ANOTHER ONE - AT 7:28 P.M. ET:  From The Washington Times:

Commerce Secretary nominee Gary Locke, whose job would include approving sensitive exports to China, has performed legal work for companies doing business with Beijing and was forced to refund several political donations that he received in the 1990s from key figures in a Chinese influence-buying investigation.

The former Washington state governor is expected to face questions about both issues during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Senate aides and an Obama administration official familiar with the vetting told The Washington Times.

COMMENT:  I think he's the third guy to be picked for the job.  Let's see, there was Bill Richardson, who was under investigation.  There was the Republican, Judd Gregg, who finally couldn't stomach Obama's policies, and now there's Gary Locke.  And he has some 'splainin' to do.  Doyou get the feeling that there's a competence problem in this administration?  I mean, here we are almost two months after inauguration, and we still don't have a secretary of commerce in the midst of the worst financial crisis of our time. 

March 18, 2009