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Taking pictures on most pueblos has been prohibited for decades. And that has prompted Rail Runner officials to ask its riders turn off their cameras on pueblo land. The train conductor lets riders know to put their cameras away on Santo Domingo and San Felipe land. Rail Runner officials say the pueblos made that request. The Isleta and Sandia pueblos have not asked the conductor to have riders put away their cameras. "I think it goes back years and years ago when a lot of folks from other parts of the country would come in and take photos of the...

Gov. Bill Richardson unveiled his slightly-more-than-5-o'clock shadow at a news conference in Santa Fe Monday, prompting reporters to ask if the beard was back.

Funny video clip about Richardson and why he REALLY decided to stay in New Mexico.

The state's commuter train will run between Rio Grande Valley communities around Albuquerque to Santa Fe on Saturdays. The Rail Runner operated — with free fares — for three Saturdays and Sundays over the holiday period after service to Santa Fe was inaugurated Dec. 17. More than 60,000 people have boarded the train between Belen and Santa Fe since service to the capital city began, Rail Runner officials said. Voters in parts of New Mexico approved a tax in November to help fund Rail Runner operations. But that tax doesn't go into effect until July 1.

A Massachusetts-based company has sued to stop the state Department of Transportation and the Mid-Region Council of Governments from using the “Rail Runner” name, which it uses for the state-owned commuter train, and for damages related to "trademark infringement."

Gov. Bill Richardson's administration is facing another allegation of pay to play. A lawsuit unsealed in state District Court this morning alleges state taxpayers were defrauded of $90 million by a host of financial companies and two state officials. Among the defendants are State Investment Office and Educational Retirement Board officials, including Gary Bland, who was appointed by Richardson, and Bruce Malott, chairman of the ERB board. The lawsuit, filed by Frank Foy, the former chief investment officer at the ERB, alleges Bland and Malott were instructed by an unnamed "John Doe # 2" to invest in exchange for political...

Moving away from New Mexico in early 2007 was neither easy nor fun. The state calls itself “Land of Enchantment,” an apt description in many ways. The lovely city of Santa Fe had been my family’s home for about 130 years. I am among the third of four Dendahl generations born in Santa Fe and had spent most of my 68 years there. However, perhaps hearkening to the echo of Ayn Rand’s fictional hero John Galt in Atlas Shrugged, my wife and I decided to leave. New Mexico has long carried a rap for political malodor on account of corruption...

Gov. Bill Richardson and his entourage lived like VIPs in Boston back in 2004, when Democrats gathered for their national convention. High-end hotels. A big tab for an event at a pub on Canal Street. An even bigger bill with Lifestyle Transportation, which bills itself as "Boston's premier limousine service." The governor, who chaired the convention, has said his expenses were paid by the convention and the Democratic Governors Association. For others in his group, it was large living financed in part by a political committee whose biggest contributor is at the center of a federal investigation that derailed Richardson's...

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson did the right thing last week when he withdrew as President-elect Barack Obama's nominee for Commerce Secretary because of an ongoing federal investigation. Prominent members of the Democratic majority in Congress who operate under similar clouds should pay heed. Rep. Rangel is a perfect storm of embarrassment for his party. He has been charged with occupying several rent-controlled New York apartments when he was only entitled to one, taking tax breaks for residences in both Washington, D.C., and New York when he was only entitled to one, failing to report rental income from a vacation...

Nationwide Inquiry on Bids for Municipal Bonds By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH The federal investigation that prompted Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico to withdraw his nomination as commerce secretary offers a rare glimpse into a long-simmering investigation of possible bid-rigging, tax evasion and other wrongdoing throughout the municipal bond business. Three federal agencies and a loose consortium of state attorneys general have for several years been gathering evidence of what appears to be collusion among the banks and other companies that have helped state and local governments take approximately $400 billion worth of municipal notes and bonds to market each...

