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NM-Gov: Richardson for Commerce

by: James L.

Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 4:09 PM EST


So sayeth MSNBC:

Also expected Monday -- an announcement that former U.N. Ambassador and Energy Secretary in the Clinton administration, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, will be Commerce Secretary.

This would bump up Lt. Gov. Diane Denish to the top office in New Mexico, giving her a leg up over all other comers -- including, perhaps, Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez, who is currently raising money for another run, but is mum on what exactly he'll be running for.

In the diaries, Chad has more.
James L. :: NM-Gov: Richardson for Commerce
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NM-Gov: Richardson for Commerce | 30 comments
Odd.
I expected Obama to put Richardson somewhere, of course, but Commerce is a weird place for him.  

At least Denish gets that two year head start over Chavez. My guess is Chavez wanted to be governor, but was angling for an open seat. Now that Denish looks to be a two year incumbent, and NM-01 and both Senate seats are held by Democrats, Chavez has nowhere to go. I doubt someone with his massive ego would be content with a downticket statewide job over his current position.

It didn't make much sense
to me at first, other than it's kind of a prestigious but inert place to stick him if he can't have State. But it may be the best place for him to synthesize his various previous portfolios (foreign relations and energy) by letting him focus on trade and globalization issues, and on spurring the drive to implement a green economy, not just here but worldwide.
[ Parent ]
Get the Best
I think it's less important to put someone in the cabinet spot that he or she has the most experience with as it is to have top quality people who have the know how and political skills to get things done.
[ Parent ]
2 possible reasons Commerce might interest Richardson
1.  He would be in charge of the 2010 Census.  Remember all of the talk about the undercount in 2000?  I suspect he will devote special attention to seeing that doesn't happen in 2010, especially among Hispanics.

2.  There is a lot of discussion of a national industrial policy.  If the Obama administration does anything these lines, the natural home for it would be Commerce.  

[ Parent ]
I'm not happy
I really wanted to see Richardson at Transportation:

http://www.bleedingheartland.c...

I would have been satisfied to see Richardson at State or Interior.

He is a corporate Democrat (ran the whip to get NAFTA through the House), and I don't like him in an economic policy position, especially since Obama isn't naming any progressives to balance him.

Hasn't he flipped on trade issues?
Many good Dems have changed their minds on "free trade" over the years since NAFTA.  I'm one of them.
[ Parent ]
Another weird choice.
Interior would be a much better choice if he had to do something domestic. He's in charge of the census though so that's cool I guess.

I'm still trying to get my head around you-know-who as Secretary of you-know-what. It's either going to be one of the most ingenious, kick-ass picks of all time or a complete disaster. Guess we'll know in a year's time.

It'll be fine
It gets her out of his way and polishes her foreign policy credentials for another run. I only see positives for both.
[ Parent ]
As long as...
As long as Obama doesn't have a rocky first-term, and Hillary ends up at odds with him publicly and decides to destroy the party to primary him in 2012.  I know... worst case scenario.
[ Parent ]
How does she end up at odds with him from State?
Pretty hard to do that in an apolitical role like that. I think its genius. Besides, inside the administration or not if she was going to do that she would do it from wherever she was sat. Frankly, I have more faith in her than that. She has both balls and class.
[ Parent ]
And Suddenly...
She has both balls and class.  

And suddenly all right-wing rumors about Hillary are confirmed by conspiracy.

[ Parent ]
I Like It
I really like Clinton at State.  First, you look at all our allies across the world and they seem to be enthusiastic.  Second, it really unifies the party and puts the strength of the Clinton wing behind making the Obama administration successful.  Third, I like Clinton and think she's smart, energetic, and tough woman, and I don't want Obama's cabinet to be full of yes men and women.
The primaries got a little rough but I never hated her and she fully redeemed herself by campaigning for Obama in the general, IMHO.  Finally, she may be a little to the right of Obama on foreign policy, but they both seem to be pragmatists above all.  I also love the fact that right wingers have cynically been praising Clinton ever since it became clear Obama would be the nominee.  It will be difficult, but I'm sure they won't disappoint, for them to abruptly change course and revert back to their standard demonization of her.
[ Parent ]
Martin Chavez is a loser...
Anybody remember his aborted run at the open Senate seat last year? He called now Senator-elect Tom Udall too far to the left to be elected and promised a nasty primary. Wasn't he already the Democratic nominee for governor in 1998? He's had his chance already.

