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Richardson Grok

One Upsmanship: New Mexico Governor and presidential candidate Bill Richardson told an audience in Exeter, N.H. over the weekend that New Hampshire and Iowa's places as lead-off primary states shouldn't be usurped. That's after Florida tried to leapfrog ahead of tradition. The Democratic National Committee quickly quashed Florida's bid by saying Florida delegates would loose their votes unless they delayed the primary by at least a week. Richardson said the one-upsmanship of states vying for the first slot isn't helping his underdog campaign, according to the Boston Globe. Richardson told the New Hampshire audience he needs as much time as he can get to compete against better-financed and better-recognized rivals.
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Richardson Grok

We locals sure know how inappropriate old Bill Richardson can be at times. He pinches and pokes at Lt. Governor Diane Denish (affectionately), he teases and embarrasses staff members, CEOs and other important people in public, he gets so far off message that audience members forget there even was a message. Richardson's penchant for off the cuff remarks and his casual, down-to-earth behavior have been greeted outside our homey little state with both affection and disdain. His recent comment during a question- and answer-style debate with Melissa Etheridge and Washington Post columnist Jonathon Capeheart, that being homosexual is a choice, has raised an unwelcome blogger and media firestorm.

The Washington Blade recounts: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who boasts a strong record on gay rights issues and is arguably the most experienced of the lot, drew audible gasps from the small studio audience when he fumbled a question from Etheridge about whether homosexuality is a choice. Initially, Richardson responded, “It’s a choice.” Etheridge interrupted him, assuming he hadn’t understood her question, but he continued, “I’m not a scientist. … I don’t like to answer definitions like that.”

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Richardson Grok

In Des Moines, Iowa this afternoon, presidential candidate and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson told an audience about his universal health care policy saying he'd divert funds from the war in Iraq to pay for the $100 billion plan. In the plan, he would extend Medicare to those age 55, spend more on preventive care, give veterans the option of receiving health care at the facility of their choice, and use technology to improve record keeping. In addition, he'd mandate that the insurance companies spend 85 percent of their premiums on health care. Hilary Clinton says she will have a universal health care plan as well, but has yet to announce the details. John Edwards' plan would require employers to provide health care.

It's really not surprising, nor is it particularly newsworthy: Governor Bill Richardson spends more than half his time campaigning out of state rather than at home being governor. So says Associated Press reporter Brian Massey writing on Richardson's appearance at the Yearly KOS Convention's Presidential Leadership Forum. In June and July, Richardson was on the road three out of four days. Lt. Governor Diane Denish will undoubtedly run for governor in 2010, so the opportunity to run the state smoothly while Richardson is out bodes well for her. Most New Mexicans aren't bothered by the road tripping guv. After all, about three or four weeks after he was elected the first time he jetted off to North Korea. When Richardson was elected it was widely known he'd spend a single term building his resume and the improving the state so he'd have something to tout once he started campaigning. [more]

Richardson Grok

If Bill Richardson wins the Democratic nomination, you'll know who his cabinet members will be before the election. That's what he told New Hampshire-ites this past weekend as he continued his relentless campaigning there. Richardson told the audience at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. that he'd appoint a teacher as secretary of education and a union member as labor secretary. He'd even (gasp) appoint some Republicans. Is Richardson making such a bold promise now since his chances of winning seem so slim? After all it's easy to promise what you know you won't be called on to deliver. Nonetheless, it's an interesting, elect me, elect my friends, strategy. [more]

Richardson Grok

Is Bill Richardson getting serious? Just hours before the scheduled CNN/YouTube debate, presidential candidate and New Mexico Governor Richardson posted a new, and far more "presidential candidate-esque" ad on his website. The black and white ad depicts rows of soldiers, the governor walking amongst them, while a voice over describes the National Guard life insurance bill passed in New Mexico. The only place you can see the ad as of this writing is on his website, but I'm pretty certain it will be all over the youtube wire waves tomorrow.

I got my very own Bill Richardson fundraiser invitation in the mail this week, from master fundraiser Vince Baca, who's a New Mexican long involved in nonprofit work around the state. The contribution is optional but Vince "guarantees we won't be disappointed." The governor himself will be there, at least for a little while, in between South Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

Despite his experience as a border state governor, the Des Moines Register writes that Republican candidate Duncan Hunter things Richardson is wrong about the fence, as we border state residents call it. The governor told participants at a Des Moines event hosted by the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy that a fence separating the U.S. and Mexico would do little to stop problems. “If you have a 10-foot-wall, which is what it is, you know what’s going to happen? Eleven-foot ladders,” said Richardson. [more]

I'm Not Wrecking Your Town

Scot and I had come down out of the San Juan Wilderness after backpacking for three days in thunderstorms, camping streamside, eating hastily cooked macaroni and cheese in the vestibule of our Walrus backpacking tent. It had been a nice trip. But he had column due for the Albuquerque Tribune that he’d forgotten to write before we left, so we packed out of the woods early Sunday morning. Our socks were wet. Our boots soaked from stream crossings. We’d lost one of our river shoes and run out of food. We were craving a hot meal. A dip in the Pagosa Hot Springs, an Internet cafe, a hot meal and a laundromat were in order. He was meeting friends for another four days of packing. The good wife that I am, I decided I’d dry his socks and pants.

