That's Not The Richardson We Knew

The "See No Evil" defense is trotted out again by Team Obama:

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.

Comments

[Thomas Collins]

I hear that Caroline Kennedy would like a job in the Federal Government, and that she doesn't appear to be the greatest choice for a job, such as US Senator, in which she has to face the voters in two years. Perhaps His Zeroness should appoint her to the Commerce post. Her Kennedy name and her book of poetry (which must be somewhere in the stream of commerce) no doubt constitute eminent quakifications for the Commerce job.

[Jane]

Time for a much bigger bus!

[E. Nigma]

"Quakifications"?

Yes, they are all quacks and that pretty much sums up their suitability for office. :)

[Rick Ballard]

Does this mean that Senator Clinton may have a problem as well? Or does Mrs. Bubba have a 'Get Out of Investigations Free' card?

Considering that Zero's previous executive experience consisted of assembling a gang of thieves to steal from Chicago school children, he's not doing too badly. This only makes 3 or 4 7 or 8 12 minor errors.

[bad]

I blame the 67 question form.

[Soylent Red]

Surely this whole bruhaha is an artifact of having to deal with the failed policies of George W. Bush.

Also, this is a distraction.

[Analien]

The MSM will not find any fault with the nigger. Move on.

[Pofarmer]

I'm getting the vibe here that the Obama "team" is only responsible for good things, whatever they may be. Whatever happened to "The buck stops here". Didn't libs want GWB to take the blame for everything that ever happened?

[Barney Frank]

Anal ien,
You would appear less like the race-baiting, leftist troll you no doubt are if you didn't use one of the left's favorite terms; 'move on'.

[Rick Ballard]

Pofarmer,

I believe that we're about to board the 'errors were made' train for a return trip to Bubbaville. Zero's problem is that the internet was in its infancy during Bubba's turn. He's not going to be able to hide his incompetence as well as Bubba did.

[narciso]

We don't use that language,here, there's plenty of policy critiques and descriptive metaphors that are available, crawl back under your hole, troll.
True, Soylent, that is what ABC said about the Richardson retreat. Po, that's arhetorical
question, right? A bogus indictment, wasting time, in the middle of two overseas campaigns, that's what liberals call justice. It will probably meander like the Espy and Cisneros inquiry into infinity. Forcing a publishing challenger to the ideological ethos, out because of some other trumped up charges, they call that ethical reform. On the other hand, if you try to fire someone who threatened your family, disgraced the uniform, that's called
'abuse of power'; You know of where I speak.
The same can be said of enlightening dim reporters of facts, they were too lazy to look up, that's a high crime tantamount to treason. You get the hang of the lexicon

[Vinman]

2010: "The Iranian Regime has been less than forthcoming in their release of critical data. . . data which would allow this administration to make a nuanced and informed decision. It would appear that we have been intentionally misled by the Iranians."

[clarice]

I hate trolls.

And what Soylent says.

[Pofarmer]

Well, Narcisco.

I find it interesting that Bush can be held responsible for a Hurrican, while Barry can't be held responsible for his Cabinet picks, while on another hand and at the same time Gov. Palin can't be given credit for negotiating the Nat Gas pipeline that was stalled and killing the bridge to nowhere, which she undeniably did. So, you have a person who has a record of accomplishiment that won't be credited with it, vs a person with no accomplishments, that won't be looked at. Vexing is too kind.

[Danube of Thought]

Hell, all the O-team had to do was a Google search and they'd have found that Richardson was radioactive. Is this amateur hour, or what?

[clarice feldman]

Amateur hour's my guess,DoT. Good morning.

[MayBee]

The Obama team is very good at absolving themselves of errors.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Analien, I would just like to formally associate myself with the Messers Frank and Narciso in rejecting your language and reproving your conduct. That is not a common word here, nor, I think you'll find, an acceptable attitude. I suspect there are few things you could say that would be less likely to find agreement or that could be less effective in conveying your argument to the JOM audience.

Also, fuck you.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

It's gonna be a long four years.

[peter]

Analien, I join with my fellow JOMers in condemning your post. Having never seen the word posted here in thousands of postings is strong evidence that you are a troll. Get lost, and what Charlie said, too. (and we don't like your horse, either.)

[Daddy]

Can't see why Obama's upset with one of his Cabinet choices being "less than forthcoming." If there is anyone who's been "less than forthcoming" with the entire nation than Obama I'd love to hear about it.

