Oooh that smarts. The most respectable candidate of the eight the Democrats fielded for the office of President just folded under a cloud of suspicion. This is bad, very bad. The WaPo reports:
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name from consideration as commerce secretary for President-elect Barack Obama, citing an ongoing investigation about business dealings in his state.
Richardson, 61, who competed unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination, was secretary of energy and U.N. ambassador during Bill Clinton's presidency, and also the first high-profile Latino named to Obama's Cabinet.
But a grand jury in New Mexico is currently looking into charges of "pay-to-play" in the awarding of a state contract to a company that contributed to Richardson.
The importance of the inquiry was apparently dismissed when Richardson was first nominated. But it may have taken on more weight in light of the "pay-to-play" allegations involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Obama hasn't even gotten into the Oval Office and his prospects are imploding. I happen to think that Richardson is a straight shooter and that he will be vindicated, but this puts the lie to the entire premise that Rahm Emmanuel is a fixer and that his extraordinary competence to 'get things done' is going to make Obama's road smooth. The spillover from Illinois Democrat corruption is out of control - and for it to hit Richardson, the most competent Democrat of national standing, is bad news indeed.
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