The Media Deals with Bill Richardson, Certified Liberal.

Bill Richardson is under investigation in a "pay for play" scandal involving a big contributor to his campaign who happened to end up with lucrative contracts from the state.

Just for fun I Googled "Bill Richardson" to see what the media spin was. Here goes...

Fox News: Richardson's Withdrawal Raises Questions About Severity of Federal Probe

The hook - how much trouble is he in?

Bill Richardson's sudden departure from President-elect Barack Obama's proposed Cabinet has raised questions about the severity of the federal investigation into possible "pay-to-play" schemes at the top levels of the New Mexico government.

Seattle Times: Gov. Bill Richardson, a tarnished future The editors are puzzled - and frustrated - by the whole thing. See Richardson as a star player who's sidelined temporarily:

Oh sure, Richardson is presumed innocent, and there is every expectation the facts will lead to that conclusion. The puzzle is how a veteran congressman, a former U.N. ambassador, a former energy secretary and sitting governor with credible presidential aspirations drew the eyes of federal investigators....Richardson's withdrawal stirs anger and frustration. A political talent on the injured-reserve list — and maybe lost to the team.

NY Times: Richardson Won’t Pursue Cabinet Post The Times focuses on the Obama team; an impressive lineup of cabinet picks, not to blame for the Richardson's kerfuffle; a minor distraction:

About two weeks after the announcement, newspapers reported that a federal grand jury was examining accusations that the Richardson administration had awarded the contracts because of the political contributions. Whether the Obama team learned of the grand jury inquiry through news reports, or perhaps from Mr. Richardson himself, was unclear on Sunday. Obama officials would not say.

But Robert Gibbs, the incoming White House press secretary, defended the vetting process. “The totality of our cabinet picks, it’s impressive and I think our vetters have done a good job,” he said.

The AP: Richardson's public life imperfect but resilient

The AP collects the suck-up laurels. Richardson himself could not have written a more flattering article:

At 61, Richardson has been described as a blend of East Coast establishment and Western individualism with a dash of Third World acumen. He combines a competitiveness and political savvy with a down-to-earth style that often disarms adversaries, associates say. They are traits that have served him well as a congressman, U.N. ambassador, energy secretary and governor.

At AOL.com: Is Bill Richardson Victim of a Clinton Curse?

What corruption? The humor approach; bad thing happen to people who oppose the Clintons ...

When I heard that Bill Richardson was withdrawing as Secretary of Commerce-Designate, the first thing I thought was "Holy Frakking SPIT!" (or words to that effect.) Then, I wondered if this was stage 1 of a Tecumseh-style curse against the enemies of Hillary Clinton.

If I were a prominent politician and a grand jury was considering my indictment and the Feds were investigating me for bribery and political corruption, that's the kind of coverage I would kill to get.

The reason this is particularly relevant is that when the government starts handing out trillions of dollars, the "pay for play" scenario will be repeated thousands of times, involving not just the penny ante shenanigans Richardson is accused of with $100 thousand here or there, but millions if not billions. "Chicago Rules" will be the name of the game. The Obama economic stimulus package could "stimulate" the creation of this country's newest cadre of billionaires.