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Obama to Name Richardson as Commerce Secretary Weds.

By Jeralyn, Section Obama Administration
Posted on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 02:29:35 PM EST
Tags: Bill Richardson, John Kerry (all tags)
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President-Elect Barack Obama will name New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as his Commerce Secretary tomorrow.

Why was John Kerry left out in the cold? Among the few high-level positions left for him is Secretary of Veterans affairs.

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    Obama to Name Richardson as Commerce Secretary Weds. | 17 comments (17 topical)

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    Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 02:35:08 PM EST
    is a pretty warm spot if you ask me.

    Indeed (none / 0) (#4)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 03:00:09 PM EST
    I agree.

    I preferred him there - I think Hillary more valuable in the Senate.

    Parent

    Maybe Kerry would (none / 0) (#6)
    by BernieO on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 04:22:35 PM EST
    have been successful as SOS. He could have put the world to sleep.

    Parent
    If I could teach the world the snooze. . . (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by andgarden on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 04:27:26 PM EST


    Parent
    I would think if he gets that... (none / 0) (#11)
    by Jerrymcl89 on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 06:45:47 PM EST
    ...it's not as good as State, but better than anything still available. Kerry hasn't historically been one of the harder working Senators, but if he got Foreign Relations I think his interest in the job would perk up.

    Parent
    How deep (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by cal1942 on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 03:48:31 PM EST
    is the bench?

    Not just in Washington but around the country.  Napolitano, Richardson, etc.

    I would prefer to have had both Napolitano and Richardson holding down gubernatorial positions.  Avoid giving up electoral slots in places like Arizona that's slowly turning blue and New Mexico that's establishing blue.

    Yes, I am of the belief that had we not (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by inclusiveheart on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 04:57:44 PM EST
    taken a number of state governorships prior to this election, we would not have done nearly as well as we did this past election.

    I did not hear the full story - just a teaser - but on CNN earlier they were doing a story about how Gov. Schwarznegger didn't think federal help for the states in economic crisis was necessarily a good idea.  Just on its face, it seemed like deliberate posturing against the incoming Obama Administration's offer of help and quite possibly the harbinger of an intended attempt to deny the people of California access to the positive impact of Obama's proposal for help.  The next four years are going to be full of GOP attempts to block the Obama Administration from making people happy.

    Parent

    When the initial bailout was in (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by oculus on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 07:07:44 PM EST
    the works, Gov. Schwartzenegger asked for federal money to bail out California.  He also sd. he wouldn't mind working for the Obama administration.

    Parent
    Is it unusual to have so many (none / 0) (#7)
    by ruffian on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 04:22:39 PM EST
    current office-holders put up for cabinet seats? I guess I'd like to see more people with real experience in their departments go to the cabinet. For example, I know Eric Holder has plenty of faults, but I like that he isn't an elected official. I have no good explanation for that feeling of unease - I know elected politicians can do a good job too - but it seems the cabinet is getting full of them pretty fast.

    Parent
    I'm (none / 0) (#14)
    by cal1942 on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 07:16:41 PM EST
    more concerned about the loss of electoral clout in those states.

    I'm not concerned with operation of the executive departments.  Other appointees will probably have the mission expertise and day to day operations are often the province of career civil servants. Cabinet secretaries will be involved in policy matters and good executive ability will carry the day and they will bring some of their own people.

    Parent

    Do we want (none / 0) (#2)
    by Frank Burns on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 02:50:42 PM EST
    so many seasoned democrats out of the Senate? Has the institution become that diminished?

    Biden is the only seasoned one we are losing (none / 0) (#9)
    by ruffian on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 04:27:55 PM EST
    And he is being replaced by his long-time aide who probably knows more about everything than he does. Clinton and Obama were relatively new in the Senate, to put it most charitably. But yes, if Kerry goes to the cabinet, that would be another one.  I think he will stay in the Senate though, if he gets a high profile chairmanship.

    Parent
    I don't seem to recall (none / 0) (#12)
    by ChrisO on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 06:58:20 PM EST
    Al Giordano, et al, blowing a gasket because Kerry's people were leaking his name in order to pressure Obama.

    Parent
    Thank Gawd it's not Energy... (none / 0) (#15)
    by oldpro on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 08:17:53 PM EST
    once was enough of that.

    Still...commerce...jeez, the economy needs a player at commerce.  Gotta wonder what Richardson brings to the party besides hats and noisemakers.

    Labor and HUD (none / 0) (#16)
    by caseyOR on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 09:38:46 PM EST
    Anybody heard any even slightly credible rumors about possible appointments to Labor and HUD? Valerie Jarrett's name had been thrown around for HUD, but she is going to the West Wing. These are,IMO, very important appointments. My fear is that for HUD, Obama will pick someone in love with the whole public/private partnership nonsense that flourished in Chicago, in which both Jarrett and Rezco were major players.

    Here is a link to the labor options (none / 0) (#17)
    by Lolis on Tue Dec 02, 2008 at 10:11:54 PM EST
    http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/12/obama_will_announce_richardson.php

    Parent
    What Would You Rather Be (none / 0) (#18)
    by kaleidescope on Wed Dec 03, 2008 at 12:52:01 AM EST
    Secretary of Veterans Affairs or Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee?

    Obama to Name Richardson as Commerce Secretary Weds. | 17 comments (17 topical)

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