CHICAGO, Dec. 2, 2008
Obama Taps Bill Richardson For Commerce
CBS News Confirms Announcement Will Be Made Wednesday In Chicago
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Photo
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson waves to the crowed as he gets ready to speak on the final day of the Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field in Denver, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008. (AP)
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Richardson was Energy secretary and United Nations ambassador in the administration of President Bill Clinton. He sought the Democratic presidential nomination this year, but eventually dropped out and endorsed Mr. Obama.
He is one of the nation's most prominent Hispanic politicians, and was in the House before joining Mr. Clinton's Cabinet.
Democratic officials said Tuesday that Mr. Obama will join Richardson at a news conference in Chicago on Wednesday. They would speak only on condition of anonymity because the announcement hasn't been made.
A two-term governor of New Mexico, Richardson seemed to both relish the job, but also long for something more. Richardson's name was in the hopper as a possible vice president, then as secretary of state. Neither happened.
"I love my job (as governor). I'm not looking for a job," he said when asked shortly before the election whether he would accept a position in an Obama administration. But in recent weeks it also became clear that Richardson was not about to turn down a Cabinet assignment, even if secretary of state was out of the question.
Richardson, 61, boasts an extensive and wide-ranging resume. He has been described as a blend of East Coast establishment and Western individualism with a dash of Third World acumen. He combines a relentless competitiveness and political savvy with a jocular sense of humor and down-to-earth style that often tears down boundaries and disarms adversaries, associates say.
"His personality gets him in the door," says David Goldwyn, an associate of Richardson's at the United Nations. "From there he's got to deliver the message, he's got to be persuasive, and he's got to secure the objective. That's where the other part of his personality comes in - his relentlessness."
The Commerce secretary's job includes selling America to the international business community and dealing with trade issues.
As a seven-term congressman, Richardson showed a knack for freelance diplomacy, rushing off to such places as North Korea, Sudan, Cuba and Iraq on unofficial diplomatic missions. In 1995, he persuaded Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to release two American aerospace workers who had wandered into Iraq from Kuwait. He helped free three Red Cross workers in Sudan and mediated with North Korea over the downing of two U.S. Army helicopter pilots.
Richardson was disappointed when President Clinton passed him over for secretary of state. But in 1996, Mr. Clinton named him U.N. Ambassador. Two years later Clinton asked him to become energy secretary where Richardson was confronted almost immediately by an uproar over allegations of Chinese spying - later found to be untrue - and of a rash of security lapses at one of the government's premiere nuclear weapons labs at Los Alamos. Members of Congress criticized his handling of the matter, though many of the problems predated his arrival at the department.
In 2002, Richardson easily won election as governor of New Mexico, a state with a large Hispanic population and one he had represented in Congress for 14 years. He was re-elected in 2006 with 69 percent of the vote.
He continued to maintain a high national profile as chairman of the Democratic National Governors Association and by raising money for congressional candidates in the 2006 elections. And he sought to stake out positions on energy, land use, the environment and immigration.
Richardson was credited with helping to turn out the Hispanic vote for Mr. Obama. He would often switch between English and Spanish while campaigning. But he also lamented in an interview during his own presidential bid that because of his surname, many people didn't think he was Hispanic.
Born in Pasadena, Calif., Richardson's father was an international banker from Boston and his mother was Mexican. He lived his early childhood in Mexico City where his father worked for CitiBank. But as a teenager he attended an exclusive boarding school in Concord, Mass., and later earned a masters degree in international affairs from Tufts University.
He settled in New Mexico with politics on his mind. His first try at politics fell short, but he surprised political experts in 1980 - after only two years in the state - by coming within 1,000 votes of unseating veteran GOP Congressman Manuel Lujan.
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I wish he was Sec of State instead of Hillary, but that''s OK..
As commerce secretary hopefully he will spearhead some programs to get this economy moving in fruitful and productive directions, like alternative energy and other modern technology, he has done so with GREAT success here in New Mexico!
What resume? Does he own a business? Has he ever worked a real job? Come on, CBS. Instead of grabbing an easy quote that means nothing (try putting this quote on your resume and see what job you get), give us the facts. What has he done to get a job where he is in charge of commerce, or is it just he backed the right pony? Give us same facts, not just quotes from other Washington insides probably angling for their own piece of the new administration pie.
Posted by Inketolstoy
You cannot say someone has no resume'' , when he was..
