Richardson Withdrawal: So Sudden, So Odd

I'm hearing that nobody saw this coming.

For instance, there were a number of political and social gatherings over the holidays, and the general consensus was that Bill Richardson's Commerce Secretary appointment would pretty much cruise through the Senate. Oh, there might be a question or two about the longstanding FBI investigation of CDR Financial Products, which did some work for the New Mexico Finance Authority back in 2004, but nothing serious. Everyone seemed geared towards the future, and a smooth transition for Lt. Gov. Diane Denish as she moved into the driver's seat in Santa Fe.

Apparently, the news of Richardson's ouster was a shocking surprise to many, perhaps even Richardson himself. According to a leak reported in a CNN article, Richardson was "stunned" at being informed he was out:

Two Democratic strategists outside Obama's transition team told CNN that Obama aides pushed the withdrawal because they did not want an ethical distraction in the wake of controversy surrounding embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Federal prosecutors allege that Blagojevich, a Democrat, had hoped to barter Obama's Senate seat for either money or influence.

One of the Democratic strategists described Richardson as "stunned." But Democrats who talked with CNN noted the withdrawal is in keeping with the Obama philosophy of resolving issues quickly.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman was blindsided as well, according to an report in the Albuquerque Journal:

Veteran Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said in a Journal interview that he was among those Richardson phoned Sunday morning. Bingaman said he had heard no rumblings in D.C. about a potential Senate showdown over Richardson's confirmation.

"I'm not on the Commerce Committee, where the confirmation hearing would have been held, but I think I would have been hearing if there was any significant opposition to him being confirmed," Bingaman said.

"I thought he would have strong support in his confirmation process, and obviously, I strongly support him," Bingaman said. "... I didn't try to talk him out of it. I just told him I was disappointed, and (that) he would do extremely well in that position."

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish apparently had no inkling of Richardson's pending withdrawal from the nomination process either, given her immersion in transition activities with a paid staff of two and a team of 125 volunteer advisors. There were reports just last week that she and Richardson had been checking in by phone and that staffers of the two were in close contact over transition matters.

Preserving Appearances
As this story develops, it looks more and more like Obama was willing to jettison Richardson to avoid even the aroma of questionable ethics at a time when he'll be challenged for his actions surrounding Illinois Gov. Rod Blogojevich and his appointment of Roland Burris to succeed Obama in the Senate. The timing of Richardson's withdrawal this weekend (or "postponement," as Denish termed it) can easily be viewed as Obama trying to clear the decks before the Tuesday showdown, when Burris is set to show up at the U.S. Senate to be sworn in and all hell could break lose.

Does anyone doubt that Obama knew all about the FBI probe of CDR Financial and the company's business dealings in New Mexico when they named Richardson as their nominee for Commerce Secretary? Despite the Obama team's leaks yesterday that Richardson was not entirely forthcoming about the matter, no vetting team worth its salt -- especially at the presidential level -- would have okayed an appointment like Richardson's without obtaining full knowledge of any ongoing federal investigation in the potential nominee's home state.

As I said before, nothing new has emerged about the investigation and grand jury proceedings since Obama named Richardson. What has changed is the scrutiny of Obama and the Senate Dems over their very public threats to stop Roland Burris from being sworn in as a Senator. At this juncture, it seems to me that's the real reason Richardson was abruptly dumped as a cabinet appointee.

Shapes of Things to Come?
To my mind, the move to purge Richardson was executed in a sloppy and peculiar manner without regard to the havoc it would cause at this late date, with a New Mexico gubernatorial transition in full swing and a Legislative Session set to start in only a few weeks. I think it makes Obama look rather callous, self-serving and knee-jerk in his decision-making. His responses to the Blago controversy seem panicked, and he and the Senate Dems appear to lack a thorough understanding of the consequences of what has now become an odd crusade against seating Burris. If they succeed, expect the legal ramifications to stay in the news for weeks or even months -- not the kind of distraction we need at a time like this.

Regardless of how this all comes out, I think the Blago and Richardson dustups provide a glimpse into the character and executive style of Obama that will only become more evident as he takes office and faces much more serious issues and battles. Barack was more than willing to insult GLBT citizens and their supporters by picking Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inaugural so he could make a point about his "inclusiveness." He's prepared to block the legal appointment of Roland Burris in order to try and burnish his ethical creds and further distance himself from Blagojevich. And he precipitously got rid of Richardson to tamp down any additional criticism he might get in connection with the Blago-Burris-Reid showdown.

Do these actions demonstrate an effective strategic and tactical grasp, or a rather cut-throat tendency to throw people under the bus? You decide.

See my previous posts on this story here, here and here.

All photos by M.E. Broderick.

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