Eric Schmidt for Secretary of Commerce
As far as I'm concerned, good riddance to Judd Gregg. What did he know about the commerce of the 21st Century?
The perfect guy for the job is Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google. He represents the bottom-up innovation of the American Economy and in his 25 years as a technology executive he has traveled to all corners of the world and understands better than most people what it will take for America to regain her competitive mojo.
I know he may not want to leave Google, but the country needs his service.
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I'm uncomfortable with this suggestion. I like Google and admire Schmidt's success but I don't know if anyone at Google should be given a cabinet position at this point, especially Commerce, given the pretty unconscionable aid that Google has given to the repressive Chinese government. "Do no evil," is nothing but a slogan.
February 12, 2009 8:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Schmidt would be fine with me, even though destor23 above makes a valid point. The thing is, Commerce Secretary is a powerless cabinet position, a throwback. It doesn't matter who O puts in there.
But President Obama better THOROUGHLY THOROUGHLY THOROUGHLY vet the next choice. This is getting ridiculous -- all these tax evaders -- and is just adding red meat to the neocon diet.
February 12, 2009 8:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about Bernie M. for Commerce? Does he have any tax problems?
February 12, 2009 8:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bernie Madoff? I'd rather have him at Treasury. Then his job would be to raise money from the rest of the world. Hey China, have we got an investment for you!
February 12, 2009 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well at least he wouldn't be a Clinton holdover and would probably bring new thinking to the position, but I cannot support the idea. Google is too powerful. If you thought Paulson and Geithner had ties to Wall St., or Cheney to Defense industries, you should be suspicious here.
February 12, 2009 9:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Given the functions of the Commerce Department, an executive from a technology company would be more appropriate that a warmed over Senator or Governor.
Bureau of Industry and Security
Economics and Statistics Administration
Bureau of the Census
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Economic Development Administration
International Trade Administration
Minority Business Development Agency
National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
National Technical Information Service
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Patent and Trademark Office
February 12, 2009 10:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Question is, what does Commerce need there, and what does Obama need from the Sec?
Is it more just routine admin, creative thinking, legal background, human resources, knowledge of commerce 'per se', good image, ...? Without knowing Obama's plans for Commerce, hard to begin to offer suggestions.
February 13, 2009 2:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
RALPH NADER
February 12, 2009 10:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
President Obama may fair better with an American Idol pick...
February 12, 2009 11:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wasn't he a Ron Paul supporter? Maybe it's a good idea...
February 12, 2009 11:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
You've got to be kidding me.
Eric Schmidt is the very epitome of Silicon Valley dumb luck -- being in the right place at the right time.
How about somebody who actually understands interstate commerce, anti-trust law, and proportional representation.
February 13, 2009 1:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
test
February 13, 2009 2:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Eric Schmidt was my first thought upon thinking who could replace Gregg. He is precisely the person we would want in the job of Commerce Secretary. Why he would leave Google to go to Washington is another matter. Maybe appeals to his patriotism will work.
Mike Palmer
Vermont
February 13, 2009 8:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
I am okay with this suggestion, though I would really prefer that Dean Baker get the job. I just read his article in the new book Thinking Big called "From Financial Crisis to Opportunity". I think that he really understands that this financial crisis was at the heart caused by the few trying to make themselves wealthy - and that he's tuned in to the greater good.
February 13, 2009 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
He wouldn't want the public scrutiny or confirmation hearings.
February 13, 2009 7:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, at least Eric has the same business ethics as the rest of the Corporatists, as shown below. If you are a "contractor, with no benefits needing to be paid by the company, you don't really have a "job", just "work", so you can be disappeared, and it's like your "job", I mean "work" never really existed. I'll bet Eric has some cash stashed away somewhere, unlike these fired "contractors". I say keep the 10,000 jobs and fire Eric - his salary would go a long way toward paying the people who actually do the work for that company.
"As a public company, Google would be forced to announce if any layoffs were on the cards, and reports have been popping up all over the place claiming that a cull is coming, with 10,000 jobs likely affected.
But what those sensationalist stories don’t take into account is that Google has a massive contractor workforce, which can be let go quietly without any fuss at all."
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/597/1049597/google-spins-its-way-out-of-lay-offs
February 14, 2009 4:21 AM | Reply | Permalink