Panel Defeats Watkins' Trade Secretary Post

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Mar 8, 1995 by Kim Rodgers

Gov. Frank Keating's nomination of former 3rd District Congressman Wes Watkins as the state's first international trade secretary was defeated by a Senate committee Tuesday.

Watkins' rejection by the Senate Rules Committee follows the full Senate's rejection Monday of an appropriations bill that would create an international trade department for Watkins to oversee.

Watkins had wanted to pull the trade efforts of the state commerce and agriculture departments into a unified international trade department.

At Tuesday's Rules Committee meeting, Watkins offered to work for $1 a year, but senators who spoke against the nomination objected to Keating creating a new cabinet post while pledging to trim the state's bureaucracy.

Watkins also offered to delay his nomination in light of the Senate's rejection Monday of the appropriations bill for his position.

"I don't need this job. Lou (his wife) and I don't need this job for the money. But I'm committed to do everything I can to build this state."

More than one senator suggested Watkins could advance his trade philosophy by taking a position within the state commerce department's international division.

"I will not take a midlevel bureaucratic job," Watkins replied, adding later, "I enjoy my freedom."

Watkins addressed Henryetta Democratic Sen. Frank Shurden's earlier comments that Keating's nomination of Watkins was a political payoff for the former congressman entering the gubernatorial race as an independent.

Democratic critics have said Watkins spoiled the race by taking "Little Dixie" votes from the Democratic candidate _ thereby throwing the race to Keating.

"Do you think I worked that hard (in the gubernatorial campaign) to come in second?"

Watkins sidestepped a question from Sen. Bill Gustafson, R-El Reno, about how much the state would have had to spend, in addition to Watkins' salary, to establish a state international trade department.

"If we've got to do it with less money, we will," Watkins said.

Sen. Gene Stipe, D-McAlester, said he is concerned about Watkins' independence while serving at the pleasure of his former opponent in the 1994 gubernatorial race.

Watkins said others have asked him whom he will support in the 1998 race.

"I don't know. I don't know who will run. I know this: I don't plan to run."

After a pause, he added, "unless I don't have anything else to do."

Stipe told Watkins his "rhetoric is always very impressive," but "I'm not aware of any business you brought into the 3rd District."

Most senators who argued against Watkins' nomination said they are reluctant to add to the state bureaucracy that Keating has said he wants to trim.

"There's no question that he's eminently qualified for this position," said Sen. Cal Hobson, D-Lexington. "The question is whether it's appropriate to create this position," at the same time that Keating is calling for less bureaucracy and budget cuts.

Keating has the flexibility to create within his own staff a high-level position to oversee international trade, Hobson said.

About Watkins' running for governor as an independent after being a Democratic congressman for more than a decade, Hobson said, "I am not mad at Wes Watkins for filing for governor as an independent, communist, Republican, Democrat, I don't care what."

The state should nurture international trade efforts, but "there are ways to do this without creation of another position," Hobson said.

The committee defeated Watkins' nomination by a 15-10 vote. Four of the 10 who voted for Watkins are Democrats, and three of those live in the 3rd District: Sens. Larry Dickerson of Poteau, Bernice Shedrick of Stillwater and Dick Wilkerson of Atwood. Democratic Sen. Herb Rozell of Tahlequah also voted to advance Watkins' confirmation.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Keating commented on Senate committee rejections of Watkins and of his choice for education secretary, Linda Murphy.

"It's a step backward for Oklahoma. It's a slap in the face of reform and change, and I'm deeply disappointed."

Of Watkins, he said, "I've attempted to surround myself with people who have different views, different political backgrounds than I.

"Wes Watkins was willing to work for $1 a year. Wes Watkins was willing to have his department in Oklahoma City. But that wasn't good enough. Wes Watkins was punished because he's not a Democrat."

Keating said he hopes Watkins and Murphy can serve in his administration but doesn't know if they will.