But some of the heated abuse Richardson has been receiving on Capitol Hill may not be as clear-cut or as deserved as it appears. As conservative columnist Robert Novak reported, much of the tongue-lashing that Richardson has been subjected to by Senate Arms Services Committee worthies like Democrat Robert Byrd and Republican Richard Shelby didn't actually stem from Richardson's shortcomings safeguarding the nation's nuclear secrets. Instead, it came because he's been particularly vigorous in rooting out congressional pork from the Energy Department budget -- something Byrd and Shelby in particular don't like.
As the Lee case showed, there are plenty of good reasons to knock Bill Richardson. But not necessarily the ones you might think.
Forbes' race against Felix Grucci, his would-be Republican opponent, would have been an extremely hard-fought race pulling in lots of talent and even more dollars from both parties. But Forbes's defeat is more than an embarrassment for him and the congressional Democrats who pulled out all the stops to support him. It also deals a serious reverse to House Democrats' chances to taking back the House next year.
