IowaPolitics.com BlogWatch

Mr. Bill Richardson, Governor's Mansion, Santa Fe, NM. Dear Mr.
Richardson: Thank you for your recent application for the job of
President of the United States. We attracted a wide pool of applicants
for the position. However, we regret to inform you that your
application was unsuccessful… We thank you for your interest and
effort, and we wish you all the best in your future career endeavors.
Please don't hesitate to contact us should you require further
information. We will keep your resume on file, as we may be hiring
additional staff in January of next year. Sincerely, Democratic
Voters, Des Moines, IA and Manchester, NH

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Contrary to news reports from state and national media, three of Iowa's Democratic campaigns want their supporters to know that no blanket campaign directive has been issued, instructing supporters to throw support behind a different candidate during tonight's caucus. "If Iowans are independent enough to have chosen me from the field of candidates, I'm quite sure they have the ability to make an independent second choice as well," said Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd. The campaign for Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, offered similar sentiments.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Joe_Biden

Gov. Bill Richardson's campaign is expected to direct their supporters to caucus for Sen. Barack Obama in the second round of voting at Thursday's caucuses in precincts where he is not viable. Two sources familiar with the plan told Iowa Independent that the New Mexico Governor's organizers have been instructed to direct supporters to Obama in the places where they fail to reach the 15% threshold for viability. Richardson, whose poll numbers in Iowa have hovered near 10% since June, may need a solid fourth-place finish in the caucuses to continue his campaign. And he is best served by directing support away from former Sen. John Edwards, who consistently polls between him and the two national front-runners, Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, in national and early state polls.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson

... volunteers from across the nation are telling Iowans to scoot over and make room. The campaign for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson sent an email to supporters, announcing the influx of "Richardson Roadrunners" in the state. According to the email, hundreds of volunteers left New Mexico Wednesday morning in order to volunteer for the campaign in the final sprint to caucus night. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign announced "Hill's Angels," individuals who will travel to communities the day prior to the candidate's arrival to meet with supporters and volunteers.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Hillary_Clinton

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chet_Culver, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, IDP, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards, Tom_Harkin

Early this afternoon at a VFW Post in Des Moines, New Mexico
Governor/Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson handed an
Iowa woman the Purple Heart her uncle earned in the Korean War…
Afterwards during Q&A with reporters, Richardson expanded on his view
that Vice President Dick Cheney should be dispatched to Pakistan to
urge Parkistani President Pervez Musharraf to hold elections, and that
U.S. aid to the country should be withheld if Musharraf doesn't end
Marshall Law and hold legitimate voting. Henderson: "Why did you say
Cheney should go to Pakistan? Do you have no confidence in the
Secretary of State?" Richardson: "I felt, no, I have confidence in
Secretary Rice."

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Bill Richardson is running a new ad in Iowa starting today. Titled,
"When I Began," the ad features Richardson speaking directly into the
camera and discussing his character, experience and his goals. Here's
the script for the ad: "I'm Bill Richardson... and when I began this
campaign for president, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew I
wouldn't have every answer... but I'll always tell you what I really
believe. And I'll never mislead you. I knew there'd be differences
between the candidates. Especially on Iraq. I'll get every soldier
out. You can't say you'll end the war if you plan to leave thousands
of troops behind. The Iraqis sure won't think the war is over.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

This afternoon and into the evening, my roommate Tim (he or my
roommate Mike are usually willing to give up a few hours to accompany
me to these things... good guys) drove the 10 miles down Highway 30
east to Nevada, IA to hear New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson at his
town hall meeting. This was the second time I had heard Richardson as
I saw him in early August when he made a campaign stop in Le Mars. I
have noted before that Richardson would be perhaps the Democrats'
strongest candidate in the general election setting. While I certainly
do not buy into the idea that he is at all "moderate", I certainly
think that Republicans and independents would find him much less
caustic on some issues as compared to people like Obama, Clinton or
Edwards.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Yesterday, Republican Pete Domenici announced he was retiring and
would not seek reelection to the US Senate. There is speculation that
Gov. Bill Richardson will drop out of the presidential race and run
for Senate. I could see why Richardson would not want to run for
Senate. First, he is the sitting Governor of New Mexico until 2010.
Second, he has been moving up in the presidential race. Third, he has
a strong chance to be a Vice President candidate or be named to a top
cabinet position such as Secretary of State. However, if Richardson
ran for Senate, he would be a strong favorite to win the seat and give
Democrats a pick up opportunity in the Senate.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Senior staff additions, more field organizers and new Iowa field
offices have been announced by the Richardson for President campaign.
"The Richardson for President campaign in Iowa is growing stronger
from top to bottom," said Jim Farrell, new deputy state director. "If
Americans want to end the war in Iraq, we must get all of the troops
out of Iraq -- in months, not in years. Bill Richardson is the only
candidate who will do it." Farrell previously served as Bill Bradley's
Iowa communications director in 2000. He was the late U.S. Sen. Paul
Wellstone's communications director, worked on the Clinton 1992 and
1996 campaigns and served in the press office of former Veterans
Administration Secretary Jesse Brown. Most recently he served as
executive director of the Montana Democratic Party during the
successful campaign of U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards

