Posted on 06/25/2004 5:06:12 AM PDT by JesseHousman
BOSTON, Mass.— When Bill Richardson and his entourage move through Boston— the site of next month's Democratic National Convention— people notice.
On Wednesday, Richardson, chairman of the convention, arrived for a quick visit to prepare for next month's event. The city's notorious rush-hour traffic jams relented, if only for a moment, to make way for the New Mexico governor's Massachusetts state police-powered motorcade.
And when Richardson, a former minor league baseball pitcher, arrived at historic Fenway Park for a sold-out Red Sox game, team officials hustled him through the players' entrance to a second-row seat on the first baseline, where the fastballs look like missiles and the crack of the bat can make you flinch.
A few hours later, after watching a Red Sox rally fall short against the Minnesota Twins, the governor gathered his aides, a couple of other big-name New Mexicans and a Journal reporter for a short ride from the ballpark to P.F. Chang's.
As Richardson and friends left the motorcade's bulky Ford Expeditions and headed into the eatery, the downtown diners did double-takes. A big back booth awaited the governor and his crew, which included former New Mexico Senate Majority Leader and newly named Highlands University president Manny Aragon, former U.S. Ambassador to Spain Ed Romero, and a half-dozen others. The group dined on lettuce wraps, kung pao shrimp and Chinese barbecue, washing it down with bottles of cold chardonnay.
Romero, now a member of the Bank of America board of directors, picked up most of the $400 tab.
As midnight loomed, the motorcade moved again, this time to a swank cigar bar several blocks away. The governor and friends glided through the heavy wooden doors, turning more heads on their way to a private room and leather couches.
The group selected a few medium-bodied, mid-priced cigars and took a waitress up on her suggestion of 20-year-old port wine. Soon, the conversation and laughter flowed freely once again. Richardson, who had barely quit moving in six hours, lit up a stogie, leaned back in his chair and finally seemed to exhale.
But the governor's down time was short-lived. He returned to his room at the upscale Boston Harbor Hotel about 1 a.m. for a few hours of sleep. And when 7 a.m. rolled around, he was back in a suit and tie, sipping coffee in the hotel restaurant and discussing convention business with a top official from the Democratic National Committee.
Ninety minutes later, he headed off to the Four Seasons Hotel with Aragon, who this month was named president of New Mexico Highlands. The New Mexico power brokers met with Dan Glickman, a former U.S. Agriculture secretary who is dean of Harvard University's JFK School of Government.
Aragon, whose reputation for wheeling and dealing in the Legislature is legendary, was pushing a plan to bring Highlands' political science school into partnership with Harvard's.
"They are very interested in the politics of northern New Mexico," Aragon said after the meeting. "It would definitely be groundbreaking for an Hispanic-serving institution."
A half-hour later, Richardson's troupe arrived at Boston City Hall and took a private elevator to the office of Tom Menino, the popular, three-term Boston mayor who is affectionately nicknamed "Mumbles" because of his garbled speaking style.
A couple of Richardson's aides stifled yawns— the residue of a late night on the town— but not Richardson. He seemed focused, intense and wide awake as he and the mayor discussed coordinating Democratic Party and city resources to stage the massive national convention.
Menino said he appreciates Richardson's help in negotiating politically sensitive issues with the national Democratic Party, such as how to deploy resources for the convention. Menino, who has a reputation as a take-charge politician, said he sees the same in Richardson. And it helps that the New Mexico governor is familiar with Boston, having attended Tufts University and played minor-league baseball in the nearby Cape Cod League.
"He knows this area. He knows some of the (political) players, which is very, very helpful to us," Menino said.
But the mayor did have one complaint about the convention chairman.
"I hear he has some good tickets to the Red Sox and he won't give me any," Menino said, laughing.
On the way to the airport and a private jet that would take him to Washington and a flurry of Thursday afternoon fund-raisers, Richardson admitted he enjoys his glamorous life. But he also stressed that he works hard, and the state of New Mexico will benefit from his work at the convention. He added that the national Democratic Party, his political action committee and the Democratic Governors' Association— not New Mexico taxpayers— shared in the cost of his latest Boston trip.
When asked, the governor's chief of staff Dave Contarino said he didn't know whose plane it was.
"I enjoy it— it's fun," Richardson said. "It's fun because it gives New Mexico more visibility."
As chairman of the national convention, Richardson will have dual roles, both of which could raise New Mexico's— and the governor's— national profile.
The chairman wields the gavel at the convention, opening and closing each day's business and managing much of what happens on the stage in between. He's also a major public persona who will be called on to attend as many as 20 events each day and night ranging from state delegation breakfasts to lunches honoring senators to late-night parties that are sure to feature Hollywood stars and big-name entertainment.
Richardson, who is on a first-name basis with many of the network news honchos, also plans to spend a lot of time talking about Democratic values on morning news shows. A former U.S. congressman, ambassador and Energy secretary, Richardson is expected to give a speech July 26, the first day of the convention. He plans to talk about energy policy and his view that America needs to be more aggressive in developing clean, renewable fuels such as wind and hydrogen.
The governor's convention clout comes with one particularly big responsibility— deciding how to dole out the largess he holds in the form of floor credentials, tickets to the hottest parties and invitations to lunches with Washington's political elite. Everyone who is anyone in the Democratic Party is already clamoring for access. Richardson said he'll assume the role of favor-giver "with difficulty."
"There will be an enormous amount of requests," he said. "New Mexicans have priority, but I have a national role so you've got to be sure you don't offend a state chairman from this state or that state. It's got to be balanced.
Richardson, who has been mentioned repeatedly as a short-list contender for vice president on a ticket with Democrat presidential candidate John F. Kerry, said he expects Kerry to choose his running mate before the convention. One less distraction to worry about, he said. Richardson continued to deny any interest in the job.
Richardson also said critical convention decisions, such as who will speak when and about what, are not his to make.
"I have input but it's mainly the nominee's job," Richardson said.
As for an overall message, Richardson said he has some input and has talked with Kerry and his advisers about sticking to a message that reflects "positive issues" such as health care, education and energy reform.
He conceded that the high-profile role as convention chairman could fuel his already bright political star, but again, he said the job is more about New Mexico than him. He plans to bring New Mexico tourism officials with him to Boston in an effort to sell the state.
"I'll meet a lot of national players," Richardson said. "But more importantly it will help New Mexico."
He added that the national Democratic Party, his political action committee and the Democratic Governors' Association— not New Mexico taxpayers— shared in the cost of his latest Boston trip.
A state with less than 2 million becomes a platform for a Clintonian oaf like Bill Richardson to continue a soiled, sordid political career.
I for one will not forget the Richardson/N.Korean/Monica connection, no matter how much tax relief he boasts about.
I couldn't get past the image of him and Manny eating.... brrrr....
Me too! What a disgusting bunch from Santa Fe! Manny, of course being a member of the elite intelligencia, should be right at home running a New Mexico university!
Manny and Ray Sanchez always seemed to be like the Berlin Wall to me... I never figured they'd both be out of the legeslature in my (or their) lifetimes.
Had something interesting on tap back in his luxurious hotel suite no doubt.
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