And ditto all the above comments on the troll.

[Michael J. Myers]

I thought only John McCain failed to vet his choices properly. Who knew?

[Pofarmer]

If there is anyone who's been "less than forthcoming" with the entire nation than Obama I'd love to hear about it.

Ouch.

Kind of goes under the heading of "What did you expect?"

[Robert Scott]

Si Se Puede! Boston 2004 Inc

Bill's secret service protection is going to be retroactively revoked.

[narciso]

Like I said, Po, a rhetorical question, yes vexing isn't the world I'd use to describe,
heck, the world I'd used is not to be deployed in polite company, as yourselves. New Orleans will likely not survive another major storm, even if the levees are rebuilt to Category 3 levels. So, Daddy, what are the prospects at this point of the AGIA pipeline completed and gas flowing anytime in the near future .Charlie, they can drive even a serene Buddhist like yourself to distraction. It is going to be a long four years

[narciso]

Yet another example of people, I've come to loath, these last four monthes even though I never knew them before, is this fellow Conor Friesdorf, who blogs at this boutique neo-con less scrubbed Culture 11, and aparently something called the Confabulum, He takes a slightly snarky comment by RS McCain, about the total uselessness of journalism school to blogging or anything else; and throws a needless dig at our Sarah, inferring some dark doing we didn't know about; while trolling for a link on that very basis. Of course, he finds a commenter who agrees with the point of his dig.

On kind of a policy question, Obama's 300 billion dollar tax cut, is to be applauded
in the middle of a ginormous deficit, but
the relatively modest first 140 billion dollar Bush tax cut, which was partially
retroactive, was the worse thing in human
history. Not that matters or anything.

[Enlightened]

Morning All!

Just a small comment about the leftwing alien astroturfer that dropped a steaming pile of leftthink:

Redstate reports that the Team Sarah website is being attacked by similar trolls with an amazingly similar mindset.

There is perhaps a concerted effort amongst the astroturfers to carpet bomb all conservative sites with like-minded (or I mean lack-of-minded) assaults -

Just keep an eye out in your comments if you are a blog proprietor for sock puppetry along these racist lines -

http://www.redstate.com/freedomist/2009/01/02/liberal-conspiracy-to-frame-and-defame-teamsarah-busted/

[kim]

Inelegant use of the race card may be the last trump left in the hand.
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[kim]

Pofarmer, check out Pielke Pere at climatesci.org re: animal emissions.
===============================

[narciso]

I read about that, that's why I responded as quickly as possible. They not only mean to exalt 'the One' to delusions of good hood, but they have to soil everything in their path. That poor CNN hatchet job, along with the similar track of the AD News is typical of the genre. We all have have well grounded although I grant you,sometimes
elliptical criticisms of the upcoming administration and it's allies, but certain standards must be observed. He probably didn't think we'd denounce him that quickly.

[cathyf]

Charlie, they can drive even a serene Buddhist like yourself to distraction.

Oh, if anyone can say "fuck you" with Buddhist serenity I expect it would be our chaco ;-)

[Stephanie]

changes to House Rules this week that would bar Republicans from offering alternative bills, amendments to Democrat bills or even the guarantee of open debate accessible by motions to recommit for any piece of legislation during the entire 111th Congress.

See no evil

More appropos than you think...

The Dems are evidently into masterbatory parliamentary rules, and I'm kinda glad that the Reps won't have to even bother with the appearance of a reach around... Not sure what McCain, Specter and a few others will do, but I can guess...

As for the electorate, those switchboards and email addys on the congressional websites are sure to disappear. Wouldn't want the proles to interfere in the love-in...

LUN

[kim]

Feel the love, er, I mean, the grip.
=====================

[kim]

I don't call her Harpelosi for nuttin'.
======================

[clarice feldman]

I suppose the Reps could refuse to show up and deny the Dems a quorum for doing business.

[narciso]

Well, maybe as Morgan Freeberg, suggests, we need the full impact of the hangover, to getus not to take 'the hair of the dog' ever again. Not that some people won't pay
attention and make the same mistake, over and over again. 'the definition of insanity'.

[cathyf]

The quorum is a simple majority, which the democrats have on their own.

Although if there was wholesale republican boycotts for some good reason, then the blue dogs would face some pretty serious pressure. Of course, given the effectiveness of MSM propaganda (remember when Clinton shut down the government? what? you thought it was Newt that shut down the government? q.e.d.) it's not clear that people would have the necessary clues to provide pressure for their blue dogs...