Governor Bill Richardson says it's all a matter of timing -- that if only the feds had wrapped up a corruption investigation into his New Mexico Administration by now, he'd be cleared and would be winging his way to Washington confident of Senate confirmation as the next Commerce Secretary. Instead, he withdrew his nomination earlier this week. And maybe he's right about timing. But we'd dial the clock back not to August, as the national media have in clucking that Barack Obama has a sloppy vetting process. Rather, go back to December 7, 2006. That's the day the Bush Justice...

The governors of New Mexico and Illinois have more in common more than just "pay-to-play" controversies over political fund-raising: they've also shared some money provided by donors. Records show that Richardson's campaign contributed $20,000 to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's political action committee, Friends of Blagojevich.~~snip~~ The contribution to Friends of Blagojevich, dated Nov. 6, 2006 — one day before the election — was reported in Dec. 2006 by Richardson's re-election campaign. Richardson won that election with nearly 70 percent of the vote. In that race he raised more than $13 million. It's not uncommon for politicians to contribute to each...

One of Gov. Bill Richardson's longtime friends and political advisers worked as a consultant for the California firm at the center a federal pay-to-play investigation that derailed the Democratic governor's appointment as commerce secretary. Federal investigators are looking at whether political contributions influenced the selection of the firm, CDR Financial Products, for lucrative bond deals in New Mexico and whether Richardson's former chief of staff, David Contarino, played a role in CDR being hired. A Denver-based firm operated by Mike Stratton, Richardson's longtime friend, was a consultant for CDR, including in 2004 when the company worked on bond deals with...

“Pay to Play” keeps getting better everyday: President-elect Barack Obama took big money from a man at the center of a federal probe that has forced one of Obama’s top Cabinet picks to withdraw. Financial records show the Obama campaign got more than $30,000 from California financier David Rubin, the target of an investigation into donations and possible “pay-to-play” deals involving New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Obama’s pick for commerce secretary. ~~~ In late September, Rubin attended an exclusive Los Angeles fundraiser for Obama, held at the Beverly Hills’ Greystone Mansion.

<p>HARRISBURG, Pa. - A campaign donor who is the target of an federal investigation that forced New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to withdraw from consideration for U.S. Commerce secretary also gave to Gov. Ed Rendell's campaigns and was a generous supporter of the Democratic Party and President-elect Barack Obama.</p>

By Mike Farquhar Watching our President-elect attempt to put together a working cabinet, it finally dawned on me what he was struggling with. He’s got no peeps! Having sprung so suddenly and so successfully onto our national – even the world stage — he’s been abruptly confronted with success he for which he is woefully unprepared. So he went on vacation. In the course of a normal politician’s life, he or she would have come up through the ranks, serving at local and state level—perhaps even in the military or in law enforcemen— before seeking national office. Then that...

Putting aside whatever involvement New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson had in an alleged "pay-to-play" scheme in his home state, his future as U.S. commerce secretary is now a casualty of an ongoing federal investigation into a company that has funded the former presidential candidate's state-level political committees. While no other incoming federal lawmaker or Cabinet member is said to be under investigation, others have certainly seen their campaign efforts propped up by the embattled company. Since 1991, California-based CDR Financial Products and its president, David Rubin, have given $279,100 in campaign contributions at the federal level alone, 95 percent to...

Los Angeles financier David Rubin - the man who cost Bill Richardson a position in the Obama Cabinet - is apparently linked to Pennsylvania Governor “Fast Eddie” Rendell. Rubin is not exactly just “a guy from the neighborhood,” either. He gave lots of money to Rendell’s campaign, and was later appointed to the governor’s transition team. Isn’t that interesting? HARRISBURG, Pa. - January 6, 2009 — A campaign donor who is the target of an federal investigation that forced New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to withdraw from consideration for U.S. Commerce secretary also gave generously to Gov. Ed Rendell’s campaigns....

A businessman who is entangled in the grand jury inquiry into possible "pay-to-play" schemes in the New Mexico government has also contributed heavily to Democrats, including Barack Obama. Rubin and his company donated $100,000 in 2003-2004 to the political committees of Richardson. The contributions came both before and after Rubin's company won a state contract in New Mexico to help finance $1.4 billion for highway and transportation projects, a contract that brought $1.5 million in business for the company, CDR Financial Products.

