Bill Richardson, Suited for Hillary's Role, Named Secretary of Commerce

CHICAGO -- If only Bill Richardson, a very skillful high-stakes negotiator, could rescue Wall Street, Detroit, the credit markets or our international image, rather than be consigned partly to making sure American Idol will be broadcast digitally.

But there he was Wednesday, clean shaven and nominated by President-elect Barack Obama to be Secretary of Commerce, not Secretary of State. As the announcement was being made, the Commerce website greeted visitors with a big, orange box declaring, "76 DAYS UNTIL THE DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION. ARE YOU READY?"

For sure, the website also brought word of the current Secretary of Commerce -- quick, what's his name? -- "reiterating the administration's belief in the importance of America's auto industry." And, too, there were announcements both that archaeologists have identified the wreck of an historic slave ship off the coast of East Caicos and that the National Institute of Standards and Technology held a test of rescue robots in Texas "to help evaluate candidate mechanical rescuers."

So, despite Obama's surely sincere underscoring of the Commerce position's significance, it was unavoidable to see Richardson, one of the more idiosyncratic individuals in American politics, as having had political courage rewarded with oversight of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. His undoubted preference to run the State Department was cemented by his nervy support of Obama, and the simultaneous bashing he incurred from then-candidate Hillary Clinton's supporters.

But the decision succumbed in part to the "team of rivals" logic underlying the selection of Sen. Hillary Clinton, whose chum James Carville had called Richardson a "Judas" for the Obama endorsement. And it succumbed to all the rationales for the Clinton pick: her intelligence, experience, global celebrity, discretion and discipline.

Putting aside the one possible wild card, namely Bill Clinton hovering overhead for the next four years, it's very much a safe pick for rank-and-file Foreign Service personnel, to whom she represents competence and clout.

(O.K., time's up: the name of the current Secretary of Commerce is Carlos Gutierrez)

Richardson would have been high-risk, if possibly high-reward. The risk is a reputation for being too much the freelancer; inattentive to detail; and not exhibiting a Herculean work ethic. To the extent he had a reputation among diplomacy pros when he was Bill Clinton's United Nations Ambassador, it was a mixed one, partly due to an image of not doing a lot of the pedestrian heavy-lifting.

Yet, to use a term famously employed once by then-United Nations Ambassador Madeleine Albright, who was upset with the Cubans, Richardson does have cojones. That might have been part of the reward.

The New Mexico governor, and former congressman and Energy Secretary, bargained the release of three Red Cross workers held by Marxist rebels in Sudan 12 years ago. Two years ago, he bargained the release from a Sudanese prison of my then-Chicago Tribune colleague, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning foreign correspondent Paul Salopek, Paul's Chadian driver and interpreter.

I'll spare you the details, but Richardson was a marvel in the Tribune mess. The newspaper and National Geographic magazine, for whom Salopek was doing freelance work when detained, had tried virtually everything and everyone. We tried former President Carter. We tried Bono. We tried Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Nothing worked.

Then, somebody thought of Richardson (Salopek lives in New Mexico). He flew to Khartoum and used immense personal skills to cut a deal with a very bad guy, Sudan President Omar al-Bashir.

"I have nothing but respect for Bill Richardson. Not just because of the obvious: He got me out of prison. But because he argued with al-Bashir and also got my two African colleagues out of prison -- a Chadian driver and a Sudanese interpreter," Salopek said Wednesday. "He didn't have to do that. That wasn't in his brief. But he said he wouldn't leave without them being freed. That makes him a terrific guy in my book."

Of course, freeing a reporter, driver and interpreter does not translate into solving the Middle East mess or curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions. What worked with al-Bashir might not work with the abundance of awful folks in charge of sovereign nations. But it would have added a very provocative element to the unequivocally solid, mainstream picks so far for the Obama cabinet.

Obama called him an "economic diplomat" and framed the selection as one to boost small business, science, entrepreneurship and innovation. And when one heard Richardson speak Spanish on Wednesday, one was reminded of how uncommon the governor is in our public life. Hey, just imagine if Obama had pulled off a true masterstroke in a wickedly competitive international economy, namely finding a Commerce Secretary who could speak Chinese!

When foreign citizens respect our leadership, Obama said, they're more likely to buy our products. That may be true, but one can worry that we're in a world in which price trumps prestige for the average consumer. Not many customers will walk out of a Wal-mart in Michigan, or an Aldi discount grocery in Germany, because the Chinese record on civil liberties is so notorious.

Maybe the Commerce Secretary will now morph into what Obama described as the "programmatic nerve center in America's struggle to rejuvenate our economy."

And maybe the Commerce Secretary indeed will be in the forefront of innovation, as Obama declared Wednesday. One suspects, however, that if Obama is truly serious about innovation and longterm economic renewal, the Commerce Department should be trailing the Education Department on a list of priorities, largely given our mess of a public schools system.

