practice not perfection

Richardson, Obama teams trade blame Camps exchange comments over disclosure of information about probe

WASHINGTON - Weeks before President-elect Barack Obama chose New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to head the Commerce Department, a small group of volunteers with ethics, tax and investigative expertise — most of them lawyers — scoured his background looking for embarrassing facts or political problems.

But the team underestimated a potential time bomb — a grand jury investigation that had been focusing on Richardson's gubernatorial office. The investigation had been widely reported, but Richardson seemed convinced that the probe, which involved a campaign donor, was not likely to thwart his Senate confirmation.

Yesterday, however, Richardson abruptly withdrew from consideration. In the preceding weeks, the extent to which he had underestimated the seriousness of the FBI investigation became obvious both to Obama's vetting team and to Richardson's own staff

Sources within the transition and the Justice Department said that Richardson had played down the importance of the probe and did not reveal that his office and staff could be at risk. The seriousness of the matter became apparent after the FBI began its own background check on Dec. 2. But Richardson's longtime aides defended his disclosures, noting that subjects under examination by a grand jury are rarely aware of its secret deliberations.

"This was out there, and he told them," said a senior Richardson aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation. "I feel that they just missed the boat on it. The FBI or the campaign or something. I don't think it's fair that this is being portrayed as him holding anything back."

Yesterday, Richardson hired a prominent white-collar lawyer to represent him in the investigation, which centers on a California financial services firm that won a lucrative contract from the New Mexico Finance Authority after donating to political committees linked to the governor.

Richardson 'disappointed'
In a brief news conference yesterday in Santa Fe, the governor declined to comment on the ongoing probe.

"As you might expect, I'm disappointed in the turn of events," Richardson said. "There were a lot of ways in which I thought I could help this country in a time of financial crisis. Sometimes your own dreams and plans must take a back seat to what is best for the nation."

A Richardson aide said the governor did "nothing wrong" and noted that New Mexico news outlets had reported on the federal grand jury probe starting in August, when officials at the Finance Authority were first interviewed by the FBI about the agency's selection of CDR Financial and its president, David Rubin, a Richardson donor.

But a source with the Obama transition said Richardson's disclosures to the team were incomplete.

A Justice Department source also said Richardson neglected to mention the ongoing investigation on a background-check questionnaire.

FBI agents assigned to comb his background learned independently that an inquiry was underway in New Mexico, the source said. Staff members in the deputy attorney general's office relayed the existence of a "significant" probe — but no details of the investigation — to senior members of the transition team.

Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney declined to comment yesterday on the probe, or on any conversations that may have occurred between the department and the transition team.

Obama's aides also declined to comment yesterday. Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs defended the process, saying: "The totality of our Cabinet picks, it's impressive, and I think our vetters have done a good job."

In New Mexico, the probe of CDR Financial evolved from a larger, nationwide investigation into allegations that investment firms were giving bribes and gifts to local officials to win lucrative work advising local governments on bonds.

The FBI became interested in the New Mexico finance agency, legal sources said, because CDR and its founder had donated $100,000 to two political action committees headed by the governor. The donations, in 2003 and 2004, were made near the time that the authority awarded two contracts to CDR.

In bidding for the first contract, state records show, CDR was not ranked as the most qualified firm to do the work. But the staff for the authority recommended splitting the work and awarding CDR a portion of it. The authority's executive director at the time of that recommendation was David Harris, the governor's former deputy chief of staff, who had gotten the job with Richardson's help.

Steve Flance, board chairman of the Finance Authority, said yesterday that he was interviewed by the FBI in August along with other board members, and that his office has provided numerous boxes of transactions to help federal investigators. He said he does not think the probe will find any wrongdoing by the governor or by state officials.

"I realize the FBI may have other information I am not aware of," Flance said. "But I believe in the end that it will be determined there has been no criminal activity by anyone in the state."

The investigation into CDR was not limited to New Mexico. Authorities have investigated the firm's actions and gifts to public officials in Charlotte; Philadelphia; Jefferson County, Ala.; and Florida.

