President Obama Introduces His Latest Commerce Secretary Nominee
EmailIn the Indian Treaty Room of the old executive office building this morning — an ornate room where no treaty with India or native Americans has ever been signed — President Obama introduced his third nominee to be Commerce Secretary, former Washington Gov. Gary Locke.
Alluding to the aborted nominations of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Sen. Judd Gregg, R-NH, the president said, "I’m sure it’s not lost on anyone that we’ve tried this a couple of times, but I’m a big believer in keeping at something until you get it right. And Gary is the right man for this job."
The president said Lock shared his "vision for our common future — one in which we accept the responsibility to act boldly and wisely to confront the extraordinary challenges of our times, put people back to work doing the work America needs done, and lay a new foundation for America’s growth and prosperity."
Heralding Locke’s work bringing businesses to Washington state, the president said Locke convinced "businesses to set up shop and create the jobs of the 21st century — jobs in science and technology; agriculture and energy — jobs that pay well and can’t be shipped overseas. That’s what he did by establishing favorable markets abroad where Washington state’s businesses could sell their products."
He also spent some time telling Locke’s personal story, describing how the grandson of a teenage Chinese immigrant who worked as a houseboy a century ago one mile from the governor’s mansion ended up living in that mansion. "Sometimes the American story can be told in the span of a single mile," Mr. Obama said.
Locke said he "grew up on the values of get a good education, work hard, and take care of each other … My family’s story is America’s story."
"Congratulations," the president said to his third choice for the office. "You’ll be great."
– jpt
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
Silly me, I thought that since we’re living in VP Biden world, the rules for copyright and plagiarism had been relaxed…my bad..
Likely Obama Appointee Had Ties to Bin Laden Family …by Charles Freeman The Daily Beast web site is a worthy read…Shows how much of a winner we’ve got…
Posted by: Cali | February 25, 2009, 12:55 pm 12:55 pm
Gary Locke – Third choice (if he survives a cursory peek at his most recent income taxes)… nothing like getting the best. LMAO!!
Posted by: Fiercely_Independent | February 25, 2009, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
wow Obama is changing everything
Posted by: Diana | February 25, 2009, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
Until somebody teaches the CEO’S a lesson in how to manage money we will be in trouble. I recently got a great deal on a car. I had it 3 weeks and discovered it was a health problem and a safety problem. I had to pay a great deal of money to get out of the lease and into a safer and more health friendly automoile. No one can every pay off loans
Posted by: Patricia Schocie | February 25, 2009, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
this guy is a joke. the Boeing Co. moved to chicago under his watch. he totally screwed up energy prices by selling power to california in turn raising our prices 2 fold. the guy has no business sense! check out his family.
A lot of gray dealings and nepostism is claimed.
Posted by: geb | February 25, 2009, 1:09 pm 1:09 pm
Just close-down this cabinet position. It’s cursed.
Posted by: Geo | February 25, 2009, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
quick!! Alert the IRS.
Posted by: jenny | February 25, 2009, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
By now, the loony-left liberal media has leaned from the exposing of d-crat TAX CHEATS geithner, daschle, killifer and solis that they MUST NOT DISCLOSE THE TAX CHEATING FOR OTHER hussein cabinet choices in order to protect their marxist drug addict messiah
So don’t expect to learn how much locke has cheated on his taxes from the bottom-feeder media.
BUT WE KNOW HE DID IT!
Posted by: ALEX H. | February 25, 2009, 1:27 pm 1:27 pm
They need to rename the position Secretary of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Posted by: Bridget | February 25, 2009, 2:12 pm 2:12 pm
I hold THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF EVIDENT:
OBAMA is using the Fact that GEORGE BUSH was a complete sellout idiot, to lie as he converts AMERICA into a totalitarian regime much like Hitler did and culminating into a dictatorship of the radical left who certainly mirror the old BOLSHEVIK regime that fell apart from government over spending and denying freedom(fairness doctrine). Thanks GWB for selling us out on the border and allowing these gangsters to take over.
Posted by: rockychance | February 25, 2009, 2:21 pm 2:21 pm
Surprise surpise. Locke ain’t so clean.
Posted by: murphy | February 25, 2009, 2:38 pm 2:38 pm
Just think, in two more years, the GOP will be history. And all the small minded follers will have to find something else to complain about. I wish The pres. all the good will and hope he can get. I haven’t had time to check this fellow out yet, But I am sure the Prez’s people have checked him out well.
Posted by: HARLEY93 | February 25, 2009, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
Bridget said: They need to rename the position Secretary of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
LOL! Brilliant.
Seriously, though, I’m sure Gary Locke will do a great job – he was a good Governor here in Washington and knows what he’s doing.
Posted by: Denise | February 25, 2009, 2:41 pm 2:41 pm
Good ole Gary (Come with the Cash Locke)
He had a nasty habbit of spending large sums of money only to tear what he’d gotten the money for down…again and again.
He loves China and was instrumental in moving more jobs and businesses out of Washington State than any one politician.
If you want jobs to dissapear Locke is your man, if you want money to go up in smoke Locke is your man…again, Obama doesn’t do his homework and again his solutions are half baked or open ended at best.
Posted by: CC | February 25, 2009, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
Harley93 that wall they want to build across the border and Mexico is not to keep them out its to keep us in like in old Germany. Wake up your entranced
Posted by: Jim Rod | February 25, 2009, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
OMG, Jim Rod!!!! “They” are trying to keep US in???? What do I do with my airline tix to Cancun in a couple weeks?
Posted by: William J. LePetomane | February 25, 2009, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm
from hotair:
LET’S SAY YOU’RE Gov. Gary Locke’s brother-in-law. You bunk at the governor’s mansion. You commute to your nearby job as an executive of a private technology firm.
During your two years with the firm, the governor signs a bill giving your company a tax break, personally intervenes in a dispute involving your company, shows up for a party there, and signs a federal loan application for your company, whose founders—your bosses—pay at least two visits to the mansion.
At the same time, your company rakes in millions in state aid, lands a fat state technology contract, and is allowed to use government credit authority to float new loans (an authority illegally granted, as a state auditor’s report will reveal this week).
Are you getting gubernatorial favors that average citizens don’t get?
Naaaw, says the governor.
Posted by: murphy | February 25, 2009, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
There’s an easy way to stop all these tax problems – only hire someone whose financial life is simple enough to file a 1040A.
Posted by: Sheila | February 25, 2009, 3:06 pm 3:06 pm
CW: for the same reason that the Obama critics here refer to him, and everyone that supports him, as “liberals” or “left-wing radicals.” They remind me of the song Groucho Marx sang in “Horsefeathers,” “No matter what it is I’m against it,” which certainly seems to be the case here. I am a moderate, mostly Democrat but have never voted a straight ticket in my life.
Posted by: William J. LePetomane | February 25, 2009, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
“…only hire someone whose financial life is simple enough to file a 1040A” – Well, that would eliminate 99.44% of all married, home-owning parents, for sure!
Posted by: Jordan | February 25, 2009, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm