Irony Bites Bill Richardson's Butt

by Deb Cupples |  Sometimes, we have to wait a long time to see comeuppance.  Not so in the case of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.  In a piece entitled The Man Obama Double-Crossed,  The Daily Beast Reports:

"...[I]n a humiliating and historically ironic slight to the man who had helped Obama win the Iowa caucuses and then the primary election, Obama passed over Richardson for State in favor of their mutual nemesis, Hillary Clinton. Still reeling from what he considered a double cross—Richardson told confidants he had been promised secretary of State—he gamely accepted the consolation prize, secretary of Commerce."

Mr. Richardson's associates should stop whining and think back a year ago, when Mr. Richardson -- himself -- engaged in a bit of double-crossing.

During the Democratic presidential primaries, both Hillary Clinton and now-President Obama sought Richardson's endorsement.  In March 2008, Mr. Richardson endorsed Obama. 

While the Clinton campaign graciously refrained from making a big deal about the endorsement, there was certainly cause for hurt feelings.  Mr. Richardson had been a personal friend of Hillary and Bill Clinton -- long before 2008, the year that Mr. Richardson chose to become the Clinton's "nemisis" (as the Daily Beat put it).

Beyond personal friendship, Mr. Richardson's career received big boosts from President Clinton, who had made Mr. Richardson both an Energy Secretary and ambassador to the United Nations. 

The prominence that Mr. Richardson gained, courtesy of Bill Clinton, likely played a part in Mr. Richardson's ultimately becoming governor of New Mexico.

It wasn't just the Clintons to whom Gov. Richardson showed disloyalty.  Though Hillary Clinton won New Mexico's primary, Mr. Richardson disloyally disregarded a plurality of his state's Democratic voters by endorsing Obama.

Back to the more recent past, the fact is that Mr. Richardson botched his own chances for playing any part in the Obama administration by doing (shady) things that rendered him a target in a federal corruption-investigation.

Mr. Richardson certainly is in a position to recognize the rough-and-tumble political arena in which he's been playing all these years.  He should graciously (i.e., quietly) accept disloyalty as a natural and prevalent force.

Memeorandum has commentary.

Other Buck Naked Politics Posts:

* Why are Republicans Attacking Alan Grayson?

* Gov. Palin Flip-Flops on Earmarks Again

* Securities Lawyer Guilty of Stock Manipulation

* Taxes: Media Manipulate People To Speak Against Their Own Interests

* Real Bonuses Based on Fake Profits

* Hersh Says Cheney Ran an Executive Assassination Ring

* Ex Senate Staffer Guilty of Selling Influence

* Jon Stewart on Jim Cramer

* Republican Party: Limbaugh or Limbo

* Report: How Lobbyists & Politicians Caused Financial Meltdown

.