[Ip-health] Becerra refuses USTR appointment; the speculation continues

Fri Dec 19 10:56:01 2008

Sarah and all,

  FWIW, and IMO and experiance, Ron Kirk would not be a good choice.
If anyone has any questions as to why, contact me offlist...

Sarah Rimmington wrote:

> Names we are hearing about now include Harold Ford of Tennessee, former
> Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, and to a lesser extent Dan Tarullo of Georgetown
> law and Lael Brainard of Brookings.
>
> 1. Reuters: Business in dark about Obama trade pick
> 2. AP: Becerra won't take trade job
>
> 1. Business in the dark on Obama trade pick
> Tue Dec 16, 2008 5:31pm EST
>
> By Doug Palmer
>
> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. business still has few clues who will be the
> next U.S. trade representative, but hopes it can work with
> President-elect Barack Obama on an agenda to open markets around the
> world, a top official at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday.
>
> "I have no idea who that's going to be," Daniel Christman, senior vice
> president of international affairs at the business group, told reporters
> when asked who he expected Obama would pick to be the United States'
> chief trade negotiator.
>
> Rep. Xavier Becerra, a California Democrat who two weeks ago was thought
> to be the top candidate for the job, is now expected to stay in the U.S.
> House of Representatives, renewing speculation about who might be in
> line for the trade post.
>
> The list includes Dan Tarullo, a Georgetown University law professor and
> former White House official who advised Obama during the campaign.
>
> But many say they think Tarullo would rather be Treasury undersecretary
> for international economic affairs.
>
> Others seen as possible candidates are former Rep. Harold Ford, a
> Tennessee Democrat who now heads the Democratic Leadership Council, and
> Ron Kirk, a former mayor of Dallas who has acknowledged having talks
> with the Obama transition team about taking a job in the new administrati=
on.
>
> Becerra was recently elected vice chairman of the House Democratic
> Caucus and is said to feel indebted to colleagues who elected him after
> he pushed hard for the job.
>
> Obama's trade and Commerce Department transition teams also revealed few
> details of the president-elect's plans for trade in 2009 when they met
> with the U.S. business group.
>
> "The conversations were deep and extensive, but they were principally
> focused on listening to our views," Christman said.
>
> Obama promised during the campaign to reopen the North American Free
> Trade Agreement to add stronger labor and environmental provisions,
> raising fears in the business community about potentially open-ended
> negotiations that could unravel or weaken the 14-year-old trade pact.
>
> Obama also opposed approval of free trade agreements with Colombia and
> South Korea, putting him at odds with the Chamber of Commerce and other
> business groups.
>
> Despite such differences, Christman said he was optimistic the business
> group could find common ground with the Obama administration on trade.
>
> The Chamber of Commerce supports an expansion of federal aid program to
> help workers who have lost their job because of trade as an early step
> in 2009 toward rebuilding bipartisan support for trade deals, he said.
>
> (Editing by David Wiessler and Xavier Briand)
>
> 2. Becerra won't take trade job
> Dec, 16, 2008
>
> WASHINGTON (AP) =97 Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., said Tuesday he will
> stay in the House and pass on becoming U.S. trade representative in
> Barack Obama's administration.
>
> Becerra emerged as the leading candidate for the post and interviewed
> with Obama earlier this month. In a telephone interview with The
> Associated Press, he said he decided he wanted to stay in the House to
> work on various issues, including immigration reform and universal
> health care.
>
> He said he'd informed the Obama team of his decision.
>
> Becerra said he felt elated when first approached about the job, but
> that ultimately "I wasn't sure if at the end I only wanted to be focused
> on trade."
>
> Becerra, who was just elected to his ninth term representing Los
> Angeles, faced competing pressures in considering whether to accept the
> Cabinet post.
>
> He is moving up the ladder on the powerful House Ways and Means
> Committee that writes taxes and oversees health care and trade, and was
> just chosen vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
>
> It could be difficult for another Latino to immediately replace Becerra
> in the House Democratic leadership. Becerra said he heard from members
> of the Latino community who wanted to ensure he was involved as Congress
> grapples with immigration, health care, tax code reform and other issues.
>
> "You all of a sudden find how much you're really wanted," Becerra said.
>
> Becerra also had his family to think about. His wife, Carolina Reyes, is
> a physician in Los Angeles, and he has three daughters, aged 15, 13, and
> 10, who live there, too.
>
> With Becerra removing himself from contention, other names circulating
> for the trade job include former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, also said to be
> under consideration to become transportation secretary.
>
> Kirk declined to comment Tuesday in response to an e-mail from the AP.
> An Obama transition spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request
> for comment.
>
> --
> Sarah Rimmington
> Attorney
> Essential Action, Access to Medicines Project
> Washington, DC
> Tel: (202) 387-8030
> Cell: (202) 422-2687
> www.essentialaction.org/access/
>
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