WASHINGTON
No one believed Bill Richardson was leaving the national stage just because he abandoned his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination last January.
Two months later he stunned Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign by endorsing Barack Obama for president and traveled to 29 states talking up Obama, especially among fellow Hispanics.
His name was in the hopper as a possible vice president, then as secretary of state. Neither happened.
But Richardson, who left Washington eight years ago after stints in Congress and as U.N. ambassador and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, now returns for another adventure as Commerce secretary. Obama plans to introduce him at a Chicago news conference Wednesday, Democratic officials said Tuesday.
A two-term governor of New Mexico, Richardson seemed to both relish the job, but also long for something more.