Clinton may prove masterful at State, Richardson at Commerce. Let's hope so. If that's the case, the adroit Mechanic and the intrepid Artist will have found their correct resting places.

Comments

[UberReaganite]

I just read a short bio on Bill Richardsons foreign policy experience and frankly I'm very impressed. He sounds very pragmatic and sensible. The main problem in both America and the world is NOT with foreign policy but with economic policy. I think Bill will do great by applying the same common sense approach to trade as he does to everything else and frankly America needs that after years of deregulation and inept economic policy.

When assigning work in a technical environment I have learned that some people are math oriented and some are English oriented. Some do well at both but most excel at one or the other. Having the math person do a critical review of the administrative work can be very helpful because they tend to blow right by all the flowery prose and get right to the numbers. They quickly identify things that don"t add up. The same holds true for having the English guy sort out the indecipherable ranting of the intelligent math person and turn their work into something understandable and useable by others.

There has been a lot of incoherent yapping on domestic economic policy and Bill Richardson is the right guy to separate the fly crap from the pepper and get some real results. If Hillary utilizes her team and the resources of the entire state department PRIOR to going public or final on issues she could do very well in her position and bring some real credibility to American foreign policy.

[PoorManRichMan2009]

Big Mistake making HIllary SOS she will do the bidding of AIPAC and get ready for more war for the rascist terrorist state of Israel.

They are committing genocide as we speak., not reported in the USA or its MSM.

[DFawcett]

Since Obama has not yet taken the oath of office, it is perhaps a little early to offer criticisms of his decisions; but I will. The question posed by the New York Times about comments made during the election about Clinton"s foreign policy experience deserved an answer. It wasn"t something asked merely for the amusement of the press. Both Clinton and Obama asked the voters to believe them when they wanted their vote, and now are being told that what was said wasn"t really "the full truth". In other words, hey guys, we all lie during an election. So we now have to scrutinize their comments in office for any hidden truths, beyond what is said in the heat of the moment.

Certainly, if we were told the truth during the election, then Clinton is not the most qualified member that could be found to serve as secretary of state. That is not to say she will not be good in that office, and since everything will be relative to the previous administration, she will no doubt look far better than under ordinary circumstances. But from the outset, clearly Richardson was the more qualified of the two and deserved better. Maybe not more of the same, but the start is not as stellar as the advertising promised.

[brutus948]

Richardson would have been a much better choice for secratary of state than hillary. Choosing hillary was a mistake and obama will pay for tha mistake come election time in2012.

[Sumocat]

You seem to be saying that Secretary of Commerce is an under-utilization of Bill Richardson's abilities. I believe the mission of the Department of Commerce indicates otherwise: "promote job creation and improved living standards for all Americans by creating an infrastructure that promotes economic growth, technological competitiveness, and sustainable development." To me, that sounds a lot like one of Obama's major campaign goals, which means Richardson will be the point man in getting that done. The Commerce Dept has been sidelined by the Bush administration. We need someone with the right stuff to bring it back up to mission-readiness. From your description, it sounds like Richardson has the stuff.

[exhale09]

Well there seems to be a lot of "back seat drivers" around here who voted for Obama, because he IS brilliant, IS competent, he HAS vision, he is FLEXIBLE, he LISTENS, he IS open to ideas, and AVAILABLE to us, he HAS wisdom and JUDGMENT, DETERMINATION, STRENGTH, and an admirable thoughtful SENSE of purpose...and now you are all second guessing his first decisions, and pontificating about what he should or shouldn't do before he has even been sworn in, only four weeks after he won the election.

He is the OPPOSITE of the pathetic leadership we have had for the last eight years, in every way. He isn't sailing into a prosperous peaceful situation like GW BUSH & CO. did and then FAILED at every turn.... OBAMA is leaping into immediate worldwide economic CHAOS and MONUMENTAL NATIONAL SECURITY threats everywhere that he will have to deal with on day one. He needs people around him who deeply understands each area he will have to base his decisions on IMMEDIATELY...and who understands the MESSES the Bush administration has made to boot, so the can begin to unravel and correct those hideous mistakes.

I voted for Obama because I have complete faith in his ability to lead us based on all the above stated qualities. I am SUPPORTING him with all I've got, like I did in the campaign, and let the man do his thing, in the way I KNOW HE CAN...and I know HE needs OUR support.

[Keith52]

Sorry but I was never impressed with Richardson. I am actually surprised to see him in any Obama appointment. After seeing Richarson's performances in first two debates I completely ignored him for the rest of the primary. He's not impressive at all.

[kevinw]

You actually gave the answer on why Hilary and not Richardson. Hilary is known for her attention to detail and for doing the "pedestrian heavylifting". Although not within the Repub or Progressive ranks, the Clinton name and Brand is held in high esteem world wide As a freelancer, Richardson would be a gamble at a time when the stakes internationally are extremely high. Hilary displayed a strong ability to work with Obama and diligently stay on message when she campaigned for him at the end of the General election.