We dumped our packs on the sidewalk on a side street in downtown Pagosa, and we piled his wet smelly clothes back up in the trunk of the car. We headed four miles out of town, where there was an Internet cafe. I left him at Higher Grounds, a Starbucks knockoff (complete with CDs of arguably hip music for sale at the register) in the “new” part of Pagosa Springs, acres upon acres of condo-loft homes sat adjacent to a golf course. Everything about this neighborhood gave us the willies—from its ski-lodge look to its sanitary cafe to the City Market, which was so upscale it reminded me of more of Whole Foods than a run of the mill Krogers. [more]

Richardson Grok

Democratic presidential candidate and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was back in Concord, N.H. last week, this time to launch a group called Women for Richardson. In addressing the group, he said he'd make sure his supreme court nominees would uphold Roe v. Wade. "Some people call this a 'litmus test'. I call it respecting precedent and putting women's lives above politics," Richardson told the Boston Globe. Richardson also said that he believes the president has the right to ask voters and the legislature to respect settled law, which Roe v. Wade is. In addition, he'd demand equal pay for men and women, and give women who stay at home with their children the right to earn social security benefits. The Manchester Union Leader noted Richardson's statement on his women's platform. “I’ve always appointed women to critical positions. You know why? Women are better workers than men. It’s very simple,” Richardson said to laughter. “I hope that doesn’t lose the men’s vote.”

Later on, in Portsmouth, Richardson visited with residents in the seaport town, talking about health care and the war in Iraq. WAPO writes about Richardson's comments concerning his lack of faith in the military being able to assess the "morass" in Iraq. He said the president's approach has been haphazard since the beginning.
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Richardson Grok

Governor Bill Richardson this week took on a highly controversial, but mostly western issue this week, when he said he would like to change key protocols related to the management of Mexican Gray Wolves. “I am deeply concerned about the recent escalation in wolf removals and incidents surrounding yesterday’s lethal removal of a female wolf,” said Governor Bill Richardson in a statement. “State Police are investigating the incident and are collecting the facts as this investigation takes its course." His reaction followed the killing of a female wolf in Southwestern New Mexico, which had been initiated by federal wildlife officers before the state was notified. In March 2007, the Governor asked New Mexico Fish and Game to redouble its efforts to "work with all interests to promote healthy wolf populations living in reasonable compatibility with our communities and land stewards in New Mexico." says the statement. The wolf issue in southern New Mexico is largely considered a ranchers-vs.-enviros problem that has ignited anger among conservative southern New Mexico residents.

Also closer to home base this week, New Mexico Attorney General Gary King told the Albuquerque Tribune that he will investigate the ethics of the Richardson administration hiring an on-loan staffer who had been a lobbyist for Public Service Company of New Mexico. [more]

New West Living

New Mexico isn't little anymore. The state Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) reported that New Mexico's population rolled past the 2 million mark on April 11, 2006, more than a year ago. Who knows how many people live here now.

Actually BBER knows. It estimates that the state's population grows at about 2 percent per year, or about 117 people a day. That's 117 people a day who know our little secret. Gone are the days when New Mexico had more people leaving than arriving. In-migration (as they call out) was slightly lower than out-migration, so we stayed fairly even, population wise, for many years. The relative cost of house, the weather, the slow pace of our lifestyle. Our secret is out. [more]

Richardson Grok

The big news from Camp Richardson this week? A whopping $7 million in funds raised this past quarter, according to the Chicago Tribune and a lot of other newspapers. In just three months, aides to Governor Bill Richardson told the press, the candidate has gained significant momentum, surpassing the $6.2 million he raised in the first three months of the year. Reality check, however: Barack Obama raised a total of $31 million (or $32.5 depending on which newspaper you read) in the last quarter—a record for a democrat at this stage of the race. Obama surpassed Hilary Clinton, who scrounged up $10 million for the quarter.

The National Journal's Blogometer has a different take on Richardson's fundraising. It notes that his failure to surpass John Edwards by more than 25 percent is cause for concern, meaning he doesn't really have the momentum to jump into the top tier of candidates. Others disagree: Barrons (sorry, subscription only), which managed to use both the words garrulous and bloviated in the same lead paragraph in regards to Billy boy, notes that Richardson is hands down the best candidate on the D-ticket, money or not, when it comes to all things financial. [more]

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