Just a short while ago, U.S. president-elect Barack Obama nominated New Mexico governor Bill Richardson to be the
next Secretary of Commerce. Though Richardson had been one of
the leading candidates for Secretary of State, Obama claimed that Richardson would serve as a "
leading economic diplomat" for U.S. interests.
Richardson mentioned that the Department of Commerce would
play “a vital role” in Obama’s economic recovery plans. In addition, Richardson gave comments in Spanish were he thanked the Latino electorate for
helping elect Obama. More importantly, however, Richardson mentioned that the Obama administration will engage economically with Latin American governments.
Richardson may not be the only Latino politico to be part of Obama’s Cabinet. Representative Xavier Becerra will reportedly be chosen the
next U.S. Trade Representative, a post that would very well compliment Richardson’s (assuming he’s accepted).
Richardson’s nomination may please Latino politicos, yet Asian-Americans
may not be too glad:
In a move bound to create political tension between Latinos and Asian-Americans, a group of Chinese-American activists in Silicon Valley has launched a nationwide grass-roots movement to fight President-elect Barack Obama's nomination today of Bill Richardson as commerce secretary.
The group is upset at the New Mexico governor for his handling of the nearly decade-old case of Taiwanese-American Wen Ho Lee, a former nuclear scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. U.S. officials once suspected Lee of giving nuclear secrets to China when Richardson was President Clinton's energy secretary.
Image- AP
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Fox News, AFP, San Jose Mercury News, U.S. News & World Report
* U.S: Rep. Xavier Becerra respectfully refused the possibility of becoming chief trade negotiator under incoming President Barack Obama.