US News
Obama names Richardson as commerce secretary
Dec 3, 2008, 16:04 GMT
Washington - President-elect Barack Obama nominated Bill Richardson as his commerce secretary on Wednesday, the first Hispanic member of his cabinet and the latest key player in the new administration's economic recovery team.
Richardson, who endorsed Obama for president after his own abbreviated run for the White House this year, brings a wealth of experience in executive and legislative positions to Obama's administration, which will take over on January 20.
Richardson, 61, served as United Nations ambassador and energy secretary under former president Bill Clinton, the last Democrat in the White House. He has served as governor of New Mexico since 2003, a state he also represented for more than a decade in the US Congress.
'Bill brings both international stature and a deep understanding of today's global economy,' Obama said at a press conference in Chicago.
'Bill knows America's reputation in the world is critical not just to our security but to our prosperity,' he said.
Media reports said Richardson had privately hoped to become secretary of state, a position awarded to Obama's one-time presidential rival and former first lady Hillary Clinton earlier this week.
Obama said Richardson, who has also taken on mediation roles for the US in global conflicts, would be 'the leading economic diplomat for America.'
As head of commerce, he will be tasked with boosting trade within the US and managing free-trade agreements and economic relations with other countries.
'There's a vital role for the Department of Commerce in our economic recovery,' Richardson said in accepting the nomination. 'Boosting commerce between states and nations is not just a path to solvency and growth, it's the only path.'
Obama has pushed for more labour and environmental standards in future trade deals and suggested during the campaign that he would seek to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Obama has rolled out most of the highest-profile cabinet posts over the past 10 days as part of a speedy presidential transition, including Tim Geithner as Treasury secretary and keeping Robert Gates as secretary of defence.
Obama will take on an economy in recession and faces the first wartime transition of power since the Vietnam War. Obama's team will also mark the first handover since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
..if you want to know who got NAFTA passed, look no further. Renegotiate?...look at the terrific job they did the 1st time.
We would have been better off just to elect Hillary President.
And your point idiot stick?
...is just the one who has to ask me to explain it.
This chucklehead was one of the architects of the original NAFTA and he helped fastrack it through Congress for the Clintons. ALL of it's shortcomings are the result of him letting his superiors sell influence to the Mexicans for the deal. Now, we are actually reading about the fantasy of HIM being in charge of it's reform.
Honestly, the only thing missing here is Don Vito, Sonny, Micheal and the other four families...
The Clintons, professor Bong are the ones who are pulling the stings of that black marionette you actually think you elected president. It is what happens when you elect a person who has done nothing but be a community organizer..after all, how would he meet anyone qualified for any of these positions, besides Clintonites?
Now, get out your calculator and try adding two with itself, or use a pencil, a wooden writing device with graphite in the center, used with paper and do it that way, if you actually can wirte numbers. I know you can do it, but if you cannot, quit watching the gay porn, run upstairs and have your mom and the truck driver with no teeth and feeling her up, show you, if they will stop in your presence and sober up.
Gee ESS PEE, I thought you would never shake off that hangover and remember how to switch on your PC. Leave the weed and booze alone for a day or two and keep hammering these boneheads and their mental fantasies.
Well done, I see you are back to your usual high standard of supreme knowledge, intelligence and common sense.
This bogus innocuous black bum - Bubba Obama never received a single public vote and only became President-Pretender due to his OWN PARTY electors actually GIVING him THEIR votes together with ALL the votes YOU gave them.
What YOU did Mr. US Joe Citizen is to vote for a PARTY not a President.
Once he got 270 of his own party morons to give him their vote - YIPPEE he`s in the White House. What an utter farce and deceitful way to become 'President'. It`s a mockery. President ! with only 270 + votes out of around 240 million.
As for the Clinton`s ; that disgusting, depraved apology for a human being called Bill should be dismembered and fed to the pigs - Democratic pigs, NOT Republican pigs - we don`t want to poison THEM, do we ?
As for that aged old bag of a wife of his - she would be better of as Madam in a Nevada knocking shop.
GOD HELP AMERICA !
This is getting to be nothing but a low class porno site. This SP character must have had a disturbed childhood with a crazy mother. How else could he constantly conjure up so much 'mother' crap.
www.financialsense.com/Market/wrapup.htm
What a disgusting nation the US is.
Just look at the headlines, lots of Bubba Obama irrelevant crap, an OJ Simpson item, an item on some religious nutters and so it goes on.
DOES ANYBODY IN THE US CARE THAT THEIR BOYS ARE DYING DAILY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN ? Your fatalities well exceed 3,000 and wounded over 10,000 !
Do any of you morons give a shit about these boys being killed and crippled and their families having their lives wrecked ? THE BLOODY MEDIA DON`T !
Just look at these M&C news items - not a mention of these poor young American sacrificial buggers anywhere.
You disgusting lot of sods. Call yourselves patriotic ? You are all a bloody disgusting joke.
I wouldn't volunteer to have a piss for America, let alone die or get crippled for it.
..well, Professor just run out and take a look at a map of the world and ask what it would look like if we had sat out the 20th century. America spends half a trillion per year securing what are the most prosperous nations on earth, and half of the rest of the slackards. Our neighbors are the safest on earth, with relationsips the envy of any nation. We would be the first to run to their aid. We saved Europe from itself, helped secure the Brits, defeated the Axis and won the cold war.
We spend billions on AIDS in medicines and cures, give billions in assistance to ungrateful dullards like yourself, because of our one failng: we believe in people.
So run back home, pour yourself a drink and remember that America is, at this moment, giving you the finger.
Well said, SP. And to the other poster - the U.S. just doesn't write news about the fatalities, we carry on behind the scenes with every community involved giving vast amounts of help in many ways to the families, etc. Every good thing doesn't necessarily make headlines, but never fear, they are going on constantly in the homes, schools, churches, etc. You should be so lucky.
page: 1
DiogenesDec 3rd, 2008 - 18:25:33
Bill Clinton is running around talking about how he would 'be open' to taking a job in the Obama Administration. Are we watching a Clinton coup d'etat? Yeah, that's what we're watching, although it seems that there is someone else backing the Clintons.
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