Posted on 04/18/2005 5:19:51 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO - New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, said Monday his party must reconnect with voters' core values if it hopes to regain congressional seats and perhaps even the presidency.
Partisan fights in the nation's capital must be replaced with policy proposals that strike at the heart of voters' most pressing concerns, such as health care costs and education, he said during a speech at the annual meeting of The Associated Press.
"We just can't be negative. We can't just attack the president at every turn," he said. "We have got to stand for something."
Washington politicians, he said, should look to the states, where both Republican and Democratic governors increasingly are seeking solutions to problems without waiting for the federal government to act.
School funding gaps, low-wage jobs, the rising cost of health care, crime rates, drug use and rising college costs are among the issues governors and state legislators are working hard to address, Richardson said.
"I come face to face with the people I serve, and they're not worried about reforming the tax code ... or judicial appointments," he told the audience, made up mostly of publishers of the nation's newspapers.
He noted that several recent presidents - George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter - were governors before running for president.
Richardson, a former Energy Secretary and United Nations ambassador under President Clinton, was asked afterward if he would run for president in 2008. He declined to say for certain, saying instead he was focused on working with other Democratic governors and his 2006 re-election campaign.
He joked about being one of the nation's most prominent Hispanic elected officials, saying the title always seems to precede him whenever he is introduced.
"The truth is, you get used to it with a name like Richardson," he joked.
He also took a few jabs at prominent Republicans, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Referring to a baseball career cut short by injury, Richardson said he never felt the need to use steroids - not because he didn't want to be a better player, "but because I didn't want to end up being governor of California."
Schwarzenegger has acknowledged using steroids as a bodybuilder in the 1970s but says he would counsel youths today to avoid them.
Richardson also said the news media should focus less on partisan bickering in Washington, and more on how ordinary people are faring.
"You have an opportunity to bring this issue of the state-federal divide into the mainstream. You have the opportunity to show America who is looking out for them," he said. "You have the opportunity to help convey to the leaders in this country what the real problems are and the real crises are."
Just another 'cRat trying to assume the position as the conscience of the New DemocRats.
'Bull' Richardson.
Interesting. My impression of Bill Richardson has always been that he is just rotten to the core. So I guess I would conclude that his values are rotten.
Works for me.
The idea of him as a national candidate is laughable..
Gee, Governor Richardson, and all this time I thought what Bill Clinton and Company were saying was Democrats had to connect with their Whore Values. Apparently many Democrats heard what I heard.
Oxymoron!
DemocRATS and core values?
ROFOL!
How can they do that since they have no core values or beliefs????
Actually, Richardson is one of the smarter Dems that could easily find his way on a Hillary ticket. He's somone to wacth and learn from - if the Dems break out of their hystria and consipracy theory, it'll be b/c of prodding from more serious people like him.
I would recommend starting the op research now.
the democrats will have to make a choice between mexican voters or gay voters.
mexicans are growing hostile to the gay agenda.
Their Nationl Party is finished. The Democrats have local issues that they can win on, and that is all.
Democrats connect with core values? That's like matter connecting with antimatter.
Rotten to the core...
I recall "Sheets" Byrd grilling Richardson in one of the Senate inquiries and saying Richardson would never work in Washington again. I'll try to get the details.
Sounds like bill richardson has been listiening to Rush.
The voters didn't believe them before, and they won't fall for it this time.
Core values? What were Bill Richardson's core values while he was Secretary of Energy under Clinton and our nuclear secrets and technology were stolen and sold for campaign contributiuons? What a joke!
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
"You've had a bright and brilliant career. But you will never again receive the support of the Senate of the United States for any office to which you might be appointed. It's gone. You've squandered your treasure," Byrd said.
Flanked by three of his top assistants, Richardson sat quietly, taken aback by the intensely personal tone of Byrd's words. Although at times combative, Richardson was mostly subdued, knowing that for all purposes he was in the dock and nothing he might say would help.
I would not call him pro-American, read my post before yours.
Thank You, His performance at the UN and DOE are worthy of contempt, no matter how some feeeel he is so right on about what needs to be done.
His stain is Clinton's stain, no matter how some now feel he gets it today.
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