Chris Gregoire Commerce Secretary? Washington Governor's DC Trip Fuels Speculation

There were conflicting reports tonight that Washington Governor Christine Gregoire might replace Bill Richardson as President-elect Obama's pick for Commerce Secretary.

The Hill reported that Gregoire has reserved satellite television time at 9 a.m. Tuesday, which might portend an announcement about her future:

Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) canceled a Tuesday lunch appearance with the Associated Press late Monday and two Washington State sources confirmed to The Hill she is in Washington, D.C. The governor's actions over the last 24 hours have triggered a wave of speculation in the Evergreen State that Gregoire could replace New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) as President-elect Obama's Commerce Secretary-designate.

Gregoire was reportedly on a plane Sunday, and multiple sources confirm she was in the nation's capital as late as Monday. A Gregoire spokesman vehemently denied she was set to take a position in Obama's cabinet, and said she was not still in D.C. late Monday night "as far as I know."

But The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder shot down the speculation:

I'm not sure why Gregoire is going to Washington, but Obama aides say Gregoire is not a candidate for commerce.

This rumor is: FALSE.

Comments

[sunny555]

What the heck????? What does she know about Commerce?

[Davwbaird]

She has been very active in promoting the state and its resources and has set a positive tone for attracting new business to the state. She was attorney General and was the principal in the tobacco case. She is an attorney and her husband Mike serve in Nam.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

"What the heck????? What does she know about Commerce? Sunny555, Latest news reports are that Governor Gregoire is in Iraq visiting Washington State National Guard troops and that the national MSM rumor mill got it wrong. As to your question, Governor Gregoire knows a lot about trade and that is probably part of the reason for the rumor. Governor Gregoire is a devoted activist in promoting trade. Washington State is perhaps the most trade dependent state, per capita, in the lower 48, and is a dynamo in Pacific Rim trade. Perhaps you are Atlantic-Centric in your thinking?

[JZ735]

I quote a line from Boys In The Band:

WHO is she, WHAT is she? WHAT does she hope to be?

Never heard of her, nor really care...wha­t happened to that Kansas Obama lackey, Sibelius?
Thought she might finally get a trinket for being such a toady...

[NoSandwiches]

She's MY governor, THAT's who she is!
She's smart, fiesty, a talented politician and very down to earth person, and we would miss her dearly if she were tapped to go to the other Washington.
It would be nice if there was someone in the federal government who realized that the "Mid-West" is actually in the Eastern quarter of the country!
The State of Washington has almost always been a progressive State, and Chris came out and supported/endorsed Barack Obama at a crucial time.

She is nobody's toady!

[serindipity803]

I am teary - she is my governor too -- we would miss her here but her shadow would be long -- as Secretary of Commerce, all the states would benefit from her leadership. WA state could only shine brighter if she is chosen

[mergina]

Does it HAVE TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL to hold the post? Commerce Secretary huh? Hmmmm.

[rblackbird]

She just won a solid victory in her reelection campaign. She had a lot to prove in that campaign in light of her razor-thin margin in her first-term election. I do not believe now she would give up her governorship so soon into her second term.

[SeanGardner]

I hope she does go. I love her. I voted for her twice. And I think she will represent Washington State (my state) in the best possible light. Obama would be smart to select her.

[JZ735]

She's a cipher to much of the country...­maybe that's why he will choose her...just hope she doesn't have any skeletons rattling around like Bill Turncoat Richardson. Loyalty can cause some problems and come back to bite you.

[sunny555]

So agreed about the "turncoat" part. What a louse.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

As a native of Washington State, the rest of the country is sometimes a cipher to me. But it is moot. It was all a rumor.

[StopThePress]

I hope it's not true....sh­e'd be a great pick BUT we need her in here in Washington state.

[sunny555]

Good, I hope you keep her. No one on the east coast has heard of her.

[Davwbaird]

Washington is my adopted state. I was from Flint Michigan, but 2 years when I went to Work as a Probation and Parole Officer. She was great then as a person and her integrity shines forth even brighter.

