First Richardson’s…
For nearly three decades, I have been honored to serve my state and our nation in Congress, at the U.N., as Secretary of Energy and as governor. So when the President-elect asked me to serve as Secretary of Commerce, I felt a duty to answer the call.I felt that duty particularly because America is [...]

MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell reports…

One thing’s for sure…you can expect the Obama team to announce a new Commerce Secretary fairly quickly so they can move past this Richardson bobble.

Some surprising news today, especially since Richardson was so often mentioned as a possible VP pick:
A Democratic official says New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama’s commerce secretary.
He cited a pending investigation into a company that has done business with his state as the reason, NBC News reported.
President-elect [...]

Looks like that endorsement paid off, but what he’s really after is Hillary’s State position.
From CNN:
Richardson, one of the leading Hispanics in the Democratic Party, had been seeking the Secretary of State post but lost out to Sen. Hillary Clinton. Obama aides have told CNN that Obama is “on track” to nominate Clinton as his [...]

Truth be told, Richardson is more qualified for the job, but having Hillary in there would be the most beneficial for an Obama administration.
And let’s face it, I’d rather have Hillary as our face to the world right now than Bill Richardson.
The details…
CNN has learned that President-elect Barack Obama spoke with New Mexico Gov. [...]

More free press for Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book that Obama is claiming will be his guide to building a robust, bi-partisan cabinet.
Here she is with David Gregory explaining Lincoln’s leadership and Obama’s intentions to stock his cabinet with campaign rivals…

First Biden. Then Hillary. And now we get word of Bill Richardson.
But who will be the [...]

I stole the pic and line from Ezra, but what about Bill?
After all, he’s got the swing state, gubernatorial experience, a demonstratable post-partisan track record and his foreign policy credentials are literally second to none in this or nearly any VP crop I can remember.
Plus, his endorsement of Obama came at a time [...]

First, the negative campaigning and “you owe us” arguments really didn’t sit well with him…There was that “3 a.m.” TV ad, in which Clinton questioned Obama’s personal mettle. “That upset me,” Richardson said.
There were some ham-fisted phone calls from Clinton backers, who questioned Richardson’s honor and suggested that the governor, who served in President Clinton’s [...]

In a column entitle Loyalty To My Country, Bill Richardson explains away Jim Carville’s ridiculous Judas comparison as exactly what it is…blind partisan nonsense.
Carville and others say that I owe President Clinton’s wife my endorsement because he gave me two jobs. Would someone who worked for Carville then owe his wife, Mary Matalin, similar loyalty [...]

So, in an interview with the New York Times James Carville referred to Bill Richardson as “Judas” for endorsing Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. Richardson has declined to stoop to Carville’s level but did comment on the Clinton campaign’s “personal venom” and “sense of entitlement.”
I’m not sure what Carville’s plan was with that remark – [...]

Oh Mark Penn, you give us some more Penn Spinâ„¢ and it is a glorious thing to behold.
From Washington Wire:
“The time that he could have been effective has long since passed,” he continued. “I don’t think it is a significant endorsement in this environment.”
Perhaps sensing that it may not be effective to dismiss out of [...]

MSNBC’s political director weighs in…

By the way, Chuck Todd has been one of the most even handed pundits I’ve seen during this campaign. He should be the model, not the exception.

After weeks of speculation, Governor Bill Richardson is endorsing Barack Obama. At this point I’m not sure any endorsements are going to significantly swing voter support one way or another. But this is very good news for Obama in terms of superdelegates as Richardson is well-respected within the party. The governor had this to say:
“I [...]

What else can one make from this remark about the March 4th contests?
Meanwhile, Bill Richardson said on Face The Nation today that it’s important for the party to unify behind a nominee soon, rather than continue to have a negative campaign that will further divide the party for the general election against John McCain.
“I just [...]

Obama needs it. Hillary wants it. Kennedy could swing it.
From Wash Post:
Richardson’s torn. He served in the Clinton White House, first as ambassador to the United Nations, then as Clinton’s Secretary of Energy. “I have a history with the Clintons,” Richardson said. “And I’ve always liked her. She always seems very genuine.” But Richardson considers [...]

Will Hillary pick up the lion’s share of his supporters because they liked Richardson experience and see her as the next best thing?
From Politico:
MERRIMACK, N.H. — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals’ star power.
Richardson [...]

He’s now at 42%
Hillary and Kucinich stayed steady at 29% and 2% respectively, while Edwards is now at 17%, down from 19%. This basically spells doom for him I think. Richardson has also lost a point, going from 5% to 6%, so I don’t know if he’s really going to want to stick around [...]

[Re-published from 2008Central.net. We will update this post on Donklephant periodically, but for the latest check out the live blog at 2008Central.net]
This evening, the Democratic presidential candidates will participate in the the ABC News/Facebook/WMUR debate in New Hampshire. The participating candidates are Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson and John Edwards.
8:41: The Republican debate has [...]

[Re-published from 2008Central.net. We will update this post on Donklephant periodically, but for the latest check out the live blog at 2008Central.net]
Tonight, the New Hampshire Democratic Party is having its annual 100 Club Dinner. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich will be delivering speeches at this event. You [...]