I reported earlier that Gov. Bill Richardson is being named as a possible interior secretary since it’s becoming increasingly likely that Hillary Clinton is going to be nominated to be Barack Obama’s secretary of state.
Now the Washington Post blog The Fix is reporting that Richardson, according to “a Democratic official close to the proceedings,” has emerged as a “serious contender” to head the Commerce Department.
The job was originally thought to be going to Penny Pritzker, who was finance chairwoman for Obama’s campaign, but she has removed herself from consideration because of business ties and her concern that she wouldn’t survive the vetting process.
Sources close to Richardson have whispered for weeks that, in addition to expressing interest in secretary of state, the governor told Obama he was interested in commerce secretary, ambassador to China, special envoy to Latin America and head of the World Bank.