Richardson Out as Commerce Secretary

After EconomyInCrisis.org derided Bill Richardson for his pro- “free trade” policies and his recent calls for new “free trade” agreements, he is no longer being considered for the position of Commerce Secretary.

Bill Richardson has formally withdrawn his bid for the cabinet position of Commerce Secretary in the incoming Obama administration.  Richardson would have brought a long record of pro-“free trade” policy to the White House and would have further mired the economy into mediocrity as the head of the influential Commerce Department.

Richardson withdrew his bid citing an ongoing grand jury investigation of alleged illegal conduct by his office in New Mexico where he has served as Governor since November 2002.  Though the investigation has nothing to do with ruinous “free trade” practices – our government is expressly in favor of the listless course of our “free” economy – it does represent a pivotal opportunity to right a wrong in the Obama selection process. 

Since his election, President-elect Barack Obama has surrounded himself with recycled Clinton administration staffers, aides and cabinet officials.  It was the Clinton administration who encouraged both NAFTA and the WTO, thus the new administration has typically brought on many individuals who were at one time key proponents of “free trade” and all of its disastrous side-effects.  Both Governor Richardson (Commerce) and Rahm Emanuel (Chief of Staff) were instrumental in the destruction of our trade protections over the past decade, and the withdrawal of Richardson offers a chance to bring in someone who will not continue the status quo.

We are now also afforded an opportunity to actually bring in someone with professional expertise for the job of Commerce Secretary.  Bill Richardson is a career politician and public servant, but he clearly has no training in economics and lacks the technical experience necessary for the job.  As head of the Commerce Department Richardson would oversee the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, our national economic development initiatives, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, our oceanic and atmospheric research programs, our Trademark Office and our telecommunications and technical information networks; none of his previous experience as a U.N. ambassador, governor or former Secretary of Energy would qualify him for any of these posts.

 President-elect Obama is presented with a great opportunity to truly invoke change in his administration.  Instead of simply toeing the party line and bringing loyal Clinton Democrats out of the moth balls, the President-elect could actually bring in someone with technical experience in engineering, economics or business administration which would actually qualify the individual for the position.  Furthermore, Obama should tap an individual who understands the plight of our economy and is both willing and able to fix the problem. 

 Richardson should never have been considered for such a post in Obama’s cabinet.  As a “free trader,” Governor Richardson has helped – unknowingly or otherwise – to destroy the American economy.  Now is the time to bring in people who will make it right, not people who are responsible for all the wrongs.

Front Page Photo – Grist - Google Images © Some rights reserved

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