Yay. It'd be great politically to give Denish a two year head start on the 2010 gubernatorial race. She's a great politician and will make a good governor.

He I remember that well
Back when I was writing for TPM, I wrote a piece hitting Chavez for attacking Udall only days after calling him "a great Congressman" and also saying:

"If you look issue by issue I doubt you'll find much difference ... You will find that we will vote together almost all the time."

Those comments were made, of course, before national leaders attempted to recruit Udall into the race.

Trent also had a good post about that one, too.

[ Parent ]
I'd forgotten what a
douche Chavez was. Thanks for the old links
[ Parent ]
Denish was always going to be the favorite for the Dem nod in 2010
Even if she wasn't Richardson's Lt. Gov, his machine is going to line up behind her just because of how at odds he is with Chavez (here's something to consider, Udall's daughter and campaign manager, Amanda Cooper, was also working on Richardson's presidential campaign, how much you want to bet that Richardson was the one who pushed Udall to run for the Senate race?)

Chavez is going to be finished in state politics after his tenure as mayor ends.

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

[ Parent ]
He is a loser
I hope this guy doesn't run for anything statewide.  We can do much better in New Mexico.
[ Parent ]
No kidding
I live in Albuquerque, and the dude is a Grade-A jackass.

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

[ Parent ]
What I think we need
Is a post wherein I suggest Obama tap Marty Chavez for a key cabinet position.
[ Parent ]
Ambassador to Kazakhstan?
No, that's too good a position for him.
[ Parent ]
Actually
I'd think he'd fit in with Nazarbayev and the other gangsters-in-chief. He'd be a kindred spirit. Then again, the sheer volume of noxiousness emminating from all of them could tear a hole in the ozone layer.
[ Parent ]
Ambassador to Antarctica
Let him make a treaty with some penguins or something :D

Politics and Other Random Topics

24, Male, Democrat, NM-01, Chairman of the Atheist Caucus, and Majority Leader of the "Going to Hell" caucus!

[ Parent ]
He can see Sara Palin from there.

[ Parent ]
He'd need bloody good vision from down there!

[ Parent ]
Not after 2012
When she gets crushed in the Republican primary in 2012.

Alaska is to close to human beings!

The republicans will want to get her as far away from living beings as possible.

They might put her on the first space shuttle to mars.

[ Parent ]
wow gg on my geography
Antarctica, not the arctic wow, just wow.......

talk about a Sara Palin moment

This is what happens when you look at this god forsaken markets financial numbers all day.

[ Parent ]
I think you mean the North Pole
Oh nevermind, that doesn't exist anymore thanks to global warming.
[ Parent ]
Another good idea
However, that could make him into the real-life version of Oswald Cobblepot (aka The Penguin), and do we really need him coming at us with fully-loaded umbrellas? ;-) (hey, whaddayaknow, my sense of humor is back!)
[ Parent ]
Ick
Richardson has never been someone I liked. I was pretty happy when Clinton got Sec of State over him. Oh well, cant win them all, or in this case of Obama picking people for his cabenit, most. Though I am happy at Clinton being picked, I think she will do well.  

A cat can have kittens in an oven but that doesn't make them biscuits.
A Professional Cabinet Member?
The buzz was that Pritzker was going to get Commerce. Maybe Richardson was being held in the background for whatever job Obama's first choices turned down, on the grounds that he's got a lot of executive experience and knows how to run large government departments? Much like the similarly named Elliot Richardson?
NM-Gov: Richardson for Commerce | 30 comments

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