[Stephanie]

Not that some people won't pay
attention and make the same mistake, over and over again. 'the definition of insanity'.

Masterbatory impulses are the root-causes of liberal looniness... got it!

[Stephanie]

cathyf... maybe a sick out lasting as long as necessary... Union tactics may have some benefit, yet.

There's more than one way to break management's grasp. Viva la Revolution!

[clarice feldman]

Gosh, i really hate numerates.

The advantage of this would be that except for entering the floor one at a time or so to speechify, it might make it clear that the Reps have absolutely no say in anything Congress is doing and why.

[matt]

move along, nothing to see here.....until the next crack in the facade.....

[Pofarmer]

Wasn't it the Dim's who were constantly whining about being stampeded by the majority?????

Asshats.

[bgates]

I hate trolls.

And what Soylent says.

Geez. I don't hate what Soylent says at all.

The comment at 9:06 of course has no place here.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Pofarmer, check out Pielke Pere at climatesci.org re: animal emissions.

You know, I'm not sure if that's really animal emissions, or just someone calling "bullshit".

Oh, if anyone can say "fuck you" with Buddhist serenity I expect it would be our chaco ;-)

Sometimes it's just the only rational response.

[narciso]

New appointees at Main justice, real change baby; a former Janet Reno Chief of Staff, Wilmer Cutler partner,(that's Gorelick's firm)
one of those Civil Rights Division heads banished by the Bushes, as Assistant Atty General, another critic of executive power at OLC; also a new face (Got it from Change.gov
so you didn't have to go there)

[narciso]

Turns out they have less editorial commentary than the net roots interpreters; for what it's worth. But I can read between the lines.

[kim]

Yes, Pielke Senior has been on a tear about media misrepresentation of climate science. He's big on the reality of man-made microclimate changes, profoundly skeptical of the exaggeration of the role of CO2.
=============================

[glasater]

It's been announced and speculated that Meg Whitman after stepping down from a seat on the board of Proctor and Gamble may run for governor of California.
Can't find a link to confirm this but CNBC is running with this.

[kim]

Well, she sounds ambitious.
=================

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Good morning everyone. Clarice, at the end of the marathon New Year's thread you said: "no one buys or uses fine china anymore." How sad, if true.

I use mine several times a year. I have my own wedding present 12 place setting that is now 40 years old, but I treasure even more the 12 place setting that was my GreatGrandmother's and is 137 years old.

I lost my large platter to breakage in a move and finding the pattern and replacing that platter cost almost as much as the entire set cost when it was new, so that may be why no one is buying anymore. But my GGrandmother's set has survived its long life with the the only loss 2 cups. I'm happy to know that my d-i-l loves to find excuses to set a formal table and make use of the china. Also, each set had 12 crystal stemmed water goblets, of which 2 have been lost to breakage, unfortunately both from my GGrandmother's set. Crystal needs to be used and washed to keep it from getting brittle, so even if I haven't used the stemware, I run it through the dishwasher a few times a year just to keep it healthy.

I think it is a memory from childhood of helping my Mom get the table ready for big holiday meals that gives me such pleasure to set my own. This Summer, the 7 year old granddaughter helped me do the same and she is still talking about how grown up she is now because Grandma let her handle the "hairylooms."

[Charlie (Colorado)]

You know, I should arrange to interview Roger pere. He's right up the hill from me.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Has anyone bothered to brief pasty-faced Reid in the past 4 years? He still thinks the war in Iraq is lost, even though we've handed over sovereignty of the Green Zone, Anbar, Fallujah, and most of the rest of the country. He still thinks Iraq is embroiled in a civil war and seems not to know that there were 6 times as many murders in the US than in Iraq and more in Chicago than in Iraq.

How does someone as dumb as Harry Reid get elected? I would say he is "stuck on stupid," except that truth be told, I don't think he has any other gear but stupid.

Video">http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/01/disgusting-harry-reid-says-iraq-war-is.html&feature=player_embedded">Video

Enemy attacks today are at an all-time low.
US fatalities and injuries are also at all-time lows.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Leon Panetta picked as Obama's CIA chief.

[richard mcenroe]

If steering is a crime, Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi need to be publicly executed on the Capitol steps...

