Democrats Nominate Richardson To Lead 2004 Convention

The Albuquerque Journal (subscription required) ^ | July 28, 2003 | Jennifer Peter, The Associated Press

[CedarDave]

July 28, 2003

Democrats Nominate Richardson To Lead 2004 Convention

By Jennifer Peter The Associated Press

   BOSTON   —   Democratic Party leaders nominated New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to be chairman of their 2004 national convention on Monday, a move to appeal to Hispanic voters increasingly targeted by Republicans.
    "I think it's a recognition that Hispanics are major players in the presidential race," Richardson said in an interview with The Associated Press shortly after the announcement.
    He added, "I think there's going to be strong initiatives accompanying this appointment for the Hispanic community."
    Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe announced the nomination at a news conference also attended by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
    Richardson's appointment "reflects the diversity of our party, the strength of our party," Pelosi said.
    The nomination of Richardson   —   a former Congressman, energy secretary and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who is the highest-ranking elected Hispanic official in the country   —   is a response to demands from the Hispanic caucus of the Democratic National Committee.
    The convention chairman usually is named in the weeks prior to the convention, set for Boston next July, and the party's nominee would have input on that decision.
    But Democrats have been under more pressure to address the needs of minority groups, particularly the fast-growing Hispanic population believed to be a swing group this election cycle.
    Richardson said that "the message to Hispanic voters has to include economic empowerment issues and not just immigration and civil rights."
    As for impact the high-profile job will have on his home state, Richardson said, "I'm very honored for myself and New Mexico and I'm going to make sure that New Mexico has a strong presence at this convention so that the state can get more investment, more tourism and we've already started planning to have a very strong physical presence in Boston."
    New Mexico has a prominent place in the primary calendar in 2004, holding a Democratic caucus on Feb. 3, when several states have contests just a week after the New Hampshire primary.
    Also Monday, Alice Huffman, president of the California NAACP, was nominated to head the convention committee, which could address concerns of black Democrats that they are taken for granted by the party.
      —    —    —  
    Associated Press reporter Matt Mygatt in Albuquerque, N.M., contributed to this report.

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[Mulder]

Interesting for a couple of reasons.

First, Richardson was in the Klinton regime. This could be an indicator that Hitlery is running.

Secondly, he signed a CCW bill in New Mexico. Does this mean the dems are waking up to the fact that most Americans support the 2nd amendment?

[concerned about politics]

Yeh, but Democrats feel Mexicans are less than worthy for the supreme court. They need to keep the blacks and mexicans "in their proper place."

[woodyinscc]

Under my leadership, we had the biggest breach of security fisaco in the nation's history!!"

"It was almost expected from Shelby, a conservative who had made clear he believes Richardson should resign. But a broadside from Sen. Robert Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat with 48 years in the Senate, stunned the hearing room. "You have shown an extreme contempt ... of this Congress," Byrd lectured Richardson, who had spent 14 years as a congressman from New Mexico before becoming ambassador to the United Nations and two years ago energy secretary. Byrd told Richardson he had made numerous assurances, but had not followed through. Another rub: Richardson didn't show up for a hearing on the Los Alamos problem last week, angering senators. "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."

[Regulator]

His father is a rich WHITE American buisnessman, but if you have a drop of Spanish blood

Most Spaniards are lily white. Cuz' they're Europeans...except for the Moorish types in southern Spain.

Why Spanish blood in any melanin category should qualify you for some sort of sympathy is beyond me. They had a hideous empire which elicited the phrase "Spanish Cruelty" across the lands they conquered. They weren't "oppressed", they were the Opressors! Maybe it's sympathy for the Devil...

[Im Your Huckleberry]

So the Clowns have picked the Ringmaster.

Excellent.

I can't wait to watch this fiasco. This is election is going to handily upstage the ass-whoopin' Mondale got in 1984.

I truly can't wait for this election. The uber-radical, uber-left are going to have a meltdown right in the middle of the convention, you just know it. It'll make the Wellstone "Nuremburg Rally" look tame - truly tame - that'll seem like high-school theatrics compared to the full blown midnight Nazi rally that the Dem psycho-left will unleash at this convention. I'm telling you, all that will be missing will be the torchlight procession. Other than that, I wouldn't even be surprised to see the burning of an effigy of Bush.

Meanwhile the DLC will be holding their heads in their hands and watching their entire national prospects go up in flames for the next fifty years.

