Thursday, November 17, 2011

Gary "Do It Yourself" Locke Wows Chinese Worries Officials

From Seattle Times joni balter:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2016783597_joni17.html


A recent New York Times story, "Chinese, but Not Their Leaders, Flock to U.S. Envoy," says some news organizations have said that Locke's "man-of-the-people style is an act, an American plot to stir citizens' resentment of their own leaders."
A plot? Really? More likely, the Chinese cannot fathom a guy like Locke, who as governor really did climb a 60-foot scaffold in the state Capitol to change the light bulbs.
In the 1990s, Locke was dubbed in a Seattle Weekly piece as "The Man Who Mistook his Life for the Legislature," in which his favorite free-time practice was described as "sweating over plumbing.


I haven't posted yet on all the viral pictures the Chinese have been posting to ambassador Gary Locke, Washington's former governor. I have yet to figure out how ambassador is a promotion from being head of the commerce secretary, seems "you've done a great job being head of an organization that employs thousands and spends billions, but right now really, really somebody who is Chinese for this ambassador job"

Anyways, the communists who are still in charge over there think Locke is actually some kind of CIA agent with a hidden agenda to show what schmucks they are and get the people to revolt in a Chinese spring (yeah, right, from the mao - my - hero Obama crowd? that.s a good laugh)

comments:


Seattle, WA
619 comments
November 17, 2011 at 2:18 PM
Rating:  (0 (0)
After 11 miserable years of Gregoire's leadership, I pine for the days of Gary Locke as our governor. Cheers to better things to come for Washington in 2012.
Kent, WA
8 comments
November 17, 2011 at 1:47 PM
Rating:  (2 (0)
History repeats itself. In the mid-1980s Lee Iaccoca created quite a sensation in Japan when he was photographed arriving at the airport carrying his own luggage. The Japanese were surprised that someone of his stature did not have an underling handling these types of tasks for him.
Toppenish
98 comments
November 17, 2011 at 12:49 PM
Rating:  (0 (1)
Is this news? What an injudicious article.

Locke used his annual state-sponsored trips to China to kiss Chinese a$$e$ to get some connections in there and then he turned those connection into $1 mil/year job at the law firm. What a profiteer. He was an awful governor and had done nothing good for this state. He called himself an educational governor but our education system went down under his belt. Then, by default, he became Commerce Secretary based only on the color of his skin. What an achievement.

Please stop writing these stupid accolades about him. He is a typical WA State politician, meaning there is nothing good about him. The only good part in his life is Mona, an heir of the gambling empire in Taiwan.

And please remember that we had several other ambassadors originating from this state recently.
Entiat, WA
2456 comments
November 17, 2011 at 11:59 AM
Rating:  (0 (0)
I think it's great that Locke is such a no-nonsense person. He reminds me a bit of of Benjamin Franklin, who wore simple Quaker clothes as our ambassador to the French Court. The French people loved him as they have no other American before or since, and that paid great dividends to us during the Revolutionary War with England. Locke's humble demeanor should also pay great dividends for us with the Chinese people.
Aberdeen, WA
25 comments
November 17, 2011 at 10:58 AM
Rating:  (0 (2)
Ms. Balter's acid-laced tongue actually had something edifying to say about another human being. Wait, Locke is a Democrat, that explains it. She only spills hatred toward those who don't share her Leftist leanings.
Bellevue, WA
6 comments
November 17, 2011 at 10:29 AM
Rating:  (0 (0)
Really? REALLY? Among over a billion people, you don't think ONE could? Racist pig.
Kenmore, WA
886 comments
November 17, 2011 at 9:40 AM
Rating:  (0 (4)
"the Chinese cannot fathom a guy like Locke, who as governor really did climb a 60-foot scaffold in the state Capitol to change the light bulbs."


I'm surprised the unions didn't file a complaint about him doing unauthorized repairs. In Chicago or New York this would have the unions up in arms
Redmond, WA
67 comments
November 17, 2011 at 9:07 AM
Rating:  (4 (0)
skier99 wrote:

"It really stems from their misunderstanding themselves and their own history."

This is a good one. You have a better understanding of China and its history than the Chinese do?
Redmond, WA
67 comments
November 17, 2011 at 9:04 AM
Rating:  (1 (3)
Here's how it works: The same behavior in one place can be interpreted differently in another place. This a function of something called "culture."

