Confirmation Hearings Set For Former Washington Governor Gary Locke
U.S. Senators To Grill Locke Wednesday On Capitol Hill
Posted: 12:09 pm PDT March 17, 2009Updated: 7:18 am PDT March 18, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Gary Locke, the former King County executive and Washington governor, faces off with U.S. senators Wednesday. A powerful post in the Obama administration is at stake. 
VIDEO: Scott MacFarlane Reports - Senators To Grill Former Gov. Gary LockeBlog: Scott MacFarlane At Confirmation Hearings: Exclusive details of the sights and scenes inside the hearing room.Locke, the president's choice for U.S. Commerce secretary, undergoes a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Commerce Committee. Questions will likely focus on Locke's experience with trade policy with China as governor. Locke, who served two terms as governor from 1997 through 2004, would lead a department with thousands of employees, many of whom would oversee U.S. trade and industry. Amid a crippling recession, the United States' trade relationship with the Far East is more critical than ever, said Sean Spicer, former assistant United States Trade Representative.VIDEO: Former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative: `China is Washington State's #1 Trading Partner'Outside the Seattle area, Locke has a lower profile than the first two men nominated for the Commerce secretary post. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire both withdrew under controversy. Locke, however, isn't immune from controversy himself. His role as a party activist and fundraiser could come under scrutiny in the Senate hearing. According to a March 1 report in the Los Angeles Times, "In 1998, Locke's campaign was cleared of allegations that it improperly took $10,000 from members of a Buddhist temple in Redmond. A Seattle Times editorial subsequently criticized Locke for running a campaign that "pretty much took money and worried about details later. . . . Locke could have avoided this damage to his image had he set higher standards."Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell told kirotv.com that Locke is the "right person for the job." Cantwell said she expects Locke to be easily confirmed.VIDEO: Sen. Maria Cantwell: `Washington State is Good `On-the-Job' Training for the Commerce Dept.'KIROTV.COM has learned Cantwell and Sen. Patty Murray will formally introduce Locke at his confirmation hearing.
Copyright 2008 by KIROTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
VIDEO: Scott MacFarlane Reports - Senators To Grill Former Gov. Gary LockeBlog: Scott MacFarlane At Confirmation Hearings: Exclusive details of the sights and scenes inside the hearing room.Locke, the president's choice for U.S. Commerce secretary, undergoes a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Commerce Committee. Questions will likely focus on Locke's experience with trade policy with China as governor. Locke, who served two terms as governor from 1997 through 2004, would lead a department with thousands of employees, many of whom would oversee U.S. trade and industry. Amid a crippling recession, the United States' trade relationship with the Far East is more critical than ever, said Sean Spicer, former assistant United States Trade Representative.VIDEO: Former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative: `China is Washington State's #1 Trading Partner'Outside the Seattle area, Locke has a lower profile than the first two men nominated for the Commerce secretary post. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire both withdrew under controversy. Locke, however, isn't immune from controversy himself. His role as a party activist and fundraiser could come under scrutiny in the Senate hearing. According to a March 1 report in the Los Angeles Times, "In 1998, Locke's campaign was cleared of allegations that it improperly took $10,000 from members of a Buddhist temple in Redmond. A Seattle Times editorial subsequently criticized Locke for running a campaign that "pretty much took money and worried about details later. . . . Locke could have avoided this damage to his image had he set higher standards."Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell told kirotv.com that Locke is the "right person for the job." Cantwell said she expects Locke to be easily confirmed.VIDEO: Sen. Maria Cantwell: `Washington State is Good `On-the-Job' Training for the Commerce Dept.'KIROTV.COM has learned Cantwell and Sen. Patty Murray will formally introduce Locke at his confirmation hearing.Copyright 2008 by KIROTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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