Since he won't be Commerce Secretary, that is.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, tapped in December by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as secretary of Commerce, has withdrawn his name for the position, citing a pending investigation into a company that has done business with his state.No clue if there's any substance to the charges, and can't even say if I really care at this point. Our campaign finance system is so messed up that the most important person on any politician's staff isn't the campaign manager--it's the lawyer who vets the fundraising program. I hope Richardson is innocent, of course, and that he eventually winds up serving in the Obama administration--he's a smart guy and a good diplomat, and we certainly haven't had enough of those in government service for the last eight years.
"Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact," he said Sunday in a report by NBC News' Andrea Mitchell. "But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process."
Labels: Bill Richardson, campaign finance
