Posted on 03/21/2008 12:23:50 AM PDT by Doofer
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, calling him a "once-in-a- lifetime leader" who can unite the nation and restore America's international leadership.
Richardson, who dropped out of the Democratic race in January, is to appear with Obama on Friday at a campaign event in Portland, Ore., The Associated Press has learned.
The governor's endorsement comes as Obama leads among delegates selected at primaries and caucuses but with national public opinion polling showing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton pulling ahead of him amid controversy over statements by his former pastor.
Richardson has been relentlessly wooed by Obama and Clinton for his endorsement. As a Democratic superdelegate, the governor plays a part in the tight race for nominating votes and could bring other superdelegates to Obama's side. He also has been mentioned as a potential running mate for either candidate.
No primaries are scheduled until Pennsylvania's on April 22, a gap in time Obama hopes to use for such announcements to assert that he is the front-runner for the nomination.
"I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world," Richardson said in a statement obtained by the AP. "As a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation."
Richardson's endorsement also could help Obama pick up support among Hispanics, who are the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority.
Clinton has been the favorite of Hispanics in primaries and caucuses, according to exit polls. She won the New Mexico caucus in early February with a nearly 2-to-1 advantage among Hispanics.
Richardson backed Obama despite his ties to Clinton and her husband, the former president. He served as ambassador to the U.N. and as secretary of the Energy Department during the Clinton administration. Last month, Richardson and former President Clinton watched the Super Bowl together at the governor's residence in Santa Fe.
Richardson praised Hillary Clinton as a "distinguished leader with vast experience." But the governor said Obama "will be a historic and great president, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad."
Richardson was a roving diplomatic troubleshooter when he was a congressman from New Mexico, negotiating the release of U.S. hostages in several countries and meeting with a rogue's gallery of U.S. adversaries, including Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro.
"There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama has the judgment and courage we need in a commander in chief when our nation's security is on the line. He showed this judgment by opposing the Iraq war from the start, and he has show it during this campaign by standing up for a new era in American leadership internationally," Richardson said.
Obama said he was "deeply honored" to have Richardson's support.
"Whether it's fighting to end the Iraq war or stop the genocide in Darfur or prevent nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists, Gov. Richardson has been a powerful voice on issues of global security, peace and justice, earning five Nobel Peace Prize nominations," Obama said in a statement.
He makes perfect sense on an Obama Ticket. Hispanic, Rocky Mountain State and centrist when compared to other candidates. Being a Gov doesn’t hurt. Can bring some border issues up too and we all know that McCain is beyond weak on that topic.
Yippee! Richardson doesn’t care that Obama threw grandma under the bus, so it’s time to throw Shrillary under the bus!! Oh, the lamps and ashtrays are flying in Clinton-land tonight! Sorry, Billary, maybe if you’d made Richardson the Secretary of State you might have purchased a bit of ‘loyalty’ — of course loyalty for Clintonistas merely corresponds to the fear of the crime family. Richardson must have made the calculation that he has a far better chance of benefitting from the Obama endorsement than he has of suffering too much from the wrath of Shrillary.
btw, the timing is very interesting — makes me think that Richardson probably offered the endorsement awhile ago, and that Obama’s people decided this was the best time to announce it, to try to distract from the furor over the rabid racist Rev. Wright.
I’d love to hear the phone call he’s going to get from Bill Clinton.
Oh to be a fly on the wall!
Another stake being driven into the Hillabeast.
A hundred more to go and maybe she will be done.
Keep dreaming, Nextrush. Hillary doesn’t need that open borders reconquista scumbag. Richardson might as well be governor of Oaxaca...His allegiance is to Mexico, not the U.S.
Such a profile in courage... Wait until it’s nearly certain that Obama will get the nomination before making your endorsement...
Just guessing but I would have said they rolled Richardson out to stop the bleeding over the Reverend Wright situation.
You painted such a lovely image in my mind I just had to smile and say "thanks" - lol!
Oh yeah, this and the State Department thing will help Obama and the LameStream Media from further scrutinizing Hussein’s connections with the politics of racebaiting and hatemongering.
Rush & Rove have Project Chaos working like a charm, how did they get to Richardson?
I bet she’s sorry she didn’t snuff Richardson in his cradle...or rip the O’s out of his typewriter when she had the chance.
This is unexpected since RATS usually LEAVE a sinking ship. What a tard.
This is a guy who was a total failure as Ambassador to the UN. His efforts to maintain the Iraq sanctions regime fell apart as our so called allies were seduced by short-sided greed and intimidated by false leftist accusations that the sanctions were causing Iraqi children to starve. Richardson did have one accomplishment: he gave airhead intern Lewinsky a job at the US Mission to the UN after being asked by the Clinton Damage Control team to help get her out of Washington, but with a well paying job that would shut her up.
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