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[JAKE TAPPER UPDATE] Bill The Judas Is Dropping Out

By SusanUnPC on January 4, 2009 at 7:00 PM in Current Affairs

(bumped up by SusanUnPC)

UPDATE: Jake Tapper has the behind-the-scenes good stuff in “Obama Team Feels Richardson Wasn’t Forthcoming About Investigation Before Being Offered Commerce.” [I've just added quotes from Jake's article below the fold.]

(H/T American Girl In Italy!)

Pay-to-play, pay-to-play, pay-to-play, pay-to-play, pay-to-play, … GOD! Where have I heard THAT phrase before? (See section below the fold.)

Richardson to withdraw as Commerce secretary:

New Mexico governor cites pending investigation of business dealings

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 Bill Richardson, tapped in December by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as secretary of Commerce, has withdrawn his name for the position, citing a pending investigation into a company that has done business with his state.

“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.”

A federal grand jury is investigating how a California company that contributed to Richardson’s political activities won a lucrative New Mexico state contract. …

The Jake Tapper update is at the end.

SNIFF! GET YOUR HANKIES OUT!

A person familiar with the proceedings has told The Associated Press that the grand jury is looking into possible “pay-to-play” dealings between CDR Financial Products and someone in a position to push the contract through with the state of New Mexico.

Richardson said he plans to continue in his role as governor. “I appreciate the confidence President-elect Obama has shown in me, and value our friendship and working partnership. I told him that I am eager to serve in the future in any way he deems useful. And like all Americans, I pray for his success and the success of our beloved country.”

Obama said Sunday he accepted Richardson’s decision to withdraw with ‘deep regret.’

“Governor Richardson is an outstanding public servant and would have brought to the job of Commerce Secretary and our economic team great insights accumulated through an extraordinary career in federal and state office,” Obama said. ….

:::::::::::::::::::::::

UPDATE from Jake Tapper, ABC News in his new article, “Obama Team Feels Richardson Wasn’t Forthcoming About Investigation Before Being Offered Commerce“:

It sounds like Obama and Richardson had a LOT of telephone calls this weekend. It also sounds like Richardson’s “camp” is unhappy because they believe that Richardson has been “forthcoming,” but that Obama’s team did not see it that way:

Sources tell ABC News that officials on the Obama Transition Team feel that before he was formally offered the job of commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was not forthcoming with them about the federal investigation that is looking into whether the governor steered a state contract towards a major financial contributor.

Here’s why, writes Tapper:

Once the investigation became more widely known through national media reports last month, sources tell ABC News, the Obama Transition Team realized the FBI would not be able to give Richardson a clean political bill of health before the new administration is ready to send his nomination up to the Senate for confirmation.

[...]

There were some discussions about whether the confirmation process could be delayed a few months until the investigation concluded, sources say, but it became clear that wouldn’t happen any time soon, and no one wanted to be seen as pressuring law enforcement officials to wrap up their investigation.

The governor spoke with the president-elect several times over the weekend, their last conversation being Saturday, when Richardson told Obama he was withdrawing his name from consideration

I bet Obama loved those phone calls.

I have a question: Who’s the muscle on the Obama team?

Not included here: Tapper’s succinct summary of the investigation. Read all of “Obama Team Feels Richardson Wasn’t Forthcoming About Investigation Before Being Offered Commerce” for a deeper understanding.