Posted on 11/11/2005 6:47:11 AM PST by areafiftyone
When he's asked whether he is running for president in 2008, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) usually bobs and weaves and says he's running for reelection next year. After that, he says, there'll be plenty of time to talk about '08.
But Richardson, former congressman, energy secretary, ambassador to the United Nations, globe-trotting troubleshooter and now author, seemed to be hewing a different line this week. Richardson's been in town, hawking his riveting new autobiography, "Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life."
Albuquerque's new baseball team may have gained some fans in North Korea. (Albuquerque Journal Via Associated Press)
He stopped first at the home of Clinton White House Chief of Staff Thomas F. "Mack" McLarty for a book party and then went on to old pals Elizabeth and Smith Bagley 's lovely manse in Georgetown for dinner with two dozen well-heeled folks, a majority of whom didn't know him.
The idea, according to several guests, was to have a little chat, a Washington gathering, a chance for important folks, friends of the Bagleys, to size up the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and maybe down the road support his reelection bid. It was to be, we hear, a completely social event.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Sounds like he is running to me!
Bashing him on this forum will be so much fun.
His history is full of targets.
I think Richardson could spell trouble, even for a candidate like George Allen. He is not one of these shrill dems and he talks a reasonable game. He has lots of experience and he appears to be likeable and a regular human being, the opposite of a John Kerry.
Hitlary will scratch his eyes out.
Room Temperature Intellect Joe, save yourself the embarrassment. You are a lousy candidate.
Ah hmm. Richardson and Warner in 08.
Richardson will run on his hispanicism, his experience as Energy Sect (never mind losing/selling out the keys to the nuke labs to the Chinese), his UN ambasssador(never mind details like pimping a job for Monica) and his expertise with North Korea (our "next great threat"). Warner will provide toothsome southern photogenic backup and talk up his business experience.
If they win the same enclaves as Kerry and add Virginia and New Mexico to the blue camp...they will win by the electoral votes.
Here is a little info from one of our local blogs.
What's Richardson Doing in NM?
So everyone is talking about it... ok, maybe not everyone. Apparently, the East Coast news media couldn't believe the Governor was in New Mexico. Frankly, I'm just as surprised. It's rare the Governor finds the time to visit the Land of Enchantment. Although when he does, he prefers to be looking down on everyone:
Gov. Bill Richardson climbed into a state-owned airplane parked on a runway at a small airport in Santa Fe. The plane took off with Richardson and several of his staff members aboard, and landed a short while later on a high mountain airstrip.
The flight time? Ten minutes.
The destination? Los Alamos
State aviation bureau records show that Richardson has used three, multimillion-dollar state airplanes 113 times between his 2003 inauguration and mid-September of this year. Richardson has used the airplanes to travel, among other places, to Dulce, Albuquerque, Gallup, Farmington, San Francisco, Calif., Las Vegas, NM.
The latter trip, like most in-state flights by the governor, is one most New Mexicans make in a car. But while the governor was being ferried through the skies in a state aircraft, his security officers drove his state-owned Lincoln Navigator so Richardson and his staffers could use the luxury SUV at their destination, two sources confirmed.
Maybe I'm not being fair to Governor Richardson. After all, he did promise New Mexicans he would no longer speed on our highways. Obviously, he is just keeping his promise. Plus, think of all the gas expense he is saving taxpayers by flying on planes and having his security detail drive around in hybrid vehicles.
...Bill Richardson...wasn't he just yesterday not involved in a plane crash that didn't kill him? I think Mary Mapes is writing a book on this catastrophe that almost didn't not happen.
I agree. He is very likable and comes across as very moderate. Barring any close scrutiny of his tenure during the nuclear secrets fiasco (unlikely given the state of the media) he could prove formidable to anyone the Republicans field.
Don't be taken in by Richardson's tax rebate crap; it was a shell game and he raised taxes in other areas. His style is cronyism, complete political loyalty, party connections and $$$ contributions outweigh experience in government; no deviance from his policies or you're gone. Also, typical lib environmental policy -- bash the oil industry which is the golden goose for him allowing him to do all those rebate redistribution schemes of his. Still most of us have absolutely no use for easterm libs who are completely out of touch with the rest of the country.
The plug's roots have grown into his brain.
Washington Post/WSJ Poll and all the other polls show Allen polling at 5% or below even amoung conservatives. They just don't care about him. I'm not saying they don't like him but he doesn't seem to do anything for them.
So he's Hispanic, but doesn't go by a Spanish name?
I think that will change when people begin to hear him speak. He's impressive.
I don't live in NM, but I worked for him at DOE. He's clearly the least of the evils that have announced for the Dem nomination.
Not that I would vote for him!!!
What you say is true - however the problem is the dem base is so kooky left these days he would appear as a hostile right-winger to the faction that has taken over the democrats. On that premise I suggest he doesn't have a chance.
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