Template:Future election candidate
Bill Richardson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 30th Governor of New Mexico | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2003 | |
| Lieutenant | Diane Denish |
| Preceded by | Gary E. Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 15, 1947 Pasadena, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Barbara Richardson |
William Blaine "Bill" Richardson (born November 15, 1947) is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and a potential 2008 candidate for President of the United States.[1] He has served as a congressman, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and U.S. Secretary of Energy; he is presently the Governor of New Mexico. He was chairman of the 2004 Democratic National Convention that nominated John Kerry for the presidency, as well as Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association in 2005 and 2006, overseeing the Democrats' re-capturing of a majority of America's governorships.
Early life
Richardson was born in Pasadena, California. His mother, Maria Luisa Lopez-Collada, was Mexican. His father, William Blaney/Blaine Richardson, the son of Boston-born naturalist William Blaney Richardson and his Hispanic wife Rosaura Ojeda, who was born in Nicaragua. His father grew up in Boston, and worked for Citibank as an executive in Mexico. After being born in California, Bill Richardson was raised in Mexico City, but moved to Massachusetts at age 13 to attend a Boston-area high school. Richardson played baseball in high school at Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts and was a pitcher. Richardson went on to play for Tufts University. For nearly forty years he claimed to have been selected in the 1966 Major League Baseball amateur draft; although this turned out to be incorrect, it is true that he was heavily scouted and told that he would be drafted.[2] Arm trouble later prevented him from pursuing a professional career.[3]
At Tufts, he majored in French and political science, and was a brother and president of Delta Tau Delta. He then earned a master's degree from Tufts' Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He met his wife, Barbara Flavin, in Boston.
Career
After college, he worked on congressional relations for the State Department. He was later a staff member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In 1978, he moved to Santa Fe and ran for Congress, losing narrowly to longtime 1st District congressman and future United States Secretary of the Interior Manuel Lujan (R). Four years later, Richardson was elected to New Mexico's newly created third district, taking in most of the northern part of the state.
Richardson spent a little more than 14 years in Congress; after winning his first election, he never faced a truly serious opponent in the heavily Democratic 3rd District. As a congressman, he kept his interest in foreign relations. He visited Nicaragua, Guatemala, Cuba, Peru, India, North Korea, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Sudan to represent U.S. interests.
Richardson also took up the cause of Native Americans while serving in the House of Representatives. Richardson served one term as Chairman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Native American Affairs in the 103rd Congress (1993-1994). While in the House, Richardson sponsored some of the most important Native American bills that were signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Those bills include the Indian Tribal Justice Act, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments, the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act, the American Indian Agricultural Resource Management Act, the Indian Dams Safety Act, the Tribal Self-Governance Act, the Indian Tribal Jurisdiction Bill (commonly known as the “Duro Fix”) and the Jicarilla Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act.
In 1995, he traveled to Baghdad with Peter Bourne and engaged in lengthy one-on-one negotiations with Saddam Hussein to secure the release of two American aerospace workers who had been captured by the Iraqis after wandering over the Kuwaiti border. He became a member of the Democratic leadership, where he worked closely with Bill Clinton on several issues.
This was one of several times that Richardson went overseas during the Clinton years to negotiate the release of American prisoners. He was also successful in this task in Sudan and North Korea.
In 1997, Clinton appointed him as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He served there until 1998, when he was appointed as U.S. Secretary of Energy, where he served for the remainder of the Clinton administration.
Energy Secretary
The Senate confirmed Richardson to be President Clinton's Energy Secretary on July 31, 1998. His tenure at Energy was marred by the Wen Ho Lee nuclear espionage scandal. In July 2005 a Federal judge was rumored to have alleged that Richardson had leaked Lee's name to reporters months before the scientist was charged with any crime.[4] Richardson was also sharply criticized by the Senate for his handling of the espionage inquiry. During Senate questioning, Senator Robert Byrd (Democrat-West Virginia) scolded Richardson, stating: "You've ...shown a contempt of Congress that borders on a supreme arrogance... You will never again receive the support of the Senate of the United States for any office to which you might be appointed."[5]
Richardson continued to devote his attention to Native Americans while at the Department, creating the first ever Director for Native American Affairs position in the Department in 1998 and overseeing the largest return of federal lands (84,000 acres) to an Indian Tribe (the Northern Ute Tribe of Utah) in more than 100 years in January of 2000. Richardson also directed the overhaul of the Department's consultation policy with Native American tribes and he established the Tribal Energy Program.