A second point on the Judas comment and Richardson's brave endorsement of Obama. If you will notice, Carraville did not call Kerry, Edwards, Biden or any of the other Democratic elites that endorsed Obama as Judas. The reason that he called Richardson a Judas was that the Clinton camp believed they had a commitment from him to stay neutral. He did not endorse Obama right after getting out of the race. He waited for the point where he would get the most mileage out of his endorsement.. To Obama's credit he did not give out key appointments to people that did him favors during the campaign. He could have made Kerry SOS, his endorsement came at an earlier and much more critical time than Richardson's, but he saw that Kerry may not have the persuasiveness and communication skills required for the post. He chose instead to take the person he saw giving him the best chance to fulfill his vision.

[exhale09]

kevinw..excellant post.

I believe Obama sees all the connective dots to our many problems, that form the whole picture, and he sees each dot as a vitally important point, affecting everything else in that whole picture...and so he gives equal importance to each dot in his mind and he chooses people based on their specific abilities and talents, to strengthen each dot so the "whole" will be healthier and successful.

I believe he has very specific reasons for selecting Bill Richardson for this position.

The way Obama ran his campaign was an indication of how he thinks. Obama sees the picture and then understands how to weave the tapestry to create that WHOLE picture. Each thread in a tapestry is an important detail to the finished product.....Obama is laying out his design in his mind and on Jan 20th, he will begin weaving.

[cadsuch]

Hillary should be Labor Secretary.......if not STILL a Senator. This may be turning into an "insider" cabinet.

[bill76]

He should have let Hillary run for Governor of New York, and picked B-Rich for secretary of state. It would have been the best scenario for all involved: Hillary, Obama, Richardson, and the American people. Hillary would be get executive experience, Obama would not have to deal with the Clintons and their band of cronies (get ready for the leaks and reports of dissension and backbiting within the WH), Richardson would get the post I think he deserves, and the American people would get a drama-free administration leading them.

[exhale09]

"DRAMA-FREE ADMINISTRATION" ?
There are some people who drinking the cable media pundit ratings hype Kool-aid with gusto.

Obama cuts off DRAMA at it's knees...with his calm, adult, management and open intellect. We elected him BECAUSE we believe he can LEAD! We have watched him do just that for two years.
]
It is the media who are salivating for DRAMA, speculating about drama, hoping and dreaming for drama, promoting drama....before President Elect Obama is even sworn in.

How about WAITING for ACTUAL DRAMA before you all get so critical?

[brutus948]

picking hillary as SOS was a mistake. Just watch. Nothing will be different in our foreign policy at 2012 as it is right now. She is a hawk like bush

[ignorantwillyharper]

The drama started when Obama picked Hillary for SoS and I was for him in everyway, until then. Now I have nothing for him, when someone does not know the difference between a rose and a rattlesnake, then there's not much one can expect from them. She's a screecher and a ashtray thrower.

[twofish]

I worked for a national lab under the DOE when Richardson was in charge of it. I was not impressed by the amount of support we got, compared to even Reagan and Bush 41. The money was just not there, and I don't think Bill fought very hard to get us more. If it's true that the man makes the office, let's see what he does at Commerce.

[NotMcCain]

This appointment clearly WASN'T a reward for Richardson's admirable political courage (that probably saved Obama's campaign, even while incurring the wrath of Clintonites--most of all, vengeful Bill).

But I think he will elevate the OFFICE not be backwatered by it.

At least I hope so. He's a great guy.

[wanttruth]

I'm glad Bill Richardson is a part of the cablinet!

[Olampean]

"Obama called him an "economic diplomat" .......". With NAFTA, CAFTA, domestic economics (which, in reality, are tied more to on-the-ground commerce than the virtual world of Wall Street) and the need to redirect our industrial core towards eco-economically sound productivity, I think there will be a great deal of importance for the role of Sec. of Commerce in the years ahead.

Beyond that, as anyone who took the time to read the recent post by Sean Penn ("Mountain of Snakes") might agree, there could well be an opportunity to reach out even further to our neighbors in Latin America. I so, Bill Richardson might well be the perfect person to represent us.

[karmical]

Agreed that Richardson was better-suited for Sect of State, but Hillary is high-profile, undoubtedly competent and will do just fine. I'm happy BR was rewarded with some prominent Cabinet position, thereby staying in-the-loop, relevant, and in-line for whatever our country (re: BO) needs him to do next. I highly doubt Clinton will be SS for 8 years (has any of them served 2 full terms?), and can easily envision a scenario whereby Richardson is promoted yet again. Meanwhile, his Hispanic heritage and crossover appeal will surely help any South American trade agreements, and again, at least he's still on 'the team'....