# With Richardson out, who's up for Commerce? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 4, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860 "2009-01-04T22:46:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/1 "2009-01-04T22:46:59Z")
[Richardson is out](http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/04/richardson.withdrawal/index.html) in light of that he is being accused of some pay-to-play of his own as Governor. So who is likely next up for Commerce? Guesses? ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/2 "2009-01-04T23:01:35Z")
What does it say about the vetting process that ended up with him being the nominated candidate for the position? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/3 "2009-01-04T23:03:19Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > What does it say about the vetting process that ended up with him being the nominated candidate for the position? It says they may have rushed it, although I think they were also looking for someplace to put him after passing him over for secretary of state. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/4 "2009-01-04T23:20:12Z")
Richardson was nominated December 3. [This story says the investigation began in the summer](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/15/AR2008121502940.html?hpid=topnews), although the grand jury proceedings hadn’t started at that point, so I’m not sure how this was missed. Is there anyone else who was expected to be a cabinet nominee whose name never got called? I know Pritzker was considered for commerce but didn’t get past the vetting stage. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/5 "2009-01-04T23:34:14Z")
Secretary of Commerce has to be the least critical of all the cabinet secretaries. Commerce is essentially a grab-bag of mostly unrelated agencies (NOAA, Census, NTIA, NIST, etc.) and what really matters is who’s in charge of _them_, not Commerce itself. I’d say move Ray LaHood over to Commerce, and find someone who’s good on mass transit issues for DoT. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/6 "2009-01-05T01:24:29Z")
How about Jennifer Granholm? I think she’d love to get out of the governor’s office and she can’t run again anyway. This would let Lt Gov. Cherry run as an incumbent in 2010. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/7 "2009-01-05T03:15:29Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > [Richardson is out](http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/04/richardson.withdrawal/index.html) in light of that he is being accused of some pay-to-play of his own as Governor. So who is likely next up for Commerce? Guesses? Blago may need a job quite soon. He has a proven record of promoting commerce in nearly all political decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/8 "2009-01-05T03:50:42Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > How about Jennifer Granholm? I think she’d love to get out of the governor’s office and she can’t run again anyway. This would let Lt Gov. Cherry run as an incumbent in 2010. She did say as of a couple of weeks ago [she’s not interested](http://www.freep.com/article/20081218/NEWS06/812180457). ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/9 "2009-01-05T09:34:54Z")
I don’t think Richardson thinks the Commerce job is really what he wants. This is his out. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/10 "2009-01-05T11:49:23Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > How about Jennifer Granholm? I think she’d love to get out of the governor’s office and she can’t run again anyway. This would let Lt Gov. Cherry run as an incumbent in 2010. …and she has done such a great job with increasing commerce in Michigan during her term, too… ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/11 "2009-01-05T12:59:49Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > What does it say about the vetting process that ended up with him being the nominated candidate for the position? Richardson has had issues for a long time - apparently those in the know say his issues are “Clintonesque.” Its what made him a less than serious Presidential candidate. However, he’s been a great team player and is apparently a talented guy. Its possible that they offered him the job expecting him to not take it, or for this to blow over. Or perhaps they had hoped for sixty senators seated (or close enough) for the confirmation process to not have anyone kick up a fuss. And perhaps the GOP was going to overlook the investigation but now is going to make the confirmation a fight. Or perhaps the Dems can’t afford political capital on Richardson right now when Blago is making such an idiot of himself. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-richardson-out-whos-up-for-commerce/479860/12 "2009-01-05T14:14:27Z")
I’m up for commerce! Wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know what I mean?