Richardson Won’t Lead Commerce Department

Before he can even raise his right hand and say “I solemnly swear,” one of President-elect Barack Obama’s All-Star Cabinet nominees is “over and out,” i.e. done.

Sadly, it’s one of Obama’s best picks – current New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who has previously served in the U.S. House, as Bill Clinton’s Energy Secretary and as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

While governor of New Mexico, Richardson successfully passed one of the nation’s most expansive tax cuts, making us love him to the point of tickling his turkey waddle.

From the Washington Times:

It’s the first major crack in what had been a successful Cabinet rollout for Mr. Obama. His picks had won praise from Republicans and Democrats, though some questions have been raised about his Attorney General nominee, Eric Holder.

No doubt.

“No drama” Obama’s machine had been pretty much seamless up to this point.

At issue is a federal investigation into whether Richardson’s office granted improper favors to a firm that had donated money to his political action committee.

Damn … that would pretty much rule out every politician here in South Carolina.