New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson yesterday withdrew his nomination to be Commerce Secretary in the Obama Administration. NBC Nightly News reported Richardson did so "in the face of a corruption investigation that threatened to delay or even derail his confirmation." To the question "was he nudged or pushed out," NBC replied that "it was more than a nudge. He was pushed." The AP similarly reports that "aides to both men insisted that Richardson made the decision to withdraw and was not pushed out by Obama," but "one Democrat involved in discussions over the matter said transition officials became increasingly nervous during the last couple of weeks that the investigation was a bigger problem than Richardson had originally indicated."
ABC World News said last night that according to "sources...officials on the Obama transition team feel...Richardson was not as forthcoming as he could have been about" the investigation into whether he "steered a state protect towards a firm run by a major financial contributor." The Politico (1/5, Martin), in a story headlined "Team Pressed Richardson, Got Nothing," says "Obama's transition team pressed...Richardson about" the Federal probe," but according to "a Democratic source...Obama's questioners came away empty-handed. 'Those guys were pressed for information and they gave nothing,' the source said."
Another story in The Politico notes "a Senate aide" said "there had been 'nervousness' within the Senate and more specifically the Senate Commerce Committee about the grand jury probe in recent weeks." The Politico also says "the announcement prompted immediate finger-pointing about the vetting process." Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports the incident "exposed the first significant flaw in the US president-elect's widely praised cabinet selection process." The New York Times also says the setback "raises questions about the thoroughness of Mr. Richardson's vetting," while on ABC World News, George Stephanopoulos called the situation "shocking," given the purportedly detailed vetting process put in place by the Obama team. He added, "actually... a Google search would have shown this investigation has been going on for some time. ... It is very surprising." The Santa Fe New Mexican, Albuquerque Journal, McClatchy, USA Today, Bloomberg News, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, AFP, The Hill, Washington Times and Roll Call, among other media outlets, run similar reports on Richardson.
FBI Agents Warned Obama Team Probe Was Serious On its front page, the Washington Post (1/5, A1, Shear, Leonnig) reports, "A legal source familiar with the investigation said yesterday that FBI agents, working on the Senate's behalf and conducting a background check of Richardson for the Commerce job, conveyed to Obama's transition team the seriousness and significance of the Albuquerque grand jury probe." Those "agents are said to have communicated that the governor's top aides -- and even Richardson's own actions -- were under scrutiny." The Wall Street Journal says "the probe appears to be heating up." Richardson "hired a personal lawyer last month, said people in New Mexico who are familiar with the situation. In mid-December, the grand jury began taking testimony from a slew of witnesses, including some officials in Mr. Richardson's administration."
Some media outlets are portraying statements yesterday by Senate Majority leader Harry Reid as offering a glimmer of light for the appointment of Ronald Burris to the US Senate. On NBC Nightly News, for example, political director Chuck Todd discussed Reid's earlier appearance on "Meet the Press," saying that the Majority Leader "seemed to equivocate a bit [on the Burris issue]. After being very defiant on what he said the Senate Democrats would do -- keeping Burris out of the Senate -- he seemed to hint...that there was room for negotiation." It "appears that Reid said he is going to have a meeting with Burris. So, something may be afoot here. I think Senate Democrats want to save face at some point." In a story headlined "Reid Stands By Decision to Block Burris," the Washington Post also reports that while Reid "defended his right to block" the Blagojevich appointee, "he didn't close the door entirely to Burris eventually getting the job."
However, the consensus from most media analysts is that Reid didn't budge. The New York Times notes that Reid went on to say that "he would meet with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday night in hopes of a bipartisan decision regarding the appointment of Mr. Burris." And "Reid said the best route to filling Mr. Obama's vacant seat would be for Mr. Blagojevich to step down, and for Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn to be made the governor. Then, if Mr. Quinn wanted 'to appoint Burris or anyone else' to the post, 'that would be fine.'"
