Given the ongoing love affair media have with Barack Obama, it's going to be very interesting to see how this gets covered in the next 72 hours.
Interestingly, it appears the news was broken by Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC (video embedded below the fold).
The following comes from an MSNBC.com report published minutes ago (h/t NBers Blonde and R D Helm):
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 Bill Richardson, tapped in December by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as secretary of Commerce, has withdrawn his name for the position, citing a pending investigation into a company that has done business with his state.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.
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.
What's interesting here is how this matter didn't surface during the nomination process when Richardson was running for president or after he announced his support for Obama.
Isn't that convenient?
And how did this get passed the Obama team during the vetting process? Hmmm.
Regardless, it's going to be fascinating to watch how the sycophants report this revelation.
I'm just wondering how they're going to blame it on George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Sarah Palin.
Stay tuned.
