Better Vetting for Presidential Candidates Needed

Do we vet candidates for the position as Mayor of Melbourne Beach, a little town of a little more than 3000 people, better than we vet Presidential candidates? Probably.

Gov. Bill Richardson has withdrawn his nomination to be Secretary of Commerce in the Obama administration due to a Federal Grand Jury’s investigation of some campaign donors receiving lucrative contracts with the State of New Mexico. This is another “pay to play” investigation.

According to a Breitbart article (link below):
“CDR and its CEO, David Rubin, have contributed at least $110,000 to three political committees formed by Richardson, according to an AP review of campaign finance records.
The largest donation, $75,000, was made by CDR in June 2004—a couple of months after the transportation financing arrangement won state approval—to a political committee that Richardson established before the Democratic National Convention that year.
State documents show CDR was paid a total of $1.48 million in 2004 and 2005 for its work on a transportation program.”

Richardson is not new to politics. He was a Congressman for fifteen years, he served as Ambassador to the UN during the Clinton administration, in 1998 he was confirmed by the US Senate as Secretary of Energy, and ran in the last Presidential primary against Obama, Clinton, and Edwards, but dropped out fairly early in the race. Currently serving his second term as the Governor of New Mexico Richardson seems to be a popular Governor.

Obama’s transition team obviously believes that thorough vetting is required. For if you want a job with the Obama administration you have to answer an extremely detailed questionnaire. If you have not read the questionnaire I recommend it as entertaining reading; I can’t believe any politician would answer all the questions…honestly or completely. For a copy of the questionnaire go to: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/13apply_questionnaire.pdf

There are sixty three questions that have to be answered including number 61:

"Have you ever had any association with any person, group, or business venture that could be used -- even unfairly --to impugn or attack your character and qualifications for government services."

Don’t forget Edwards, another presidential candidate, was stung during the campaign for having an affair with a woman who “worked’ for the Edwards camp while his wife was fighting cancer. Wonder how he would have answered question number 61. For that matter how would Obama have answered his own question number 61. Would he have admitted to certain relationships?

Too bad all the Presidential candidates did not have to answer the Obama questionnaire in 2007.

One source for this blog: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D95GHJPO0&show_article=1