One would think that the editor of a major metropolitan daily would not be so provincial as to miss this point. But, then, this is Seattle.
Tacoma, WA
672 comments
November 17, 2011 at 7:39 AM
Rating:  (1 (12)
He dumped chemicals on a West Seattle neighborhood after they told him not too, he tried to make it illegal to buy anything that you could smoke pot with, acted as a pez dispenser for favors for Boeing and other companies, education and the roads became worse under his tenure, etc., etc. Yes, it's pretty safe to say that Gary Locke is worthless.
kennewick, WA
19 comments
November 17, 2011 at 7:17 AM
Rating:  (0 (3)
I don't tke this article this seriously at all. The opinions are from a source who does not wish to be identified.
and yet they say "They don't like him"
Journalism here or hearsay?
Lynnwood, WA
496 comments
November 17, 2011 at 7:01 AM
Rating:  (6 (2)
In China all publically printed words are considered propoganda. Their political culture has made this a certainty and it is becoming one of the many nails in their coffin. Even when they have "public service" messages "Don't eat fish from the harbor." the public thinks they are just trying to take away a non-government monitored source of protein and eat the polluted fish anyway.

Gary Locke has the unenvieable task of fixing the largest trade imbalance and money fixing problem in all American business. He did chill them nicely by stating that Americans will not buy cheap solar panels once they find out the toxins released in their production, the slave wages and then dumping these products on our markets. Fighting green w/ green is actually brilliant in this case.

Good luck Gary!
Seattle, WA
1562 comments
November 17, 2011 at 6:33 AM
Rating:  (5 (1)
Just because the CCP has a newspaper, doesn't mean anyone who isn't a member reads it. I'm sure most of the Party members don't read it either, since they know what it is. On some blogs and comment pages not unlike this one, some Chinese criticize Locke for being a "sellout" or traitor to China. Others admire him. Most probably don't know who he is. Most Chinese could care less about politics.

Wen Jiabao, the number two leader, has a decent reputation as politicians go. He even recently criticized the Cultural Revolution, or at least said that his family suffered. So it's not like Locke is the only "man of the people" example.
Seattle, WA
628 comments
November 16, 2011 at 10:56 PM
Rating:  (2 (10)
And for insight like this, helium filled gasbag and corporate welfare queen Joni Balter gets a taxpayer subsidy.

At least she is not playing her regular role as a campaign shill for Ron McKenna this week.
Deep in the belly of Seattle
248 comments
November 16, 2011 at 10:05 PM
Rating:  (3 (15)
Under Locke, Boeing left, the film industry left, and the state grew in population, but shrunk in ability to get anything done. Transportation got worse, regulations became more burdensome and when he announced he wasn't running for re-election his "favorable" numbers were about 24%.

Locke was a terrible governor, a miserable commerce secretary and I hope that he will do good things in China...I just hope that those good things are for America, although I doubt it.

Obama, Locke, two birds of a feather without a clue.
Seattle, WA
438 comments
November 16, 2011 at 9:42 PM
Rating:  (3 (13)
Locke off to China and hopefully Gregoire future Ambassador to Mexico (since she seems to be giving Washington away). This could be the change I'm hoping for.
Planet Rayon
1944 comments
November 16, 2011 at 9:36 PM
Rating:  (3 (17)
Mr. Locke might have chosen to spend less time changing lightbulbs, and more time correcting the tendency of DSHS to abuse parents during his tenure. If I recall correctly, he lost a record amount of money to lawsuits over DSHS during his tenure.

If you're trying to convince me Locke isn't an elitist, and cares about the little guy, then I think you should try a little harder, because it is not working.
Seattle
21 comments
November 16, 2011 at 9:20 PM
Rating:  (5 (2)
I plumbed his house while he was in office in Seattle, lol!
Seattle
783 comments
November 16, 2011 at 8:09 PM
Rating:  (2 (17)
This is another get over yourself moment. They are trying to embarass China with the westernized Locke and they seem to look at him as a bufoon with servant like status.
Seattle, WA
596 comments
November 16, 2011 at 7:07 PM
Rating:  (19 (3)
I'm amazed Mr. Locke was still climbing around high places after he broke his back falling off his roof. He spent a miserable summer--one of Seatte's hottest-in a body cast.

Too bad China's leaders don't appreciate Gary Locke's passion for his ancestral home. And when President Obama nominated him for his current post, Mitch McConnell stormed, "The senate will never confirm that {expletive deleted} man". (Paraphrase.)

What did the nicest politician to come out of Washington state ever do to incur such anger?

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