CDR attorney Richard Beckler said the company has not been charged in any of these cases and has worked to cooperate with government investigations. He said the company has also helped local governments make millions of dollars in investments.

"CDR has always abided by the law and complied with these rules," he said. "There's no direct pay-to-play quid pro quo in any of this."

Pendleton James, who led the vetting process for President Ronald Reagan's nominees, called the situation "astounding." "Come on, they just found this out yesterday?" he asked. "If this was some misdemeanor, I could understand, but . . . a grand jury investigation anywhere near a sitting governor?"

ANYONE REMEBER THIS LINE FROM THE PAST " I DID NOT HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH THAT WOMAN"(William Jefferson Clinton also dubbed the first black president)...........

HERE WE GO AGAIN......"SLICK WILLIE 2 : THE REAL BLACK PRESIDENT."

The last paragraph in this story pretty much sums this all up....HOW COULD THEY NOT KNOW, AND WHY THE HELL PUT TAINTED GOODS IN OFFICE ANYWAY WHEN YOUR PREACHING CHANGE!!!!

"In California, where lawmakers have taken steps to cut a $16 billion budget deficit in half by summer, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed saving $400 million by releasing more than 22,000 inmates who had less than 20 months remaining on their sentences. Violent and sex offenders would not be eligible."....Foxnews.com

Hey Auuunold.....here is a novel idea....why dont fire and flush your city toilets, and send back your biggest drain on the budget the river swimmers and border jumpers....YEA the illegal Messicans and the slant eye brethren that sail in under cover of darkenss...and free up BILLIONS.......ITS BEEN GOING ON IN CALI SINCE THE 70'S. And ya might want to remind the idiot tree huggers and gronola munchers to STOP MOVING INTO FIRE ZONES??? Might save ya few bucks there to bubba. STOP CATERING TO THE HOMOSEXUALS TOO...MIGHT MAKE A FEW MORE DOLLARS.....What are the going to do, have a class action move out of state? ROFLMAO.....Invite all the liberals and dems out to a massive state luncheon in the middle of the Pacific on a giganctic boat so all the conservatives can have some long range skiit shot practice....(purposely mis spelled...word filters and such.)

Hell, these ideas are practical, doable, and hell, just might get ya re elected...dont be another Gov. Brown...74-78 I believe it was.

Number crunchers and math geeks....here is the tally....Some will say HOLY COW....But remember these numbers...(the relevant ones) and see if they dont triple or quadruple under a democrat and liberal congress and president....in 4 yrs...there will be shock and depressing awe....the surplus will be nill....which by the way was only there because a panty waist prior shut down bases, and weakened a country....then BAM ....an attack of historical magnitude....on US soil...the deficit will be so out of control, and not necessarily because of the war in what will be Afghanistan to start....then our own country there after...the rest will be powered by unpopular doomed to fail "federal programs" and pocket linings of congressional democrat members....and the rest I leave up to destiny....Mid terms will be shock and awe as well when the democrat congress is overthrown, and whomever comes in and has to clean it up....poor saps....

The Bush Years: By the Numbers

62, president's age.

2, number of children, twin daughters Jenna and Barbara.

3, the number of pets Bush has at the White House, two dogs and a cat.

41, number president of his father, George Herbert Walker Bush.

537, the number of votes that decided Florida in the 2000 election.

*2, the number of Supreme Court justices appointed by Bush.

(conservative

2, number of wars started during the Bush presidency _ in Iraq (all but won) and Afghanistan.

$1.47, the price of a gallon of regular gas in the week of Jan 22, 2001.

$4.11, the highest price for a gallon of regular gas during Bush's presidency, in the week of July 7, 2008. (blame Bush if you want...this is trickle down from the collapse caused by Dems.) OPEC has a hand in this as well.

$230 billion, the approximate size of the federal budget surplus for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2000.( (Let us not over look the 3 trillion in debt to China caused by Billy boy)

**$454.8 billion, the size of the federal budget deficit for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2008.

10,581.90, the Dow Jones industrial average at market opening on Jan. 22, 2001.

