I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
So Gov. Bill Richardson is mum on his prospects as President-elect Barack Obama begins to fill prominent posts.
But when did one man’s silence stop the chattering class? Exhibit A: speculation today that Richardson may be in the running to replace Howard Dean as chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Dean is said to be stepping down from the post, which leaves the high-profile national position open to an Obama loyalist… like Richardson.
As Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post’s The Fix writes:
Dean’s future remains cloudy although he has been mentioned as a possible choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services in an Obama Administration. Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) is also being mentioned for that job.
With Dean expected to vacate his post early next year, speculation has already begun in earnest about who could replace him. (Our quick handicapping of the potential successors is below.)
Here is the early list of potential DNC Chairs as Cillizza sees it, with a little bit of analysis:
Claire McCaskill: McCaskill’s name was prominently mentioned in the HuffPo piece but according to sources close to her it is unlikely she would take the job. McCaskill was one of Obama’s most prominent — and effective — surrogates during the primary season and is respected by the operative class for her political acumen.
Tim Kaine: Thanks to Virginia’s inexplicable one-term limit on its governors, Kaine will be out of office at the start of 2010 and may be looking for a new gig. Kaine was one of three finalists to be Obama’s vice president and is very close personally to the president-elect. But, does he want the job?
Kathleen Sebelius: Obama made no secret of his admiration for Sebelius during the primary and general election campaign. Sebelius will be term limited out of office in 2010 and might be interested in such a prominent national post. On the other hand, Sen. Sam Brownback (R) is widely expected to leave the Senate in 2010 to run for governor — leaving an open seat in which Sebelius would almost certainly be considered a favorite.
Bill Richardson: Like Sebelius, Richardson will be term-limited out of his office in 2010 and is clearly interested in coming back to Washington as either a member of the Cabinet or perhaps chairman of the DNC. Richardson’s Hispanic heritage could further aid Democrats’ outreach to this critically important voting bloc and his political chops are unquestioned.
Richardson spokesman Pahl Shipley told NMI’s Heath Haussamen today that he had no interest in the job.
