Posted on 02/17/2005 7:48:42 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper
HELENA - Marc Racicot, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and the chairman of President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, said Wednesday he has no interest in being the next U.S. ambassador to Canada.
Despite a number of news reports in Canada and the United States over the past two days describing the former Montana governor as the leading contender for the job, Racicot said in an interview he plans to continue as partner in a Washington, D.C., law firm. The ambassador's post is out of the question, he said.
"I haven't talked to the White House about it and they haven't talked to me about it," Racicot told The Associated Press. "I'm not a candidate and that is how the White House sees it as well."
He said he is glad to be back at work in the Washington office of Bracewell and Patterson, a Houston-based law firm that he joined in early 2001 shortly after leaving the governor's office. Racicot said he plans to remain with the firm for the foreseeable future, working on trade, environmental and communications issues.
Not only will he not succeed outgoing Ambassador Pete Cellucci, who is expected to leave in March, Racicot also said he has no interest in any other government positions.
"I'm not looking for anything or asking for anything," he said. "And they're not asking because they know."
Racicot, 56, said he made it clear last year to Karl Rove, Bush's chief political adviser, that he wanted out of the political mainstream after splitting the past three years between being RNC chairman and Bush campaign chairman. Originally, he said, he had expected to spend only about six months as party chairman.
Racicot, who was elected governor in 1992 and served two four-year terms, played an international role in 2001 when Bush named him special U.S. envoy in talks with Canada over a long-running softwood lumber dispute.
Good luck to Mr. Racicot. He was a great asset to President Bush and I know will always be there if needed.
Good luck to Mr. Racicot. He was a great asset to President Bush and I know will always be there if needed.
I can second that!!! I had hoped to see him at least in the future, being groomed for the White House. He would be a great asset to the country!
You don't want him as president, I can assure you. Way to liberal. Was a democrat before a republican and never quite changed completely. Also if he would have wanted the good of the country he would have helped out at home more.
I still wish him good luck though.
Well thank you for that insight. I was under the impression he was very conservative, from what I had heard from friends who live in MT. MT laws certainly aren't liberal, so I had no reason to question it.
Good to know.
He probably cant stand the "french"-canadian accents and since the hockey season is kaput whats there to do up there among all those socialists?
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