Richardson on Sunday took his name out of consideration, saying an ongoing federal investigation could cause an "untenable delay in the confirmation process." A federal grand jury in Albuquerque reportedly is looking into a possible "pay-to-play" connection between a Beverly Hills financial company's large contributions to Richardson political action committees and nearly $1.5 million the company received for work on a state construction program... The governor at a news conference Monday explained his decision a little more, saying "the ongoing investigation would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process... ~~snip~~The governor denied any wrongdoing ..." "As you might...

The Clinton scandals started very early in his administration, but not before there was an administration. Obama's fundraising was completely corrupt, with funds taken in from overseas and from fictitious donors like "Good Will." Once these probes get rolling, not only will Bill Richardson have some explaining to do, the Messiah may have to tell the American people exactly what he knew and when he knew about his own crooked fundraising scheme.

In its opening half-hour, Good Morning America told us--twice--that Pres.-elect Obama choked up with emotion as he was packing up his old house. But somehow ABC couldn't find time to mention that a possible pay-to-play scheme was behind Bill Richardson's bye-bye as Commerce Secretary nominee. After the show-opening roll in which the president elect was shown heading to DC, Robin Roberts literally bounced in her co-anchor's chair: "so excited, so excited, so excited . . . It's a new day, new year, new everything going on." Added Diane Sawyer helpfully: "And a president-elect." "Yes," concurred Robin, as if it wasn't...

American mothers have always told their children to do well in school, “Because anyone could grow up to be President.” In 1976 they were proved right when a true “anybody” Jimmy Carter was elected President. In November a quintessential “nobody” Barack Obama was elected president. Of course neither of these fakers and pretenders needed nor had any particular qualifications to be president. Democrats rarely do. In filling out his cabinet, Obama has already seen Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico withdraw his name from consideration to be Secretary of Commerce. Richardson’s sticky fingers and propensity for shady dealing are solid...

Blagojevich Arrested – Richardson Resigns - Burris Rejected – Stuart Smally Steals Seat Because Barack Obama is constitutionally unqualified to become president of the United States under Article II – Section I of the US Constitution, he is set to become the First (government housing) Resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in US history. But before resident-elect Barack Obama can be crowned the official messiah on January 20th, he has hit a few snags in his promise to “change” leftist corruption in Washington DC.

Gov. Chris Gregoire is out of state, but her office won't say where she is. Gregoire was set to be the keynote speaker Tuesday at a pre-legislative session forum sponsored by The Associated Press, but her office canceled Monday afternoon. Legislative director Marty Brown will stand in for Gregoire at the forum. Spokesman Pearse Edwards said that Gregoire will be making an announcement Tuesday morning, and that no further information would be released before then.

Transition: Bill Richardson's withdrawal as commerce nominee is billed as a stumble for Obama that will leave him in a lurch. It's not, and it won't. Obama just needs to look in better places for good private-sector prospects.Richardson was not the worst person who could have been named to lead the Commerce Department, but he was hardly the best. With the governor mired in a corruption scandal for many months in New Mexico, Obama's acceptance of his withdrawal may have been a response to the potential backlash of multiple political scandals around Democrats in the country. Obama said he accepted...

The candidate for secretary of Commerce faced pressure from a federal investigation into one of his political donors. President-elect Obama’s smooth assembly of his cabinet has hit a jarring pothole with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s decision to withdraw his name from consideration as the next secretary of Commerce.Governor Richardson announced on Jan. 4 that he would not pursue the Commerce job due to a federal investigation into how one of his political donors landed a lucrative state transportation contract.While insisting he would ultimately be cleared in the grand jury probe, Richardson said the matter “would have forced an untenable...

May I posit that the withdrawal of Governor Bill Richardson’s name as the nominee to serve as commerce secretary in the incoming Obama administration qualifies as an “epic fail”? Anytime a presidential transition is disrupted by the need to withdraw the name of a nominee for a high-profiled cabinet post, the transition process suffers. Given the nature of the withdrawal and the reasons behind it, the Obama transition has suffered an especially tough blow. Of course, Richardson is not the only symbol of an epic fail around here; the bulk of Barack Obama’s economic program is swiftly moving into epic...

