You recall that a week ago Domenici slapped down Richardson for lying about there being an energy bill (OK, Pete didn’t use the word “lie,” but he said there was no bill and Richardson didn’t know what he was talking about. Here’s an update. mjh

ABQjournal: Sparks Fly Between New Mexico Political Dynamos By Michael Coleman, Journal Washington Bureau

Actually, there was a draft bill floating around at the time, it just wasn’t Domenici’s.

House Republicans late last Thursday posted a draft of their energy bill on the Internet. It’s similar to a bill they pushed last Congress, so it was no surprise that Richardson and other Democrats would blast it.

It wasn’t introduced until Tuesday of this week.

Domenici and the Republicans who control Congress are pretty touchy about energy policy these days. They have tried and failed, repeatedly and for many reasons, including clumsy politics and internal squabbling, to get an energy bill to the president’s desk.

Domenici has called crafting energy legislation the most difficult task he has attempted in more than 30 years in Congress.

Richardson, who appears to be positioning himself for a presidential run in 2008, saw a wide opening to attack the GOP on a sensitive subject when gasoline prices are at a record high.

[Coco beat me to the post on this and the Payne vs Scarantino clash.]