January 5th 2009
Doesn’t Palin’s Vetting Look Good Today?
Oh, how they carped! Oh, how they pundited! With barely concealed guffaws, the FOOs (Forces of Obama) lambasted the McCain campaign for its vetting of Sarah Palin when troopergate charges surfaced against her. “How could the Republicans be so bleeping stupid” was the tone of their critique.
Today, these same FOOs have to deal with this:
Barack Obama’s transition team pressed Bill Richardson about a federal probe into “pay-to-play” allegations against his office – the same investigation Richardson cited Sunday in withdrawing his name as commerce secretary.
But a Democratic source said Obama’s questioners came away empty handed. “Those guys were pressed for information and they gave nothing,” the source said.
Now some Democrats are questioning Obama’s vetting process —- and asking whether Obama’s team went far enough in pushing the New Mexico governor for information in face of the federal grand jury probe that has been public since August. (Politico)
Obama mouthpiece Robert Gibbs used the one-out-of-twelve defense, saying “the totality” of the FOOs picks were “impressive.” With Eric Holder facing tough hearings for AG and Richardson out, we’ll see how that defense stands, but it doesn’t strike me as very impressive, given the longstanding knowledge that a New Mexico grand jury was investigating CDR Financial Products’ financial dealings with the Richardson administration, and that CDR was involved in the Dec. 1 indictment of Birmgham mayor Larry Langford for soliciting $235,000 in loans, expensive clothes and jewelry from Montgomery, Alabama-based bond underwriter Blount Parrish & Co.
C-SM called this scandal on Dec. 17; Obama’s vetters should have called it much earlier.
Today, Obama goes to the Hill to outline his economic recovery program without a Sec. of Commerce designee at his side. That’s unfortunate and the blame lies in two places: Obama’s vetters and Bill Richardson, who put personal pride ahead of nation.
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