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Politics : GOPwinger Lies/Distortions/Omissions/Perversions of Truth -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (151244)	1/5/2009 11:47:05 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 173976

Richardson was not the worst person who could have been named to lead the Commerce Department, but he was hardly the best. With the governor mired in a corruption scandal for many months in New Mexico, Obama's acceptance of his withdrawal may have been a response to the potential backlash of multiple political scandals around Democrats in the country. Obama said he accepted Richardson's exit with "deep regret." But if politicians could be perfectly candid about such things, Obama might be more apt to express relief instead. Richardson was largely nominated for the commerce post for having some appreciation for the private sector and a better-than-average resume, but also his Hispanic background. The career politician from New Mexico had some strong pluses, such as his belief in free trade and occasional advocacy of tax cuts. But there's little doubt he also served as a political sop to Latino pressure groups that wanted "representation" in the Obama Cabinet as a reward for their political support. Obama himself vowed to present a diverse Cabinet, and Richardson was the highest-profile Latino politician in America. Although Obama denied that Richardson was an affirmative-action hire, the message was clear when he nominated the governor, who with clear symbolism made part of his acceptance speech in fluent Spanish. News headline that followed: "Richardson's Choice As First Latino In Obama Cabinet Prompts Call For More." Despite holding two Clinton-era Cabinet posts, Richardson has few major successes under his belt. Worse still, rumors about his personal behavior might have embarrassed the Obama administration. And the taint of the corruption charges against him — which won't be resolved for months — already stood to cut his credibility, even if he had been confirmed. Richardson's exit leaves it wide open for Obama to pick someone who could strongly determine the success of his presidency. We hope the new president understands that during a major economic downturn, the private sector bears the brunt of losses. And businesses must lead when the economy recovers. A good commerce secretary will support the private sector, understand how incentives affect business decisions, appreciate the impact of taxes and regulation, and be willing to do what's needed to help businesses grow. There'll be no recovery without the private sector and, for that, business needs effective representation in the White House. Instead of the identity-politics-friendly names being floated as replacements for Richardson — East Los Angeles Rep. Xavier Becerra, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Washington attorney and fundraiser Scott Harris, Tampa attorney and fundraiser Frank Sanchez and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm — Obama should look for someone who deeply understands business. After all, the Democrats have support in the business community, including many who would be up to doing the job well. Many of the Silicon Valley barons who supported the Democrats, for instance, would make better commerce chiefs than the political types whose names are floating as trial balloons in the media now. News accounts say Obama is in trouble because he has no Hispanics of comparable prominence to Richardson to take the commerce slot. That shouldn't be the case. Business should be the most important qualification, but if naming a Hispanic with experience in the private sector is important, Obama need look no further than the current occupant of the commerce secretary's office, Carlos Gutierrez, whose competence and effectiveness aren't disputed. Yes, he's Hispanic, but his real credential is years of experience running food giant Kellogg. Unlike Richardson, he's a no-drama, nonpartisan leader who is likely to work as hard for Obama as he did for Bush. The idea is ours, but we aren't the only ones thinking this. "Why change a guy who's doing a good job? If that guy is working for you and if the objective is business competence, why look elsewhere?" a Democrat-linked Latino consultant in Washington told IBD. Indeed. Obama already kept one prominent Bush administration official on: Robert Gates at defense. Why not another? What's crucial is not who the person is per se, but what he or she knows about business. Organized labor made that argument in getting Obama to name labor-linked Rep. Hilda Solis as labor secretary. Commerce, business's Cabinet spot, deserves no less.