[BobS]

More fodder for the blogosphere: 1.Richardson;
2. the Richardson not being forthcoming angle;
3. the Richardson response;
4. the possible lefty loon replacement for Richardson;
5.the inevitable parallel to Clinton era Commerece Dept scandals. Hoper we don't have a plane crash again

[Fithian]

bad: "I blame the 67 question form."

I blame the staffers who filled it out for him.

[kim]

Father Roger makes his brain easy to pick; I just read the bolded comments at the end of each review. He's always germane.

climatesci.org
=======================================

[kim]

Sebelius claims no interest in the Commerce position, but she may take it to avoid a rematch of a fight over two coal plants in Kansas that she just barely won last year. It's now colder, and western Kansas and Colorado even more in need of the power and the jobs. She'd get some sympathy from his picks for energy and climate. Mind you, I'm not predicting she'll take Commerce, she has claimed that the budget crisis in Kansas is more important, but she'd be a more sanitary replacement and also one with old Democratic ties, her father was Governor of Ohio.
=======================================

[kim]

And she was an early Obama supporter. It's all been denied but I think she was disappointed first by not being picked for Veep, and secondly, by being passed over in the Cabinet. If she goes, she's the sadder budweiser girl.
=========================

[clarice feldman]

If Sebelius had really wanted a job she should've attacked him---worked for Hillary..

[Pofarmer]

she has claimed that the budget crisis in Kansas is more important,

Well, considering that she's helped CREATE it..............

[PD]

Wasn't it the Dim's who were constantly whining about being stampeded by the majority?????

Indeed. I seem to remember Reid and Pelosi trying to use the word "balance" in such a way as to imply that our separation of powers (which is between branches of government) was a principle of balance, and thus should apply within congress.

Making stuff up out of whole cloth, as usual.

[BobS]

Betsy's Page and AmSpec have something about how Richardson's problem may also be Ed Rendell's. the firm in Question, CDR, has numerous reaches into Florida and (surprise) Illinois.

[Donald]

What happened to that alien creature?

[Daddy]

Charlie,

You're in good company with the F U comment. Dick Cheney did it also, and both times you guys did it it was absolutely appropriate.

Narciso,

Again have been gone from home for 2 weeks and am honestly no expert on when oil or natural gas will flow, but I will try to pay more attention to local folks who do know. My uninformed, pessimistic opinion to your question of when will new oil and natural gas start flowing is unfortunately no time soon. Hope I'm wrong, but here's why I currently think that.

As was mentioned in that recent ADN artical that JMH linked to a few days back, its now turned into a political battle between the State and Big Oil. The State seems to be trying to legally cancel the leases currently held by the Big Oil companies. They are trying to justify that by saying that Big Oil failed to exercise those leases to drill in a timely manner, thus abrogating their right to have those leases. The State then would be able to award those leases to other as yet unspecified entities that would then expeditiously commence drilling. Big Oil counters that that argument is BS, that they still legally hold the leases, and that the State is currently preventing Big Oil from exercising those drilling leases by the legalistic courtroom grandstanding we read about last week. Big Oil obviously has the legal assets and cash available to fight this stuff tooth and nail, and since 1 of every 3 jobs in the state is collaterally tied in to the oil industry, they also have support from tons of politicians and radio hosts etc, who are always eager to say that only Big Oil has the expertise and equipment etc to successfully do the drilling, and that these un-named entities the State seems to be considering as viable alternatives is simply naivity and Anti-Big Oil Syndrome run amuck. Part of Exxon's political posturing move in this latest wrangling, is that if State Resources Commissioner Tom Irwin doesn't approve their current permit request for Point Thompson and the Ice road, then any hope of drilling Point Thompson this year will be lost and the responsibility for that loss of jobs and potential oil flow can be directly blamed on the Palin Administration. If Big Oil quickly wins this current Courtroom round, then I think EXXON actually will public hustle up work at Point Thompson, as that would be good publicity for them, and would be the quickest situation in which we would probably see any new oil flowing. On the other hand, if Big Oil does in fact legally lose those leases, I don't believe they will simply go quietly into the night without at least mulling over how to possibly make the job of their replacements go not so swimmingly. This is also why Big Oil conservatives continue to pound on any perceived miscues by Sarah, as it is a way to effectively continue to paint her as 'out of her league' in this whole AGIA Pipeline Business, in the long range hopes of getting an Administration friendlier to Big Oil back in control. That's my uneducated current opinion from long distance, so take it with a big grain of salt.

