Official: Richardson to be commerce secretary

ECONOMY GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON SEEMS TO HAVE CLENCHED THE TITLE OF COMMERCE SECRETARY IN BARACK OBAMA S CABINET A DEMOCRATIC OFFICIAL SAYS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT WILL ANNOUNCE THE APPOINTMENT SOON VALERIE CASTRO IS LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM WITH THE DETAILS VALERIE OBAMA COULD MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS EARLY AS TOMORROW AT A SCHEDULED PRESS CONFERENCE — ACCORDING TO SOURCES FROM HIS TRANSITION TEAM RICHARDSON HAD BEEN IN THE RUNNING FOR SECRETARY OF STATE BUT NOW SOURCES SAY HE WILL BE APPOINTED COMMERCE SECRETARY RICHARDSON HAS PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS ENERGY SECRETARY AND U-N AMBASSADOR UNDER FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY SAYS THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE AFTER THANKSGIVING BUT PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA IS SCHEDULED TO HOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE TOMORROW AT NOON EASTERN TIME HE IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE SOME OF HIS CABINET SELECTIONS THEN IF RICHARDSON ACCEPTS THE APPOINTMENT HE WILL RESIGN FROM HIS POSITION AS GOVERNOR OF NEW MEXICO LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DIANE DENISH WOULD TAKE HIS PLACE LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM VC EW N4 THE CURRENT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE IS CARLOS GUTIERREZ — AND ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT S WEBSITE — THE COMMERCE SECRETARY S JOB DESCRIPTION INCLUDES OVERSEEING A SEVEN-BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET — ALONG WITH 38- THOUSAND WORKERS THE DEPARTMENT PROMOTES AMERICAN BUSINESS — BOTH HERE AND ABROAD — AND ISSUES PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT ALSO CRAFTS TELECOMMUNICATIO NS AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY ASIDE FROM BEING NEW MEXICO S GOVERNOR — BILL RICHARDSON HAS PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS CONGRESSMAN ENERGY SECRETARY AND AMBASSADOR TO THE U-N UNDER PRESIDENT CLINTON RICHARDSON ALSO HAS A REPUTATION DEALING WITH FOREIGN LEADERS RICHARDSON MET WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN AND NEGOTIATED THE RELEASE OF HOSTAGES HE ALSO MET WITH THE NORTH KOREANS TO PERSUADE THEM TO ABANDON THEIR PLANS FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS RICHARDSON TRAVELED TO SUDAN IN 2006 TO NEGOTIATE THE RELEASE OF A NEW MEXICO JOURNALIST — AND THEN AGAIN IN 2007 TO TRY TO