1.congressman for 14 years
2. U.N. Ambassador who successfully negotiated hostage releases with Saddam Hussian.
3. Was nominated 3 times for the Nobel Peace Prize
4. Was U.S. Secretary of Energy
5. Was twice elected governor of New Mexico
etc, etc...
To somehow assume these are not ''real jobs'' is both arrogant and just plain STUPID! Let''s see you do even one of them, you MORON!
[Posted by Inketolstoy at 04:14 PM : Dec 02, 2008]
what resume? he''s been a us representative, the secretary of energy, the governor of new mexico, nominated for the nobel peace prize, and now the secretary of commerce.
how does that compare with your resume?
2. U.N. Ambassador who successfully negotiated hostage releases with Saddam Hussian.
3. Was nominated 3 times for the Nobel Peace Prize
4. Was U.S. Secretary of Energy
5. Was twice elected governor of New Mexico
etc, etc...
To somehow assume these are not ''''real jobs'''' is both arrogant and just plain STUPID! Let''''s see you do even one of them, you MORON!
You are to busy calling me names to see my point. Other than career politician, what has he done? This may qualify him to shake hands with other politicians as secretary of state, but I don''t see how any of this will help with commerce. I am not saying he doesn''t have experience, but I do not see the reporter informing me in this article. Or were you the writer of this article?
RowdyDFW would have been perfect for Commerce Secretary !
Obama should be appointing his frat buddies and Daddy''s friends to these positions.
Of course, that''s why we''re in the mess we''re in, because of idiots who voted for Junior.
The above paragraph says it all, Gov. Bill Richardson is America''s "go to" Diplomat when America wants results, America''s best and would have been an excellent Secretary of State producing results, reproducible results. Like the above paragraph points out, the U.S. had a Secretary of State but sent Gov. Bill Richardson instead to North Korea, Sudan, Cuba and Iraq unofficially, nuff said!
The above paragraph says it all, Gov. Bill Richardson is America''s "go to" Diplomat when America wants results, America''s best and would have been an excellent Secretary of State producing results, reproducible results. Like the above paragraph points out, the U.S. had a Secretary of State but sent Gov. Bill Richardson instead to North Korea, Sudan, Cuba and Iraq unofficially, nuff said!
An interesting choice?
Senator Clinton was much more qualified for the Secretary of Commerce position and Gov. Richardson was much more qualified for the Secretary of State position.
Then again, who would have thought that the President Elect has enough qualifications to be President?? When one looks at a Resume either Richardson or Hilary are more qualified than Obama to be President.
If you are a republican trying to talk economics, stop. We''ve all seen what nutjobs do with money.
In fact everything a nutjobb does is complete failure. Hence the last 8 years.
RowdyDFW would have been perfect for Commerce Secretary
Posted by MatrixRX2003 at 05:16 PM : Dec 02, 2008
Then how come New Mexico is an economic basket case and has been for a long time?
In fact everything a nutjobb does is complete failure. Hence the last 8 years.
Posted by stevex47 at 08:27 PM : Dec 02, 2008
A Democrat controlled Congress is spending the money right now, all 700 billion of the tax payers money.
Posted by jowand at
NM is one of the least populated states in the country. Recently, we have developed new technology industries (besides Intel) including solar panel plants from Germany. NM is getting better, a lot better, and Bill has been part of the solution.
He''ll do a good job as Commerce Secretary, dont worry!
The forgery alone in a crime and will get him impeached, and don%u2019t believe me just get your own copy from the freedom of information act and see for yourself. Remember Nixon got impeached for only being accused of a crime, BO has committed a crime.
Posted by banders6 at 09:28 AM : Dec 03, 2008
Thats funny, don''t pin your hopes on a speedy Supreme Court decision if this is even true. The Supreme Court has a serious backlog of cases, by the time something to do with a form Obama filled out comes before them he will have served 2 terms and retired and thats if they will even agree to hear the case! LOL
Posted by spinproof
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If they decide to view this case, they will make it a priority and listen to it soon, probably before Jan 20th. If he is lying he should not be allowed to be President.
Posted by keystonebull at 10:26 AM : Dec 03, 2008
If this were really an issue Hillary would have scored it, Obama has been vetted, there is nothing there, Clinton''s people would have found it trust me!
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by skiluuver
December 4, 2008 2:38 AM EST
- So far, every cabinet choice that Obama has made are smart ones -- how refreshingly different from many of the do-nothing duds that constituted the bulk of the Bush cabinet.
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