Bill Richardson's been looking for a better seat at the table. He's
4th in most of the Iowa polls I've seen. He's looking to knock off at
least 1 of the 3 dems above him on Caucus night. And unlike the 3
above him (except for Edwards sometimes), he's getting a little
"specifically aggressive". He's going after other candidates. But
unlike what Clinton and Obama seem to do, Richardson is
criticizing/comparing/challenging the others by actually saying their
names, instead of making the media try to figure out which opponents
they mean. Here's his op-ed piece in today's Washington Post: "Why We
Should Exit Iraq Now. By Bill Richardson. Hillary Clinton, Barack
Obama and John Edwards have suggested that there is little difference
among us on Iraq."

Labels: Bill_Richardson

The inevitable statements from the presidential campaigns on U.S.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' resignation took a short time to
hit my inbox. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was the first out of the
gate. "The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is long
overdue," Richardson said in a statement. "The President must nominate
an Attorney General who is a lawyer for the American people not a
political arm of the White House." Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del, was next:
"As I've said before, Attorney General Gonzales has lost the
confidence of the vast majority of the American people and the
Congress. His resignation is long overdue. When I voted against
Attorney General Gonzales' confirmation, I voiced concern about his
ability to go from being the President's lawyer to the people's
lawyer."

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Speaking before roughly 500 union members and supporters in Cedar
Rapids today, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said it is past time for
there to be "an American president who will finally be on the side of
the middle class." "The [Bush] administration has failed to protect
the engine of our economy -- the middle class," he said during the
30-minute speech. "Productivity is up, yet real wages are down.
American workers are holding up their end of the deal, but their
government is not." In discussing the current state of the United
State's fiscal health, Richardson chided Bush for "acting like a
spoiled teenager who crashes the family car and then hopes no one will
notice."

Labels: Bill_Richardson

So, of all these United States of America that terrorists could
target, do you think Iowa is in the "top ten?" One presidential
candidate does. And, as he told us in the Hawkeye State today: "It's
not just because of the primary, if that's what you're hinting at." So
who is it? New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was in the suburb of
Pleasant Hill on Thursday for a low-key meeting with local police and
firefighter union members. He listened as some of Iowa's
first-responders complained about the way federal homeland security
dollars are dished out, especially considering the busy I-35/I-80
corridors and the state's crucial role in the nation's food supply.
Richardson said federal homeland security funds -- for equipment, new
computers and communications systems that make law enforcement
agencies "interoperable" -- should be decided based on risks, not
politics. Then he told the officers and firefighters they had made a
"compelling" case that Iowa deserves to be considered a higher
priority risk. In terms of risk, we asked Richardson how high Iowa
would rank among the 50 states.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

New Mexico Governor and presidential candidate Bill Richardson today gave an address to the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy in Des Moines on "A New Realism in American Foreign Policy." Richardson's campaign had billed this as a "major speech," so my expectations were quite high. And so I trotted up to the Des Moines club at lunchtime, found myself a rare ringsisde seat near the rostrum, and had a nice chicken piccata while chatting with a really nice group of tablemates, including a state senator, two board members of the Center for Citizen Diplomacy, and an American expat to the UK in the process of returning to this country. And then came the introductions, followed by Bill Richardson taking center stage; I fired up the camera, took out my notebook, and got ready to scribe. But that is where the usual blogging script ended today.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Earlier today, I conducted an exclusive one-on-one telephone interview
with New Mexico Governor and presidential candidate Bill Richardson as
he traveled on his latest Iowa campaign swing. iPol: Governor, welcome
back to Iowa. Where are you calling from - travelling from where to
where this afternoon? Governor Richardson: "I'm going right now to
Cedar Rapids from Waterloo. I've got my final event in Cedar Rapids.
Then I go to Cincinnati, and then to the debate in Detroit tomorrow."
iPol: So, you're back in Iowa again after visiting just 2 or 3 weeks
ago. What's the purpose of this trip, and what do you hope to
accomplish? Governor Richardson: "The purpose of the trip is to
connect with Iowa. I'm a grassroots candidate. I don't have the glitz
and the money the other candidates have, so I'm going to outwork
them."

