Secretary of Commerce: Gary Locke?

Kari Chisholm

The AP is reporting that President Obama has settled on his latest pick for Secretary of Commerce - the former Governor of Washington, Gary Locke.

Locke, a Democrat, was the nation's first Chinese-American governor when he served two terms in the Washington statehouse from 1997 to 2005.

He lists among his accomplishments as governor a package of tax breaks that persuaded The Boeing Co. to assemble its new 787 jetliner in Everett, north of Seattle, and expanded transportation and construction budgets.

Since leaving office he's been working for the Seattle-based law firm Davis Wright Tremaine on issues involving China, energy and governmental relations. He argues that global engagement is a way to improve China's human rights record and deal with piracy of intellectual property.

Locke will be the only person from the Pacific Northwest in Obama's Cabinet. Gil Kerlikowske, the Seattle police chief, has been named drug czar; and Oregon State professor Jane Lubchenco will head up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration - which is an agency within the Commerce Department.

Update: Here's Jeff Mapes's take at the O:

Locke, the first Chinese-American to head a state government, doesn't have Richardson's flair but there was never any hint of corruption surrounding him either. And Locke is a Democrat who is a comfortable ideological fit with the Obama administration.

While Commerce is not regarded as one of the top-tier power posts in the Cabinet, Locke could serve as a voice for the globalists in the new administration. He comes squarely out of the free-trade mindset of the mainstream business community in the Northwest and, since leaving the governorship, has cemented his ties with Chinese leaders as a lawyer at Seattle-based Davis Wright Tremaine. ...

Personally, Locke seems like he would fit in with the "No Drama Obama" approach to governing. In Olympia, he was a wonkish, pragmatic figure who was not unnecessarily combative. Even his election races were boring. He won his first race for governor by 16 percentage points and his re-election race by 18 points.

Hopefully the third time's the charm here.

By Kari Chisholm Feb. 23, 2009