?8,824.34, the Dow Jones industrial average at market closing on Dec. 17, 2008.

2,759.10, the opening of the NASDAQ composite index on Jan. 22, 2001.

?1,579.31, the closing of the NASDAQ composite index on Dec. 17, 2008.

4.0, the annual average unemployment rate in 2000.

*4.6, the annual average unemployment rate in 2007. (currently at 6.7%...thanks dems and Barney the ferry Frank.)

171.4, the Consumer Price Index for food and beverages in January 2001.

*218.752, the CPI for food and beverages in November 2008.

*4,209, members of the military who have died in the Iraq war since it began, as of Dec. 16, 2008.

1,583, number of acres on Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas.

$2.1 million, the price of a house in Dallas believed to be purchased on behalf of the Bush family. (In consideration of what others have done in the past, that price is peanuts) not to mention there are idiot plow toy players and fans alike that have spent far more.)

 A SIMPLE REMINDER...75-80% OF THE COUNTRY DID NOT VOTE FOR THIS PRESIDENT ELECT....HE WON BECAUSE THE MEDIA WONT TELL YOU THAT ONLY THE METROPOLITAN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. THAT IS WHERE OR SUPPOSED ELECTORAL COLLEGES ARE BASED...THE METROPOLITANS....THEY ARE THE ONES THAT DECIDE WHERE YOU CAN AND CAN NOT SMOKE. WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN NOT SAY IN PUBLIC OR ON T.V. WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN NOT DO WITH YOUR MONEY. TX VOTED 80% REPUBLICAN....THAT LITTLE BLUE SPOT IN NORT TX IS DALLAS.

   REPUBLICANS WON TX. BUT IF YOU LOOK REAL CLOSE AT THE STATES THAT WERE BLUE ON THE ELECTORAL MAP (YOU'LL HAVE TO LOOK THAT ONE UP ON A NEWS SITE)  AND LOOK AT THE STATES ON THE TRUE VOTERS MAP BY COUNTYS SHOWN ABOVE...YOU WILL SEE A SHARP CONTRAST IN WHO VOTED WHAT AN WHAT GOT VOTED IN....DEMS HAVE NOTHING TO BRAG ABOUT, NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF, AND NOTHING TO BLOW THEIR HORNS ABOUT....THEY SIMPLY BOUGHT THE ELECTION, AND ARE DAMN POMPASSLY INTRIGUED AT HOW STUPID OUR SOCIETY IS FOR BELIEVING MASS MEDIA...

   WHEN INNAUGERATION COMES IN LESS THAN 17 DAYS FROM NOW...IT WILL BE A VICTORY FOR WHAT IS WRONG, AND NOT FOR THE COUNTRY....THE COUNTRY LOST. NOT REPUBLICANS, OR CONSERVATIVES....THE COUNTRY....OBAMA IS A PUPPET AND A DELAYED REACTION TARGET...THEY WILL TURN ON HIM AT THE RIGHT MOMENT AND PUMMEL HIM....WATCH FOR IT.

In one of the greatest games of all time, Texas came back from down 12 in the final 6:42 as Vince Young ran for a 17-yard score with 4:03 to play, the defense held USC's LenDale White on fourth down, and then Young led the offense on a 10-play, 56-yard drive culminating in an eight-yard touchdown run on fourth down for the win. Young ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns, but the Trojan rushing attack was equal to the task with 209 yards, led by White's 124 yards and three scores. The Trojans appeared to have it won after Reggie Bush dove for a 26-yard touchdown and Dwayne Jarrett caught a 22-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, but Young proved to be too much to stop. USC cranked out 574 yards of total offense, Texas 556. Player of the Game: Texas QB Vince Young completed 30 of 40 passes for 267 yards and ran 19 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

Harry How - Getty Images

TAKE A GOOD LOOK PLOW TOY PLAYERS........THIS IS WHAT REAL HEART AND GRIT IS ALL ABOUT.....