Bill Richardson nominated as U.S. secretary of commerce

　　U.S. President-elect Barack Obama nominated on Wednesday New Mexico governor Bill Richardson as the next secretary of commerce.

　　"Last week, Vice President-elect Biden and I began the process of announcing our economic team," Obama told a news conference at his transition office headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. "Today we are pleased to name another key member of this team -- our nominee for secretary of commerce, my great friend, Gov. Bill Richardson."

　　Obama described Richardson as a leading "economic diplomat for America" who "has been seen from just about every angle what makes our economy work and what keeps it from working better" during his time in state government and Congress, and in two tours of duty in the cabinet.

　　Richardson, 61, has served as United Nations ambassador and energy secretary during the Clinton administration. He is currently in his second term as New Mexico's governor.

　　As a Hispanic, Richardson launched his bid for the White House early this year, but gave it up after the second Democratic presidential primary in New Hampshire.

　　He then threw his support for Obama and campaigned for his bid to become the first African-American president in the country.

　　美国当选总统奥巴马３日提名新墨西哥州州长比尔·里查森为新政府商务部长人选，并称里查森将成为美国未来经济外交的主要人物之一。

　　奥巴马说，里查森有在国会、联邦和地方政府工作的丰富经验，对经济事务有全面了解，并懂得解决经济问题之道。里查森将加入以财政部长人选盖特纳为首的新政府经济团队。

　　里查森是奥巴马迄今为止提名的首位拉美裔内阁成员，也是继副总统拜登和国务卿人选希拉里之后，第三个进入奥巴马内阁的奥巴马前预选对手。

　　里查森现年６１岁，民主党人。他父亲是美国人，母亲是墨西哥人。曾任国会众议员，美国常驻联合国代表和能源部长。２００２年当选新墨西哥州州长，２００６年获得连任。他曾参加今年民主党总统预选，但在预选首站艾奥瓦州失利后退出，之后宣布支持奥巴马。

　　奥巴马自从在１１月４日举行的美国总统选举中获胜后，正着手进行组建新政府和权力交接的工作，陆续任命白宫官员和提名内阁成员人选。此前他已任命白宫主要官员并宣布了经济团队和国家安全团队人选。