The Hill reports that during his appearance Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Reid suggested "that there is a chance that controversial Illinois Senate appointee Roland Burris could be seated in the upper chamber." Reid, however, said on the program, "We're going to follow all legal precedents. We think we're pretty clear in what we believe is the law...We determine who sits in the Senate, and the House determines who sits in the House. There is clearly the legal authority for us to do whatever we want to do. The AP, Roll Call and Washington Times also report Reid's comments.
Burris Vows To Fight For Seat Meanwhile, USA Today reports that "Burris said he will come to Washington today and fight to be sworn in as Barack Obama's replacement in the Senate, dismissing the idea that his appointment will cause a showdown with Democratic leaders. ... 'We cannot have the 13 million people of our state not being fully represented in that august body,' Burris told USA TODAY on Sunday. 'Illinois is in trouble. The country is in trouble. Problems are coming from every direction.'" In a story headlined "Senate Appointee in Illinois Vows to Fight On," the New York Times reports that during "a raucous sendoff at a church on" Chicago's "South Side," Burris vowed "on Sunday night to cordially but aggressively fight efforts to block him from joining the chamber when he arrives in Washington this week." The Chicago Tribune, AP, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Financial Times also report the story.
As President-elect Obama and congressional Democrats prepare an economic stimulus package, the Wall Street Journal reports that in an appeal to Republicans, they are "crafting a plan to offer about $300 billion of tax cuts to individuals and businesses." The "size of the proposed tax cuts -- which would account for about 40% of a stimulus package that could reach $775 billion over two years -- is greater than many on both sides of the aisle in Congress had anticipated," and "could pack more punch in two years than either of President George W. Bush's tax cuts did in their first two years." The Journal continues to report on specifics of the anticipated tax cut plan, the largest portion of which is a credit targeting taxpayers "who pay income taxes or who claim the earned-income credit."
Also seeing a calculated effort by Obama to recruit GOP votes, The Politico reports the "revelation is part of an intricately orchestrated roll-out of the plan that includes an appearance by Obama on Capitol Hill on Monday and a major speech about the economy later in the week." Obama strategists say "he wants to get 80 or more votes in the 100-member Senate, and the emphasis on tax cuts is a way to defuse conservative criticism and enlist Republican support." The Obama team's strategy was also reported in a front page story in the New York Times, which notes they "disclosed the scope and some details of the plans on Sunday at a time when Republicans have begun voicing criticism of what they describe as an open-checkbook approach to spending. By focusing more attention on the tax cuts in the plan, Obama aides hope to frame it as a balanced, pragmatic approach." The AP reports that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, "We certainly want to see this package passed through the House of Representatives no later than the end of this month, get it over to the Senate, and have it to the president before we break' in mid-February. AFP also reports Hoyer's comments, noting he "confirmed the size of the package would be somewhere in the range of 775 billion to a trillion dollars."
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The contentious recount for the Minnesota Senate race between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken is likely headed to court, as the state canvassing board prepares to name the candidate it believes has won the race. ABC World News reported Franken, "the well known comedian, now leads by 225 votes over incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, after a tally of absentee ballots. The loser will have seven days to file a lawsuit and that is almost certain to happen."
On NBC Nightly News, political director Chuck Todd said that for Franken's victory "to be certified, it has to be signed by the Democratic secretary of state there and the Republican governor. Both have said they are not going to sign anything until all lawsuits are done. But if Al Franken is declared the winner by the canvassing board, he, too, may show up on Tuesday here in Washington to get sworn in. Could be a lot of drama." The AP reports New York Sen. Charles Schumer said Sunday that Franken "is the clear winner in Minnesota's Senate race and should be seated as soon as possible." Sen. John Cornyn, "the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, called Schumer's comments premature and troubling, since Schumer is the new chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, which has jurisdiction over contested elections."