With the end of the Clinton administration in January 2001, Richardson commenced teaching at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He also joined Kissinger McLarty Associates, a "strategic advisory firm" headed by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former White House chief of staff Mack McLarty, as Senior Managing Director.[6]
Also from 2001 to 2002, he was a lecturer at the Armand Hammer United World College of the American West, a residential high school with students from 90 countries.
Governor of New Mexico
Richardson was elected governor of New Mexico in November 2002, having defeated the Republican candidate, John Sanchez, 56-39 percent. He succeeded a two-term Republican governor, Gary E. Johnson. He took office in January 2003 as the only Hispanic Governor in the United States. Early in his first term, it is said he pressed energetically in a hundred directions at the same time. In his first year, Richardson proposed "tax cuts to promote growth and investment" and passed a broad personal income tax cut and won a statewide special election to transfer money from the state's Permanent Fund to meet current expenses and projects. In early 2005, Richardson made New Mexico the first state in the nation to provide $400,000 in life insurance coverage for New Mexico National Guardsmen who serve on active duty. Thirty-five states have since followed suit.
Working with the legislature, the governor formed Governor Richardson's Investment Partnership (GRIP) in 2003. The partnership has been used to fund large scale public infrastructure improvements throughout New Mexico, including, through the use of highway funds, a brand new commuter rail line (the Railrunner) that runs between Belen Albuquerque and Bernalillo.
While Governor, Richardson has been lauded by traditionally right-leaning publications and organizations such as Forbes Magazine and the CATO Institute for reforming New Mexico's economy. In 2006, Forbes credited Richardson's reforms while naming Albuquerque, New Mexico the best city in the U.S. for business and careers. CATO has consistently rated Richardson as one of the most fiscally responsible Democratic governors in the nation.
Even as governor, Richardson continues to be interested in foreign policy. During the summer of 2003, he met with a delegation from North Korea at their request to discuss concerns over that country's use of nuclear energy. At the request of the White House, he also flew to North Korea in 2005, and met with another North Korean delegation in 2006.
He was named Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and announced a desire to increase the role of Democratic governors in deciding the future of their party.
In December 2005, Richardson announced the intention of the State of New Mexico to partner with billionaire Richard Branson to bring the promising business of space tourism to the proposed Southwest Regional Space Port located near Las Cruces, New Mexico.
On January 2, 2006, Richardson rode on the New Mexico float in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
In March 2006, Richardson vetoed eminent ___domain legislation in response to a surge of interest created by the Supreme Court's 2005 decision to increase local governments' eminent ___domain power.[7]
On September 7, 2006 Richardson flew to the Sudan to meet Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and successfully negotiated the release of imprisoned journalist Paul Salopek. Salopek was charged with espionage on August 26th, 2006 while on a National Geographic assignment.