The Obama transition team was aware of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's relationship with the firm currently being investigated, CDR Financial Products, because Richardson had introduced the firm's founder, David Rubin, to Obama fundraisers during the Democrat convention in Denver last August. Richardson withdrew his name from nomination for Commerce Secretary due to a grand jury investigation into possible financial dealings between his New Mexico administration and Rubin's firm, CDR Financial. But it isn't just Obama and Richardson that Rubin has ties to. According to federal law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation, federal officials are also looking into CDR's...

It was a recipe for a typical New Mexico political stew: Start with two lucrative contracts worth $1.4 million, stir in at least $100,000 in political contributions, add a dash of questionable bid procedures and top it off with a heaping tablespoon of suspicious timing. This is the concoction that boiled over into the federal investigation that has derailed, at least for now, Gov. Bill Richardson's ambitions for a seat in President-elect Barack Obama's cabinet. ~~snip~~The big picture is fairly simple. CDR Financial Products LLC of Beverly Hills was paid $1.4 million from work it did on behalf of the...

Another week, another record broken. The Rail Runner gave more than 12,000 people a lift Saturday, breaking the single day ridership records for the second time in two weeks, Mid-Region Council of Governments spokeswoman Augusta Meyers said Sunday. MRCOG operates the Rail Runner. But the record-setting days ought to be over by today, Rail Runner officials have said, now that trains won't offer any more free rides.

Click here.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, tapped in December by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as secretary of Commerce, has withdrawn his name for the position, citing a pending investigation into a company that has done business with his state. "Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact," he said Sunday in a report by NBC News. "But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would

It looks as if Barack Obama and his transition team know how badly Bill Richardson’s resignation reflects on them. They have started leaking to the press that Richardson’s to blame for the embarrassing spectacle this afternoon of his withdrawal as a Cabinet nominee. Jake Tapper has the details: "Sources tell ABC News that officials on the Obama Transition Team feel that before he was formally offered the job of commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was not forthcoming with them about the federal investigation that is looking into whether the governor steered a state contract towards a major financial...

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation into how some of his political donors won a lucrative state contract.

Just two weeks before he is set to take office, Barack Hussein Obama Jr., the president-elect, has suffered yet another embarrassing blow, as his nomineee for Commerce Secretary has “withdrawn” his name from consideration due to an ongoing federal grand jury probe of his alleged corruption. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a Democrat, today withdrew as Commerce Secretary designate, according to the BBC.com. Richardson’s decision was linked to a pending investigation into a company which has done business with his state. In a joint statement, Obama said he had accepted Mr Richardson’s decision to withdraw “with deep regret”. Richardson denied...

WASHINGTON (AP) - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation into how some of his political donors won a lucrative state contract. 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. A federal grand jury is investigating how a California company that contributed to Richardson's...

The folowing statements were provided by Gilbert Gallegos, Gov. Bill Richardson's deputy chief of staff. STATEMENT OF PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA It is with deep regret that I accept Governor Bill Richardson's decision to withdraw his name for nomination as the next Secretary of Commerce.Governor Richardson is an outstanding public servant and would have brought to the job of Commerce Secretary and our economic team great insights accumulated through an extraordinary career in federal and state office. It is a measure of his willingness to put the nation first that he has removed himself as a candidate for the Cabinet in...

Bill Richardson is withdrawing his nomination to be commerce secretary, FOX News confirmed Sunday. Richardson, who will remain governor of New Mexico, is facing a federal grand jury investigation into whether he exchanged government contracts for contributions to three Richardson political committees. Richardson denies any wrongdoing but the investigation won't be finished before he has to go to a Senate confirmation hearing. "Let me say unequivocally that I and my administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact," Richardson said in a statement. "But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also...

