Bill Richardson hides behind tree, doesn't wanna be Commerce Secretary

So the Obama Transition has hit a bumpy patch. THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION IN AMERICA, Commerce Secretary, will need a new Caesar. Bill Richardson, last seen in the middle of a Asian/Latino streetfight over his nomination, will abdicate his throne at Versailles and return to the swamps of New Mexico. The reason? Some minor investigation into a transportation contract that he'll be exonerated for in a few months.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson abandoned his nomination to become commerce secretary under pressure of a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors _ an investigation that threatened to embarrass President-elect Barack Obama.

Richardson insisted he would be cleared in the investigation and Obama stood by the governor as an "outstanding public servant." But both men said it has become clear that a grand jury probe would not be finished in time for Richardson's confirmation hearings and could keep him from filling the post in a timely matter.

Richardson's withdrawal was the first disruption of Obama's Cabinet process and the second "pay-to-play" investigation that has touched Obama's transition to the presidency. The president-elect has remained above the fray in both the case of arrested Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the New Mexico case.

Well done HuffPo, way to bring up Blagojevich as if Obama has been connected to him in any way. But really, that's why Richardson is out? An investigation that will be happening while he gets confirmed? Really? What'd he really do? Murder a kid he was molesting? Sell our precious commerce secrets? Start nuclear testing at Alamogordo again? A Larry Craig-esque gay sex bathroom Riverdance? Perhaps this is all the result of when he grew that beard and went all evil-Spock on the country.

So we are down a public servant and Obama is shamed on the national stage and may have irrevocably damaged his Presidency and thus the country with this misstep. As the nation tries to move on and heal from this revelation of withdrawaling, we look to our next Commerce Secretary, appointed by God to rule over us, to show us the way. Possible appointments? I don't know.........some minority or woman that they need to use to shore up some ethnic vulnerability in some support group that didn't get gladhanded enough post-election. Maybe a gay/minority two-fer. It is an important position after all.