Bill Richardson Steps Back from Commerce Role

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) withdrew his nomination as President-Elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary today, attributing it to a desire to avoid letting a corruption investigation interfere with the launch of the new administration.

The fact that the corruption charges were no out-of-the-blue occurrence did not go unnoticed by some.

Richardson, who spoke at The Commonwealth Club June 12, 2007, during his short-lived presidential campaign [listen to audio of his program or watch video], was reportedly "stunned" by the Obama camp's move to have him withdraw, according to CNN. Apparently, the ongoing farce occurring in Illinois state government, with the arrest and impending doom of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has made the incoming president's team quick to pull the trigger to do away with unwanted ethics problems.