My first favorite.
Humiliated by scandal and mocked by Leno in his presence....
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18741.htmlBill Richardson tarnished by scandal
By ANDY BARR | 2/12/09 4:50 AM EST
Richardson has gone from being on the shortlist for secretary of state to late-night punch line.
Photo: AP
Over the span of just three months, Bill Richardson has gone from being on the shortlist for secretary of state to late-night punch line, a breathtaking descent that has tarnished his once-sparkling career.
Since withdrawing as the nominee for secretary of commerce in early January amid questions surrounding a federal grand jury investigation, New Mexico’s Democratic governor has seen his political fortunes crater. Once unmatched in his power and popularity in Santa Fe, Richardson’s grip on state politics has been weakened by the whiff of scandal, and home state opponents have been emboldened by his plummeting approval ratings — numbers that have dropped below 50 percent, according to a recent SurveyUSA poll.
“He’s had a pretty rough go of it since he withdrew,” said Timothy Jennings, a Democrat and New Mexico’s Senate president pro tempore. “His popularity has really declined in the state.”
The heart of the problem is a federal investigation into an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving Richardson’s political action committee, Moving America Forward.
A grand jury in New Mexico is currently investigating whether the financial services company CDR funneled more than $100,000 in campaign contributions to Richardson’s PAC in order to win state bond and construction finance projects. Several other financial firms and banks, including UBS, are also accused of contributing to the PAC in order to gain contracts.
Richardson’s office has been subpoenaed to hand over correspondence with the Democratic Governors’ Association, which received contributions from UBS during Richardson’s time as DGA chairman that alone total more than $400,000. More at link....
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“Tonight Show” host Jay Leno also got in on the act during a Feb. 7 stop at the Buffalo Thunder casino in Santa Fe. According to a report on the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper’s political blog — and independently confirmed to Politico by a member of the audience — Richardson was in attendance when Leno began asking audience members what they do for a living.
When one audience member said he was an investigator, Leno responded: “Better watch out, the governor is here.” Following Leno’s retort, the audience began chanting, “Guilty, guilty.”
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