Richard Parsons, ex Time Warner Chair, to be Commerce Sec?

[redstate_democrat]

Former Time Warner Chairman and CEO is under consideration as possible replacement for Bill Richardson at Commerce.

Parsons, a onetime Ford White House aide and former Dime Bank executive, ran Social Security study group in Bush era.

Parsons officially left Time Warner in December 2008. He was also a member of Obama's Transition Economic Advisory Board.
http://thepage.time.com/2009/01/06/parsons-to-commerce/

Former Chairman of the Board, Time Warner
Richard D. Parsons is the former Chairman of the Board of Time Warner, whose businesses include filmed entertainment, interactive services, television networks, cable systems and publishing. From May 2002 to December 2007, Mr. Parsons served as Time Warner's Chief Executive Officer. In May 2003, he became Chairman of the Board, a position he held until December 2008.

As CEO, Mr. Parsons led Time Warner's turnaround and set the company on a solid path toward achieving sustainable growth. In the process, he put in place the industry's most experienced and successful management team, strengthened the company's balance sheet and simplified its corporate structure, and carried out a disciplined approach to realigning the company's portfolio of assets to improve returns. In its January 2005 report on America's Best CEOs, Institutional Investor magazine named Mr. Parsons the top CEO in the entertainment industry.

Mr. Parsons joined Time Warner as its President in February 1995, and has been a member of the company's Board of Directors since January 1991. As President, he oversaw the company's filmed entertainment and music businesses, and all corporate staff functions, including financial activities, legal affairs, public affairs and administration.

Before becoming President of Time Warner, Mr. Parsons was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dime Bancorp, Inc., one of the largest thrift institutions in the United States. Previously, he was the managing partner of the New York law firm Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler. Prior to that, he held various positions in state and federal government, as counsel for Nelson Rockefeller and as a senior White House aide under President Gerald Ford. Mr. Parsons received his undergraduate education at the University of Hawaii and his legal training at Union University's Albany Law School.

Mr. Parsons' civic and non-profit commitments include Co-Chairman of the Mayor's Commission on Economic Opportunity in New York; Chairman Emeritus of the Partnership for New York City; Chairman of the Apollo Theatre Foundation and service on the boards of Howard University, the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History. He also serves on the boards of Citigroup and Estée Lauder.
http://www.timewarner.com/corp/management/corp_executives/bio/parsons_richard.html

[Thrill]

1. Didn't know he left Time Warner

Would be a good pick. But I think Obama would be smart to just replace Richardson with another qualified Hispanic. Just to keep those groups off his back

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. He has appointed more Hispanics than any other administration in history.

He's doing fine. I think he can pick this person who sounds like a good pick.

[Thrill]

10. I know he has. But have you read the articles since Richardson

stepped down? They want another Hispanic to replace him

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

11. Yes, I have read the articles, but Obama is appointing Hispanics to other positions

I don't agree that he necessarily has to replace one Hispanic with another for *this* particular position.

[HeraldSquare212]

2. There are a lot of people who lost a lot of money with the AOL-TW merger

and have a profound hatred for anyone that was anywhere near that. It may be too bad, but Obama should skip Parsons.

[blm]

6. The reason he should be rejected is that he was always a big Bush/GOP supporter

and only donated a few dollars to a few Dems for SHOW.

[redstate_democrat]

12. Okay so he's a solid Repuke?

Um, no thanks. We have enough of them already in the cabinet.

[HeraldSquare212]

14. His name was floated for Treasury briefly after Snow

and then he looked to be getting ready to run for NYC Mayor in 2009, as the business community's choice (e.g., a second Bloomberg).

[blm]

17. Plus, AOL/TimeWarner/CNN all happen to be under the thumb of Kingdom Holdings (House of Saud)

They worked hard to get Turner OUT of his office and get Bush INTO the WH and KEPT him there while tearing down both Gore and Kerry as much as possible.

[babylonsister]

3. I read earlier Governor Gregoire might be asked-here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4773437

[redstate_democrat]

5. I saw that.

Several names must be stirring around in the pot right now. This position is probably not one that urgently needs to be filled.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Corporate insider

:thumbsdown:

[redstate_democrat]

7. JUST resigned from Time Warner in December.

[smalll]

9. No, I think Parsons should become the CIA Director - his executive experience would help there -

then Leon Panetta could take Obama's old Senate seat - as Leon is well-liked in Congress and has a lot of legislative expierence, he'd be ready on Day One to serve as Senator. Burris could be Surgeon-General - it's hardly much more than a symbolic job anyway, and somehow, I think The Trailblazer would enjoy wearing the snazzy Surgeon-General uniforms.

That leaves Gupta for Commerce Secretary, which may not be a great fit. I may have to rethink this.

[Hutzpa]

13. lol! Excellent

you made my day....:fistbump:

best Paddy for the day.....:pals:


:yourock:

[nevergiveup]

16. Strangely enough it was all beginning to make sense

until your last two sentences. Maybe you should have switched Warren to commerce and had Gupta giving the inaugural prayer.

[Jennicut]

18. Gupta is a tv star, perhaps if he is savvy enough to sell his image on tv he knows something about

business. I must say, this is funny.

[elleng]

15. Immediately sickens me.

What more of a corporatist tool could there be?

[Armstead]

19. Oh Goody. A Monopoly Builder as Sec. of Commerce.