And on the "pound on Sarah front", if you're in a bad mood, please don't click on ADN.com for the Dan Fagan Sunday Oped hammering her for supposedly pulling nepotism strings so that her supposedly unqualified soon to be son in law, Levi leap-frogged over qualified others to get a coveted apprentice oil job on the North Slope. Please don't, unless you've had a stiff drink. Fagan you'll recall is the Big-Oil Conservative Talk Show host who hammers her 3 hours a day, Monday to Friday, on the most popular Talk Show in the State, so that even though he writes somewhat like a duffis, his influence is larger than one would expect. Already within about 48 hours, as todays ADN story updates, Levi has quit that apprenticeship due to the negative publicity and decided to go back to High School, all on the same front page with Pix of his mom in the court docket arraigned for illegal Drug Charges. I'd suggest a Double Shot of Balvenie Single Malt, 12 years, neat.

[kim]

A round for all, Levi, his Mom, his M-i-L, and us.
===============================

[kim]

The funny thing is, that Sarah and big energy companies are natural allies in the big picture and the long run.
=========================

[narciso]

You know Daddy, I'm beginning to feel why people hate Big Oil. Exxon, the company that made the most profit last year, who twenty years ago, soiled the state, who forty years created the spill that sparked the modern environmental movement; they think they will get a hearing in any court in the land. Do they not get that the tide is not with them, that Obama's as likely to windfall tax and nationalize them, as let them drill anywhere. But there willing to fill up the Janjaweed's coffers, the Sauds,
probably even go back to Chavez without a blink of an eye. Maybe Tom Irwin, should force them to break their leases, how long have they had them; where did he come from.
So Dan Fagan, a supposed conservative was the [email protected]#$#@^& who slammed Sarah and Levi in the AD News. I though stupidity like that was only available in warmer climes, well I guess I wrong. To use a kid, well a young man, as part of your vendetta; well that's just wrong.

[narciso]

It looks like they left out of the article, that Levi's father is an engineer on that very same project. Surprise,Surprise, the AD
News and by extension, Dan Fagan, forgot an important detail; but their layers of fact checkers and researchers. I'd recommend that it be used as Doggy trainer and bird cage liner, but even they have standards.

[Neo]

Just saw a talking head on MSNBC saying that the Team Obama was caught off guard with Richardson because he was "already vetted by the press during the primary".

LOL

[bad]

Priceless, Neo

[kim]

I shouldn't be surprised, but isn't this new team expert at excuses? How long before the vapidity is exposed?
========================================

[bad]

The vapid exposed by the vapid? lol

[Daddy]

Narciso,

Yeah, surprising how the fact that Levi's Dad is an Engineer at the company and says that he got him the job and that Sarah had nothing to do with it got left out of the initial reporting. Well, no harm no foul, except for Levi resigning of course and Sarah being tarred and feathered once again on a national level for cronyism and nepotism, but other than that no big deal. On the good side though, this will give Levi the opportunity to finish up his last month of High School, and then he'll have as much of an Educational background as our new US Senator, Mark Begich, who got sworn in at the US Capitol today. Then maybe Levi will have enough of an educational background to work as an apprentice on an oil rig.

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, does anyone know how Mark Begich, son of deceased former Democratic Representative Nick Begich, got his job as a driver for Democratic Alaskan Governor Tony Knowles? That he was Knowles driver was reported on one of the local talk shows awhile back, so I don't want to go too far out on a limb here completely believing it, but if its true, I'm sure it wasn't a result of nepotism or cronyism, but I'm sort of at a loss for what sort of ism it just might be.

[kim]

Not cubism....mebbe cabism?
==================

[kim]

Two of my favorite bumperstickers: 'Please don't tell my folks I work in the oil patch; they think I'm a piano player in a whorehouse', and on the back of a big fat Buick in Oklahoma: 'If you don't have an oil well, get one'.
========================================

[kim]

That last one might be a good sticker for Palin in '12, narciso.
======================================

[Daddy]

"Cabism."

That's great Kim, I vote for that.

[kim]

My favorite cabbie reference lately was the Chicago dispatcher when quizzed by a reporter about the 'Chicago Way' who responded with "Is that a street or a business?"
===================================

[narciso]

You know, Daddy since ASRC is an Exxon/Conoco project, maybe this was their way of getting back at her, using Fagan and the AD News as cover