Who Will Be The Next U.S. Commerce Chief?

According to Peter Cohen's commentary, there are three names in the hat:  Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Ron Kirk, U.S. trade negotiator and Jeffrey Kindler, the former CEO of Pfizer.

Cohen gives his assessment of the candidates.  He also references:

The administration's goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years is an ambitious goal, no matter who next fills the role of commerce secretary. Based on the latest numbers, U.S. exports rose 16.6% to $1.83 trillion in 2010. At that level we'd need to boost exports another 70% to reach $3.1 trillion by 2014. 

And read this part carefully:

At this point, I should disclose that I have a small personal connection to this story:   This year, I have a new book coming out about how small and medium-sized businesses can enter global markets, titled Export Now: Five Keys to Entering New Markets.  I co-authored it with former Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade Frank Lavin, and Secretary Locke wrote the forward.

Keep tabs on it.

Illustration credit here (where you can buy it as a bumper sticker).