president-elect said, and will measure progress "the same way I do."
A newly beardless Richardson took the podium to thank his constituents and family, in both English and Spanish, and to express his appreciation of having the "great honor to serve once again a president who recognizes that America's diverse heritage is its greatest strength." He explained that the Commerce Department's mission exactly mirrors Obama's goals for his economic recovery plan -- job creation, particularly green jobs, sustainable economic growth and investment in new technologies -- and both he and Obama insisted that Commerce will play a vital role in getting the economy going again.
Diversity has been a hot topic surrounding Obama's Cabinet appointments. Asked by a reporter whether Hispanics like Richardson will play enough of a role in his Cabinet, Obama responded that when he is finished selecting both his Cabinet and his White House staff, he is confident that Americans will see "one of the most diverse administrations" in history. But he maintained that he will make individual picks based on who is most qualified for the post, noting that he sees no contradiction between diversity and excellence.
On the topics of the Troubled Assets Relief Program and auto industry bailout, Obama was non-committal, saying that his economic team is staying on top of everything that is being done by the current administration and on Capitol Hill, but that he is waiting to see more from both auto executives and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson before he makes any further decisions.
(Credit: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)
The wires are reporting this afternoon that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) will join the incoming administration in the role of Commerce secretary, and that Barack Obama will make the announcement official at a press conference tomorrow morning. (Check back then for coverage of the presser.)
If true, this would make Richardson the third of Obama's primary opponents to find roles in the administration, continuing the trend toward a "team of rivals." It would also mark a return to the Cabinet for Richardson, who served as President Clinton's Energy secretary after a year as ambassador to the United Nations.
As detailed in the Almanac of American Politics, Richardson's tenure in the Clinton White House was not without its rough patches:
In January 1997 Richardson was nominated as ambassador to the United Nations. Here was an opportunity to be a major player in foreign policy, although Richardson was cabined in by the close supervision of his predecessor, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. But he did negotiate agreements between the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and opposition forces and secured the release of Red Cross workers held hostage in Sudan, and the foreign policy experience he was gaining seemed likely to make him a plausible vice presidential candidate in 2000 or later. The only embarrassing thing about his service was the fact, later disclosed, that at the request of a White House staffer and without asking why, he offered a job to Monica Lewinsky; she rejected it as insufficiently grand.Then in June 1998 Energy Secretary Federico Pena resigned and Bill Clinton, eager to have at least one Hispanic in an official cabinet position, shifted Richardson to the post. This was not really a promotion: Energy is a department that is made up of several unrelated agencies, some of them with deep troubles at the time. One of those was the Los Alamos National Laboratory, from which, it seemed, secret documents about the assembly of nuclear weapons made their way to China.
Richardson was much criticized in Congress for his work on improving security in the national laboratories, and his connection to the Wen Ho Lee security case was a political liability. Later, in May 1999, two hard drives with designs of the nation's nuclear labs were found to be missing after a fire; in June 1999 he decided not to appear at a Senate committee hearing on the issue, on the grounds he had no answers; at a later Armed Services Committee hearing he was lambasted by Robert Byrd, who said he would never be confirmed for another job (the hard drives were later found behind a copying machine). He was mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate in 2000 -- the Democrats would have loved to run a Hispanic -- but his name soon fell off the list.
See Richardson's full Almanac profile here.