I'm buying the big, mondo-size, Orville Redenbacker package of microwave popcorn. This is gonna be some entertainment.

[FreeLibertarian]

Thanks for the op/ed piece by Dendahl, I missed it in the Journal.

I don't agree with Dendahl, New Mexico has to attract non-governmental businesses. We badly need the jobs and sometimes you have to gamble to succeed. IMO this piece sounds like sour grapes on Dendahl's part.

The PowerWAN concept is especially interesting and fits well with some of my companies abilities, this is a growing market with huge potential. Eclipse Aviation is making good progress and has a good chance of hitting the right niche at the right time. Mesa Semiconductor is in a field that is very close to being ripe.

[gop_gene]

Richardson will be president someday. Count on it.

Then I sure hope he spruces himself up--the guy looks like a slob. He always looks unkempt to me.

[FITZ]

Those issues would resonate in those communities, I believe, but no Republican has ever tried.

Reagan didn't race pander and he had a far greater percentage of both the black vote and the hispanic vote than either Bush has had. He brought them in through the issues.

[FITZ]

Richardson will not be President -- too much baggage and this Country will not elect someone who let Nuclear Secrets walk out of Los Alamos!

He's very much like Clinton only quite a bit sharper ---just as ambitious and I think he's going to go for the presidency. He knows that pretending to be conservative will bring in quite a few votes --- he learned from the Clintons.

[FreeLibertarian]

No matter what you may think, Richardson is no fool. He is smart and very politically savvy. He has consolidated power in NM like no governor before him. He demanded resignations and has replaced EVERY board, commission and regents member down to the lowliest staffer with his own appointees, even those not scheduled to be replaced due to staggered year appointments. He tried to do the same with judges, but got slapped by the courts. Lots of institutional history went by the wayside because the new appointees, no matter how good individually, have to come up to speed with their new jobs. If a Republican had tried that, there would have been hell to pay, but he got away with it with just a minor slap on the wrist from the ABQ Journal in a couple of editorials that went largely unnoticed.

Clinton was/is very bright but got easily distracted by the perks and the icing that went with the office. Richardson is a very hard worker who doesn't lose his focus on what he wants to accomplish. He will probably end up fighting Hillary in 2008 for the Dem nomination, and likely come out on top.

Excellent analysis, I agree completely.

[FITZ]

where he was forced to pretend he liked and agreed with Clinton.

I think he likes and agrees with Clinton quite a bit. Wasn't he going to even take Monica off Bill Clinton's hands at one point? I'm sure he's quite thick with Clinton ---- what kind of men are that willing to share a girlfriend?

[CedarDave]

You're just down on John because he's anti-drug decriminalization. ;>)

Seriously, I'm for venture capital investment, but believe the anti-donation clause was put in our state constitution for a good reason. I also don't believe we should raid the State permanent fund. The only reason that Richardson can afford to reduce taxes this year is that Governor Johnson vetoed many Democrat spending bills which led to the surplus that they are now raiding.

(BTW, I agree with Johnson on drug decriminalization)

[FreeLibertarian]

What kind of Mexican name is Richardson?

New Mexico is extremely diverse culturally. Hispanics first came to New Mexico more than two hundred years before the Unites States was born. You can tell absolutely nothing about a New Mexican's heritage by their name.

[FreeLibertarian]

Oh, I don't know. Once a Toon butt-boy, always a Toon butt-boy. He'll do what he's told.

Don't kid yourself, Richardson has a better shot at the Presidency in 2008 than anybody else around.

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

"I think it's a recognition that Hispanics are major players in the presidential race," Richardson said in an interview with The Associated Press shortly after the announcement.

"What did you think, they nominated me for my competence? We don' need no steenking competence!"

[FreeLibertarian]

My Dad's not normally blind about most things.

You should listen to your Dad. Richardson will make a fine President.

[CedarDave]

I read one commentary that the Fox government in Mexico is not willing to close the border with the US because most of the northward immigrants are mixtures of Spanish and the Indians ("half breeds" in non-PC language) and their coming to the US relieves economic pressure on the lily-white Mexican government -- it's a relief valve that keeps the oppressed, poverty-ridden population from exploding and toppling the ruling class.

Richardson is from that same ruling class and together with the other Democrats is using that same group of immigrants for a different reason -- to gain political power in the US.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Hispanics came to New Mexico in the 1500s. Richard came in the 1980s. My cats have spent more time in NM than the current governor.

[realwoman]

Oh GOD, I hope not!