I wrote a column for Christmas Eve about the large increase in the number of political appointees under Gov. Bill Richardson and the growth in the number of appointees making more than $100,000 a year... I expected the column to be noncontroversial. After all, I have written before on the subject. Instead, the column set off a small firestorm... Rushing to the governor's defense were two of his top aides — Bill Hume, a former Journal editorial page editor, and Gilbert Gallegos, [formerly of] the Albuquerque Tribune. Gallegos accused me of having disdain for Richardson's political appointees... Hume said I...

NBC News is reporting that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson - tapped by Barack Obama to be his Secretary of Commerce - is withdrawing his name for the post because of a pending investigation of a company that has been doing business with his state of New Mexico. Here is a video report on Richardson's withdrawal. . . . (see video)

First, Obama's fellow Daley machine hack, Rod Blagojevich, tried to sell Obama's Senate seat. Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel, discussed the future of the Senate seat with Blagojevich. Obama has since "cleared himself" of any wrongdoing. Then, Obama's advisor, Caroline Kennedy, tried to steal a Senate seat in New York, citing royal prerogative. Now, Obama's Commerce Secretary nominee, Bill Richardson, has withdrawn his nomination, amid speculation that he will be indicted for corruption. All this, and Obama hasn't even been sworn in!

First, Obama's fellow Daley machine hack, Rod Blagojevich, tried to sell Obama's Senate seat. Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel, discussed the future of the Senate seat with Blagojevich. Obama has since "cleared himself" of any wrongdoing. Then, Obama's advisor, Caroline Kennedy, tried to steal a Senate seat in New York, citing royal prerogative. Now, Obama's Commerce Secretary nominee, Bill Richardson, has withdrawn his nomination, amid speculation that he will be indicted for corruption. All this, and Obama hasn't even been sworn in!

Trapped in mud up to his crooked hips, Democrat hack William ( Cowboy Bill ) Richardson the governor of New Mexico, has thrown in the towel and asked for his name to be withdrawn from consideration for Commerce Secretary. It is a good bet that other crooked Democrats will be knocking on Chicago thug in Chief Rahm Emanuel's door with bags of money applying for the position now that the bidding has been reopened.

The claim is that an investigation into a company doing business with the state has complicated his appointment. He claims he has done nothing wrong. Of course he does.

OBAMA-BUST: Bill Richardson will withdraw as Commerce secretary... Developing...

A Beverly Hills-based company is being examined by a federal grand jury looking into contributions the firm made to political committees formed by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. The grand jury apparently is investigating if the contributions that CDR Financial Products made had any impact on a New Mexico government contract that CDR landed from the state. According to reports, CDR received $1.48 million in 2004-05 for work done through the New Mexico Finance Authority. The authority is a government agency that issues bonds and finances building and public works projects throughout New Mexico. CDR was involved in helping put...

Barack Hussein Obama’s team is refusing to answer questions from reporters who want to know whether the president-elect knew that Bill Richardson, the Democratic governor of New Mexico, was being investigated by a federal grand jury on corruption charges, before he was chosen as the next Secretary of Commerce. This is the second corrupt Democratic governor — the first being Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois — associated with the not-even-inaugurated Obama administration to be named as part of federal corruption investigations. Obama himself reportedly talked with U.S. Attorney Peter Fitzgerald’s office last week about the scandal which involved Blagojevich trying...

President-elect Obama stopped by the Marine Corps base in Hawaii Kaneche Bay where servicemen and -women were eating Christmas dinner in Kailua Thursday evening. As Obama entered the room, it was absent of the regular fanfare of cheering and clapping. The diners were polite, staying seated at their respective tables and waited for the president-elect to come to them to stand up.

Perhaps no governor has rewarded so many supporters with so much. Five years ago, just eight of Gov. Bill Richardson's political appointees made more than $100,000 a year. Today, more than 100 earn at least that much. Also up under Richardson: the number of gubernatorial political appointees, formally known as exempt employees. In his first 15 months in office, the number of appointees scattered throughout government grew from 167 to 307. Today, there are 468 gubernatorial appointees in exempt positions. That growth in the patronage, or spoils, system of state government is one of the legacies of Richardson as he...