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Eight Democrats took part Thursday night in an "All-American Presidential Forum" on PBS. But the real action was here on the back roads, where an ALL-STAR PANEL of bloggers from Colorado and Iowa joined forces to provide lively heckling in real time. With one eye on the television and one eye on the computer screen, here's the cross-eyed, instant analysis from what was dubbed the "Colorado Coordinated Couchblog": The group's consensus: Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson did not do themselves any favors. Said Jason Bane of ColoradoPols.com and ColoradoConfidential.com: "The story of the night for me is Obama. I have a feeling he may have really blown a big opportunity tonight. He was in front of a crowd that was just WAITING to explode in support, and he completely bombed." Said Louella Pizzuti of Campaigns of the Future: "Could Richardson have spoken more dispassionately about the need for a Prez with passion?"

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson

I've been watching, with interest, the fanfare greeting the news that
New Mexico Governor and Presidential candidate Bill Richardson has
gotten a bump in the polls of late. This started a couple of weeks ago
with the release of a CNN-WMUR TV poll that showed Bill Richardson had
climbed to 10% in New Hampshire, and in so doing moved even with John
Edwards there. Governor Richardson's numbers began to rise after a
widely-praised ad campaign built around a "Presidential job interview"
theme. Then, earlier this week, Richardson's campaign announced that
its own internal polling now shows their candidate at 13% in Iowa,
which, if you disregard the 4.4% margin of error, would put him ahead
of Barack Obama here. Finally today, Pollster.com announced that it
has added Richardson to its "Top Democrats" ranking, based on its
findings that Richardson alone among the candidates is experiencing a
substantial upturn in his numbers in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
Richardson's campaign, of course, has eagerly seized on these
developments, today alone sending out not one, but two emails drawing
attention to their candidate's numbers and going so far as to proclaim
"Richardson Officially Breaks into Top Tier."

Labels: Bill_Richardson

The Richardson campaign sent an email out this afternoon with this
surprising bit of information from internal polling they have done…
The Governor has rocketed up 10% among likely Iowa caucus goers in
just three months, and now stands at 13%. No other Democratic
candidate has made gains anywhere close to that over the same time
period. In fact, amongst the likeliest caucus goers (those who
attended the 2004 caucuses, voted in the 2006 primary and are definite
to attend next year's caucus) the Governor has overtaken Senator Obama
for 3rd place. Richardson has been moving for the past few months in
Iowa. It just shows what a couple million dollar of good, creative TV
ads can do. What is surprising about this, however, is that Obama's
numbers are falling in Iowa. He has been traveling the state, doing
smaller events, yet he isn't moving up in the polls. The Richardson
campaign is also saying they will outraise John Edwards this quarter.
If they do and if they are ahead of Obama in Iowa, I think it would
mark that Richardson has officially entered the 2nd-tier and is
knocking on the door of first-tier status.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson

An Iowa City event which had drawn a great deal of national attention has been partially postponed to allow presidential hopefuls who are also U.S. senators to travel back to the beltway for debate on a bill. The Iowa Professional Fire Fighters State Convention was to host presidential hopefuls Tuesday and Wednesday. Gov. Bill Richarson, Sen. Barack Obama, former Sen. John Edwards, Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Hillary Clinton confirmed they would be in attendance. Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden was also scheduled to appear and represent his father, Sen. Joe Biden. There was also speculation that Pres. Bill Clinton would appear beside his wife for the event. The fire fighters have decided to postpone this portion of their convention when it was learned the event conflicted with debate on the Employee Free Choice Act.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued a call for a verifiable
election in 2008. Governor Richardson's essay urging passage of HR 811
was published Monday in the Washington, D.C. newspaper The Hill:
http://thehill.com/op-eds/a-reliable-verifiable-vote-in-2008-2007-06-19.html.
Take a moment to thank him for his leadership on verifiable elections,
and sign a petition to members of Congress to pass HR 811. Mr.
Richardson knows something about making big changes to voting systems:
in 2006 he oversaw New Mexico's conversion to a statewide paper ballot
system in a matter of months. HR 811, near a vote in the House, will
require voter-verified paper ballots and mandatory random hand audits
by 2008. Computer scientists who study voting systems have concluded
that these measures are crucial to protecting the vote. Unless federal
legislation passes, at least 13 states are likely to use paperless
electronic voting, either exclusively or extensively, in the 2008
election. Iowans can play an important role in protecting the 2008
vote.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (from Connecticut) have agreed to participate in a presidential candidate debate conducted in Spanish. The debate is scheduled for Sept. 9 at the University of Miami and will be hosted by Univision Communications, Inc., the nation's largest Spanish-language broadcaster. The network's programming is available in most Iowa markets via cable and satellite television. Univision press statements indicate this is the first presidential debate conducted in Spanish. Simultaneous translation, however, would be provided to candidates and viewers. ... As Alexander Bolton aptly points out this places many of the hopefuls -- especially the 'frontrunners' -- in a bind. Candidates fluent in Spanish would speak directly to the audience in that language. Non-speakers would have their responses translated. ... The company has invited Republican presidential candidiates to a debate -- also in Spanish -- on Sept. 16. There is no word yet on which candidates, if any, will appear.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd

Saturday was an interesting day of dualities in Cedar Rapids. On one hand, you had this huge, commercially oriented banquet being held at a downtown hotel. ... Just a few blocks down the road, however, there was this amazing, family-friendly festival known as the Cedar Rapids Pride Fest. ... Even when New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the only presidential hopeful to appear in person at the festival, made his appearance, the festival and it's population didn't change. Instead of being mauled by a hungry crowd, he moved to shake hands with those attending. He graciously signed copies of his book and even bottles of the salsa that bear his name and image. ... Early in the day, rumors flew that both Gov. Richardson and Sen. Hillary Clinton would be dropping by. Once I spotted Clinton's Iowa Campaign Manager JoDee Winterhof in the crowd without the senator; however, I knew we'd not be seeing Clinton in person. ... In addition to Clinton and Richardson, candidates John Edwards, Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Joe Biden were in town Saturday to attend the Iowa Hall of Fame dinner. Only one, however, took time to brave the intermittent rain and speak in person to those who attended the Pride Fest: Gov. Bill Richardson.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Ever since Tom Vilsack dropped out of the presidential race, I have thought there was a big opening in Iowa for Bill Richardson, the only governor and the only candidate with extensive legislative, executive and diplomatic experience. ... He's been moving up in the Iowa polls, reaching 10 percent in the latest Iowa poll commissioned by the Des Moines Register. ... Playing up his diplomatic background is not surprising, but I find it interesting that Richardson is not afraid to highlight the fact that he has negotiated with dictators. His first tv ad, the biographical one, included a still photo of himself with Saddam Hussein. His ad about Iraq, in which he stands in front of a wall, alludes to the tough diplomatic work that will begin once we get our troops out of Iraq. In his "job interview" ad, the interviewer mentions Richardson's experience negotiating with dictators.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, polling

... John Edwards continues to lead in Iowa, Obama and Clinton are basically tied for 2nd. The big news is Bill Richardson's jump to 10% in the poll. Richardson has been running TV ads for awhile now and they are playing well. I hope this Richardson motivation to make a greater effort in Iowa. The people I talk to are interested in Richardson, but want more information on on him. Chris Dodd is not catching on, which is a shame. He has taken some strong progressive positions, including supporting the Feingold-Reid bill last week. He is getting out polled by Kucinich and Gravel who haven't even campaigned here.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Dennis_Kucinich, Hillary_Clinton, John_Edwards, Mike_Gravel

... HOT: John Edwards: I've been calling him the likely nominee for some time now, but it's probably time to back off that. I think he's running a better campaign than he ran in 2004, and he's been the first out of the gate with specific proposals on issues, including a very specific health care plan. ... On the downside, I think the early spotlight is shooting some holes in his image. ... (HOT) Barack Obama: He draws huge crowds wherever he goes, he's charismatic and he seems to be able to run a campaign on broad themes without anyone asking him why he's not specific on anything. ... But, I don't think he's prepared to be Chief Executive. I think he lacks the experience. The fact that he's entirely non-specific on issues means I have no idea what I agree with him on. ... WARM Chris Dodd: He jumped into the upper half of my list by being the first to advocate for public financing of campaigns in the debate. ... I'm glad he's running in Iowa, but he feels like more of a "I have something to add to the conversation" candidate than a true contender. (WARM) Bill Richardson: He brings incredible foreign policy experience to the race. He may be the last presidential candidate in my lifetime to bring 4 Nobel Prize nominations to the table. He's the only candidate in the race from farther west than Illinois. He might also be the only candidate that doesn't scare the crap out of the NRA. However, his admission that he hadn't advocated for the firing of the Attorney General because Alberto Gonzales is Hispanic was flatly racist, and there's no excuse for it. ... COLD: Joe Biden ... Hillary Clinton ... She's putting a happy face on her years of controversy and blaming them on "sticking up for her beliefs," which is partially true. She's got enormously huge money and the capacity to out-advertise any of her opponents 2-to-1. ... I'm a firm believer that voters should never choose a candidate just because they can beat the Republicans, but there's an argument to be made that there's no way she could beat a Republican.