The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports Sen. Coleman's "chances of retaining his U.S. Senate seat now depend increasingly on his bid to count hundreds of rejected absentee ballots from mostly Republican-leaning precincts." The campaigns "were largely quiet Sunday while they awaited word from the Minnesota Supreme Court on what to do with the rejected absentee ballots." The AP reports that in "recent weeks, as Franken clung to a small lead, Coleman's lawyers promised a lawsuit over their claim that some ballots duplicated on election night wound up being counted twice in the recount."
Under the headline, "Franken Looks Like A Winner, But Not Quite A Senator," the Washington Post reports Franken likely won't "be a senator later today" because "of pending legal challenges that the incumbent's campaign thinks can sway the outcome -- the most important of which, dealing with the inclusion of 654 allegedly wrongly rejected absentee ballots (from largely pro-Coleman territory), will be decided by the Minnesota Supreme Court."
The Tennessean reports former US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist "announced Sunday afternoon that he will not run for governor of Tennessee in 2010." Frist's decision "could open the door for several announcements this week from potential gubernatorial candidates across the state. Shelby County District Attorney General Bill Gibbons made his candidacy official late Sunday night; Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and U.S. Congressman Zach Wamp (R-Chattanooga) had said they would wait until Frist's decision to make their own."
The Politico reports, "Though Democrats have held the governor's mansion for eight years and control a majority of the state's congressional seats, Republicans are optimistic about the upcoming governor's race."
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin faces a new controversy involving the family of Levi Johnston, the fiancé of her daughter, Bristol. According to McClatchy, a "Mat-Su drug investigator and the union representing Alaska State Troopers are alleging political meddling in the Sherry Johnston drug case, including a delay in serving the search warrant because of the November election." Drug investigator Kyle Young said in an email to "members of the Public Safety Employees Association" that "after it became clear who Johnston is, 'this case became anything but normal.'" Young said, "It was not allowed to progress in a normal fashion, the search warrant service WAS delayed because of the pending election and the Mat Su Drug Unit and the case officer were not the ones calling the shots."
The New York Times /AP reports Sherry Johnston "was arrested Dec. 18 on charges of selling the prescription painkiller OxyContin. But Alaska's public safety commissioner, Joseph A. Masters, and the troopers' director, Col. Audie Holloway, said the case had been handled fairly."
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Former President George H. W. Bush, asked on Fox News Sunday to comment on former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's possible Senate run, said, "I think if Jeb wants to run for the Senate from Florida, he ought to do it. And he'd be an outstanding senator." Bush added, "I'd like to see him be president some day. ... Or maybe senator. Whatever. Yes, I would. I mean, right now is probably a bad time, because we've had enough Bushes in there. ... I think he's as qualified and able as anyone I know on the political scene."
The AP notes "the senior Bush said he does not plan to offer advice to Obama and mainly wants to wish him well." AFP and The Hill, among other newspapers, also run accounts on Bush 41's remarks.
USA Today reports on the "six-way race for" the RNC chairmanship, saying the contest "has erupted into an argument over how to recover from a deeply unpopular presidency and crushing defeats at the polls." Noting that current RNC Chair Mike Duncan, South Carolina GOP Chief Katon Dawson, ex-Tennessee GOP Chairman Chip Saltsman, ex-Ohio secretary of State Ken Blackwell, ex-Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, and Michigan GOP Chief Saul Anuzis are all vying for the slot, USA Today adds, "The race spills into public view Monday with a debate sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform."
The Hill reports that RNC "members gathering this week in Washington to start selecting a new chairman...will hear from four candidates who have secured enough public endorsements to be nominated." Duncan, Dawson, Blackwell, and Anuzis "all have the backing of a majority of delegates from three states, the threshold for appearing on the ballot." The Washington Post briefly notes that the RNC chair hopefuls are slated to "square off in Washington" today "in a debate organized by Americans for Tax Reform." The Politico and the Washington Times also analyze the race.
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The late-night talk shows were all reruns last Friday.
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