[littlepuffycloud]

Hate to tell you sunny, but there's many great people around the country the east coast hasn't heard of. I doubt that's a criteria prez elect Obama will consider in his decisions. But we on the West Coast have certainly heard of Spitzer.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Atlantic provincialism is so amusing sometimes.

[Vurz]

Hope she doesn't go. Washington State voted her in because we knew we would need her.

[planetjeffy]

How 'bout a real businessperson - Gates, Dell, Buffet, Brin, Chambers, Scott - the all have more money than god and would be willing to serve their county in this challenging time.

[tomk2434]

not dell please. dell is mediocre at producing computers. he is excellent at exploiting the lowest common denominator. not him please.

[LazarusLong]

My thoughts exactly.

Thanks

[ylpatriot]

...Not Gates, he likes to import and hire the cheap foreign labor. No to Gates...

[sunny555]

Any of those people would be much more logical, and much better choices. You have to wonder where these people like Gregoire come from. Nothing against her, but there are many more qualified people out there for this particular position

[littlepuffycloud]

You just posted earlier you never heard of Gregoire, so you have no idea whether she's qualified or not.

[Davwbaird]

I love it. Ask Gates what he thinks of her, after all she is his govenor. This is the home of Starbucks, Microsoft, Costco, Nordstrom etc.

[vjoseph]

I agree, especially someone from Silicon Valley. Its time for the tech heads to be represented

[ronschott]

Ummmm... you'd want a commerce secretary who ran her state into a HUGE financial black hole? She promised the state the "rainy day" fund would help us in our times of trouble... that was during the election. Now, though, the money is nowhere to be found.

She promised that she'd find a way around cutting things out of the budget that she said her opponent wanted to get ride of... now her plan is almost identical to his.

As a Wash. resident, I'd love to see her leave, but I don't want her mucking up the Federal Gov.

[LeftCoastLarry]

The whole country is suffering from the Bush/Reagan economy. You can't blame Gregoire for that.
We're doing better here than other parts of the country. She's been a good governor and she would be a good choice for Commerce Secretary.

[NoSandwiches]

Sounds like somebody is still bitter about Rossi....

At least you are recycling his lines from the election..­..

Recycling is good.....i­n principle.­..

[Davwbaird]

When are you leaving?

[spiffarino]

Commerce needs a charmer and Gregoire doesn't have much charisma. I'm glad the rumor turned out to be false. Better she stay a governor.

[JZ735]

Obama doesn't want anyone outshining him...

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Then there is no danger he will pick you.

[bosshogg]

Ambinder said it's a rumor that's not true http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/01/rumor_patrol_gregoire_to_comme.php

[protagonia]

They have figured out how to clone Hillary!

[Copeword]

Chris supported Obama...

[ponderingmuch]

I assume you are going of the visuals in the picture above. She looks, there, like Hillary's even feistier (if you like them) or nastier ( if you do not).

Just visually, I LOVE her. GO Get 'em!

OK, now I will go find out about her, and may be embarrassed.

I never heard of her before. I promise to research.

[ponderingmuch]

OK I investigated only the visuals. She really is not particularly feisty. That picture is an anomaly. See the YouTubes.

So, now I will go read about her, for real.

[NoSandwiches]

She came out and endorsed Barack Obama. She is much more in that vein than a Hillary. For one thing, she has not risen in the shadow of her husband--she casts her own light.

[protagonia]

I meant visually only.

[JackNasty]

Christine Gregoire was just reelected as Governor of the
state.

If she left office she would be succeeded by Lt. Governor, Brad Owens. Brad Owens is more conservative than almost any other Democrat in the state.

[gevan]

Brad Owen is the four term Democratic Lieutenant Governor of Washington. Fifty-eight years old with six children and eleven grandchildren he is pro-choice and pro-gun.

[citizensrus]

I want Ralph Nader for secretary of commerce.

[jcwtts1]

If he would stop being an a h ole for two minutes people could have that conversation. But he can't so we can't.

J

[Egalitare]

Nader is much more comfortable with a bullhorn than with balancing competing interests.

[Ramirez]

He wouldn't accept the pay cut.

[vjoseph]

LOL

[StopThePress]

Commerce wouldn't provide the spotlight that Ralph seeks...sc­rew that guy!

[vjoseph]

Well said