Commerce secretary pick #3 has skeletons in his closet

President Obama is said to be positioning former Washington Gov. Gary Locke as Commerce Secretary, his third choice after the withdrawal of Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) and Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH).

But there's trouble brewing with Gary Locke, stemming from his brother-in-law in 2002:

LET'S SAY YOU'RE Gov. Gary Locke's brother-in-law. You bunk at the governor's mansion. You commute to your nearby job as an executive of a private technology firm.

During your two years with the firm, the governor signs a bill giving your company a tax break, personally intervenes in a dispute involving your company, shows up for a party there, and signs a federal loan application for your company, whose founders—your bosses—pay at least two visits to the mansion.

At the same time, your company rakes in millions in state aid, lands a fat state technology contract, and is allowed to use government credit authority to float new loans (an authority illegally granted, as a state auditor's report will reveal this week).

Are you getting gubernatorial favors that average citizens don't get?

Come on, President Obama. You can do better than this?!