“We’re heading toward a European economic model,” said Gutierrez. “If you look back at Western Europe 10 years ago, you would not trade that for what we have.” He continued: “Look at the changes to the tax system. It could take 10 to 15 years for a Republican president to reverse them.”

Well, during a press conference today in Chicago, in which President-elect Barack Obama officially named Richardson as his choice to fill the slot, Obama made the case that commerce secretary would play a key role on the new administration’s economic team.

While it is traditionally considered a plum position for big-time campaign fundraisers, Obama said Richardson will be “central to everything we do” and will deal with “the most significant issue America faces right now, and that is how do we put people back to work and rejuvenate the economy.”

Obama emphasized that Richardson’s experience as energy secretary will place him front and center in creating “a new, clean-energy industry and create the green jobs of the twenty-first century. Jobs that pay well and won’t be shipped overseas — jobs that will help us end our dependence on foreign oil.”

Indeed, if Richardson was disappointed with the position — as one reporter said, he was rumored to be in the running for the more glamorous job of secretary of state — he did not let on, but rather embraced Obama’s economic vision:

There’s a vital role for the Department of Commerce in our economic recovery. The official role of the department is job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improving living standards – the same goals of [Obama's] economic plan.

The unique strengths of the department and its talented public servants make it the natural agency to serve as the programmatic nerve center in America’s struggle to rejuvenate our economy.

The catch-phrases of [Obama's] economic plan: investment, public-private partnerships, green jobs, technology, climate change and research – that is the department of commerce [...]

With your leadership, Mr. President-elect, America will once again be the forefront of innovation, especially in the new frontier of energy independence and clean energy jobs. We will create new technologies the world is seeking, while creating millions of new jobs that can never be outsourced.

Richardson, who is of Latino descent, also made a short statement in Spanish, which he did not translate.

Obama joked that he was “deeply disappointed with the loss” of the clean-shaven Richardson’s beard, which he sported during the Democratic primaries.

Even if Richardson, like other commerce secretaries, does his work mostly behind the scenes, he almost certainly continues to harbor presidential ambitions, and adding a second cabinet post to his already very extensive resume can’t hurt.

As Mike flagged yesterday, Waxman, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will challenge Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) for the post of House Energy and Commerce Committee chair. Waxman called Dingell this morning. A Dingell spokesman has called the challenge “unhealthy.”

Dingell is the most senior member of the Democratic caucus,  having been in Congress since 1955.

But Waxman may be well-positioned to challenge Dingell for the chairmanship of the committee that has jurisdiction over energy, the environment and health care policy.

In his two years as House oversight chair, he’s been– perhaps along with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) — the most outspoken critic of George W. Bush’s environmental policies. While Waxman spent much of 2007 investigating the Iraq war, his focus this year has largely been on the EPA’s failure to draw up global- warming regulations.

Dingell has been criticized by Waxman and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for putting the needs of the auto industry ahead of environmental concerns. Pelosi even campaigned for Dingell’s primary opponent in 2002.

A 50-member Democrat steering committee and then the full Democratic caucus will vote on whether Waxman or Dingell gets the powerful post. If Waxman loses, it’s not known whether he would return to the oversight committee. The No. 2 Democrat on the committee in terms of seniority is Rep. Edolphus Towns, (D-NY), chairman of the committee’s government management subcommittee.

The last hearings that Towns held were on the presidential transition and “Management of the Digital TV Transition: Is New York Prepared?”

Waxman’s possible departure would not be the only big change in the world of House oversight. Top committee Republican Tom Davis of Virginia retired. And No. 3 Republican Chris Shays was not reelected. Shays was the lone remaining New England Republican in the House.