President Bush on Monday chose Carlos Gutierrez, a native of Cuba who rose from truck driver to chief executive officer of Kellogg Co., to be secretary of Commerce.
If confirmed by the Senate, Gutierrez would succeed Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, a Texas confidant of Bush's, who announced his resignation shortly after the Nov. 2 election. The president called the 51-year-old Gutierrez, 51, a "great American success story" and a visionary executive, who understands the world of business from the "first rung on the ladder to the very top."
This is being hailed as a major victory for latinos in the U.S. - I think I agree!
Many of the nation's leading civil rights groups expressed "serious concern" Monday with President Bush's nomination of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales to be attorney general, calling for "close scrutiny" by the Senate.
But the coalition of more than two dozen groups -- including the NAACP, ACLU and Amnesty International -- stopped short of opposing the nomination.
As expected, top White House economic adviser Stephen Friedman submitted his resignation to President Bush on Monday.
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The White House released Friedman's resignation letter several hours after Bush announced his intention to nominate Carlos Gutierrez as his new secretary of commerce.
Together, the moves served as reminders that Bush's economic team will have a new look as he pursues several major policy initiatives, including tax simplification and Social Security overhaul.