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Obama to tap Locke for Commerce nominee
2009-02-24
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will make another effort on Wednesday to fill the post of commerce secretary, nominating former Washington state Governor Gary Locke after his first two picks pulled out. "President Obama is expected to announce former Governor Gary Locke as his nominee for commerce secretary tomorrow," an administration official said. Locke, a Democrat, would be Obama's third choice for the post after his first two nominees, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Republican Senator Judd Gregg, withdrew their names from contention. Locke, 59, was the first Chinese-American governor in the United States. He served two terms as governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, overseeing a state with a diverse economy that includes corporate giants like Boeing and Microsoft, wheat and apple farmers and major seafood companies. At the Commerce Department, Locke would be in charge of a huge bureaucracy whose functions range from export promotion to monitoring global climate change. He also would oversee the 2010 census, with its important consequences for how government money is spent and the number of representatives each state can elect to Congress. Gregg said his withdrawal earlier this month was due partly to his concern about the Obama administration's decision to have the next census director report to senior White House staffers as well as the commerce secretary. The first commerce pick, Richardson, withdrew in the face of a legal inquiry. The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Democratic Representative Hilda Solis to head the Labor Department, putting in place an Obama pick who has been a lead backer of legislation opposed by business to make it easier for workers to unionize. Supporters say a majority of the Democratic-led Senate supports such legislation. Republicans hope to block it with a procedural hurdle. (Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro) (Reporting by Jeff Mason, Editing by Peter Cooney)
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