New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, recently appointed Secretary of Commerce by his former political rival President-elect Obama, vowed in his appointment acceptance speech to help bring innovation back to America.

"This is a great honor. There are some who speak of a team of rivals, but I've never seen it that way. Past competitors, yes, but rivals implies something harder-edged and less forgiving and in the worlds of diplomacy and commerce, you open markets and minds not with rivalry but instead with partnership and innovation and hard work," said Bill Richardson yesterday morning after being named to head Commerce by President-Elect Barack Obama.

In selecting Richardson, Obama highlighted the former United Nations ambassador and energy secretary during the Clinton Administration's accomplishments in New Mexico, where he helped his state create 80,000 new jobs and kept unemployment to its lowest level in decades. 

What exactly Richardson means by innovation will hopefully be revealed soon, but a look at his past accomplishments indicate a strong track record of environmental protection. As governor, Richardson fought relentlessly to keep pristine areas of America free from commodity drillers and extractors - a boon for environmentalists, but hardly the type of pro-industry job creation policy one might expect from a commerce secretary.

On the other hand, an environmentalist like Richardson could just be the perfect choice for ushering in a new era of so-called green collar jobs. By focusing efforts on alternative energy creation, carbon emissions trading, and the exportation of energy-efficient technologies to countries lagging behind us like India and China, Richardson could help boost innovation in the U.S. after all.

Watch the Video of his acceptance speech for clues to his future policies.