Labels: Barack_Obama, Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, Hillary_Clinton, Joe_Biden, John_Edwards

Here is a run down of our conversations with candidates in the month of April so far: Senator Dodd at a Forum on International Relations hosted by U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy: Question: Our country needs solid leadership and a candidate that is willing to commitment to changing our direction of foreign policy. Eisenhower warned in 1953 to be aware of the military industrial complex and the weakness it would create in our country and around the world. Over 50 years later, our country spends more on its military than the rest of the world combined yet social needs remain unmet. If elected, would you support making our country stronger by eliminating $60 billion in Pentagon waste and investing that money in domestic priorities? Response: He agreed that the current budget is not preparing to our country to fight what we need here at home. The Senator di d mention Cold War era weapons and the need to use of diplomacy. He mentioned that it is not about line item rather it's about a sense of balance. It's not about the $60 billion figure but about what makes sense. He further stated that our country needs leadership that is positive and to lead by example in order to strengthen our foreign relations.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Chris_Dodd, John_Edwards, Mitt_Romney

I skipped the blogger meeting in Des Moines that idiosyncratic was able to make it to, but I did get the opportunity to interview him on his drive time from Ames to Boone for two house parties. ... DM: It seems like your campaign more than any other one is really reaching out to blogs. ... What is your strategy with the netroots - do you think that that's going to be a big impact for you over the course of the primary? BR: Yes, I think that netrooters are important. You bring new people into politics - issue oriented. You increase the debate. I'm courting you because I think you're important. You're idealistic and you will drive people to the polls. ... I don't have the technology the other campaigns have, yet, to communicate with the bloggers - YouTube and all that. I consider bloggers important. I've had, on this trip, in two days, I've met individually with three bloggers, and one session with a bunch of bloggers yesterday. That's gonna continue. You wanna see me next time, I'll see you next time.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

After a pretty reasonable blog post on Vilsack's exit from the race, Yepsen's column today on the same subject is back to his classic form. ... "Why didn't he take off? ... It's the first election since 9/11 in which the country must select a new president, and Americans seem to be be looking for a president with experience in national security or on a broader world stage - not a state capitol." ... So Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani has a lot of national security experience? Other than standing on some rubble on 9/11, the guy has no more (and probably much less) experience than any Governor. And Yepsen can dismiss Mitt Romney, but most Republicans consider him to be a serious contender. While Bill Richardson is not in the top tier of Presidential candidates (yet), it's not like the combined fourteen years total of the three frontrunners shows some dominant foreign policy experience.

Labels: Bill_Richardson, Mitt_Romney, Rudy_Giuliani, Tom_Vilsack

Bill Richardson is coming to Iowa in early March and one of the events on his schedule is a house party at the Indianola residence of State Representative Mark Davitt. Needless to say, when a state legislator has a house party for a Presidential candidate, it seems quite likely that the state legislator is supporting that candidate. And if Davitt is endorsing Richardson, it offers Richardson a major boost in Warren County. ... Iowa Caucuses are not won by the endorsements of major national politicians, they are won by the support of well-respected community leaders like Mark Davitt. If Davitt is backing Richardson, his endorsement is worth more than that of 10 Tom Daschles.

Labels: Bill_Richardson

Word on the street is that Presidential hopeful Bill Richardson has started staffing his field operation in Iowa. Sources have revealed to us that Brad Frevert has been hired as Richardson's Iowa Field Director. Frevert has worked for the Iowa Democratic Party since 2004, when he served as Regional Field Director out of Waterloo. After the 2004 elections, he was hired as the state party's off-year Field Director, and he served as Deputy Field Director under Jesse Harris during the 2006 election. Before working for the IDP, he worked for Bob Graham's aborted 2004 Presidential Campaign and then for AFSCME, organizing caucus supporters for Dean.

Labels: Bill_Richardson