Richardson won his second term as Governor of New Mexico on November 7, 2006, 68-32 percent against former New Mexico Republican Party Chairman John Dendahl The outcome made Richardson New Mexico's most successful governor at the ballot box since 1964.[8]
In December 2006, Governor Richardson announced that he would support a ban on cockfighting in New Mexico.[9] New Mexico and Louisiana are the only states that have not banned the controversial sport.[10]
In January 2007 he brokered an agreement between President al-Bashir and leaders of several rebel factions in Darfur, the western Sudanese region, to a 60-day cease-fire. The cease-fire never became effective, however, with allegations of breaches on all sides.[11]
Bill Richardson has been nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize (in 1995, 1997, 2000, and 2001)[12] for negotiating the release of hostages, American servicemen, and political prisoners in North Korea, Iraq, and Cuba.[13]
Future political career
This Wikipedia entry will continue to be closely monitored by Richardson employees and campaign workers, in an effort to whitewash amy of his failings. You will not learn of any of the negative aspects of His Flabbiness. Any mention of problems experienced by New Mexicans due to Gov. Richardson will be dutifully edited out, with remarks about "where's your documentation?", when in fact, we could ask the same of the bulk of this entry. All gleaming nicey-nice about Richardson. No attempt at unbiased reportage. Expect that this brief mention of reality will not last much longer than a minutes before the loyalists edit it again. In recent years, Richardson has frequently been the subject of rumors that he was on the short list of possible vice-presidential picks by Democratic nominees, including former Vice-President Al Gore and Senator John Kerry.
In 2006, the Associated Press (AP) reported that Richardson informed party leaders that he intended to run in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.[14] In early December 2006 Fox News claimed that Bill Richardson told them he would run for President,[15] but Richardson said he would actually decide in January 2007.[16]
On Sunday, January 21, 2007 Richardson announced that he has formed a presidential exploratory committee.[17] Richardson joins a diverse field for the Democratic nomination which already includes Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. While Senator Obama would be the first African American and Senator Clinton would be the first woman, Richardson's own background would make him the first Hispanic to earn a major Presidential nomination.
Business interests
Richardson and Bill Ensign, a member of Senator John Ensign's family, were the primary owners of the Generation 2000 LLC gambling business. They sold the Pahrump Nugget casino effective November 1, 2006.[18] [19]
References
- ^ See On December 7, 2006, Richardson announced on Fox News Channel that he will be running for President in 2008.
- ^ Washington Post
- ^ CBS News
- ^ See Time Article
- ^ Christopher McCaleb, Ian, "Richardson says FBI has determined drives did not leave Los Alamos", CNN, June 21, 2000
- ^ http://www.consespain-usa.org/intro/biografias/ing/24.html
- ^ His veto, however, was not an endorsement of the Supreme Court decision, but a reaction to what some perceived to be a poorly and hastily drawn piece of legislation. He has promised to work with the legislature to draft new legislation addressing the issue in the 2007 legislative session."Governor vetoes eminent ___domain legislation" Santa Fe New Mexican, March 8, 2006
- ^ "Council Members: Governor Bill Richardson" New Mexico State Investment Council. See also New Mexico gubernatorial election, 2006.
- ^ "Governor will support a ban on cockfighting" Santa Fe New Mexican, December 27, 2006
- ^ "Richardson still on fence about cockfighting ban" Santa Fe New Mexican, April 22, 2006
- ^ U.S. Governor Brokers Truce For Darfur The New York Times, January 11, 2007.
- ^ "Council Members: Governor Bill Richardson" New Mexico State Investment Council
- ^ "New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Announces Presidential Campaign Exploratory Committee" RichardsonForPresident.com News Room, January 21, 2007
- ^ New Mexican Article
- ^ "New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: 'I Am Running' in 2008" Fox News Channel, December 8, 2006
- ^ "Richardson Plans January Decision on Bid" The Washington Post, December 8, 2006
- ^ "Bill Richardson Enters Presidential Race" The New York Times, January 21, 2007.
- ^ "Gaming Commission Approves License For Pahrump Nugget" Casino Magazine, October 27, 2006.
- ^ "Pahrump Nugget changes hands" Pahrump Valley Times, November 10, 2006
- Traveling Troubleshooter Is Ready to Settle Down, at the U.N.:THE SECOND TERM: The New Lineup William Blaine Richardson, James Brooke, New York Times, 14 December 1996. pg. 11, 1 pgs
- Richardson Named As Likely Source of Wen Ho Lee Leak, By Adam Rankin, Albuquerque Journal (Sunday, July 10 2005)
External links
- Governor Bill Richardson's official website
- Bill Richardson for President official Exploratory Committee site
- This Week with George Stephanopoulos - Richardson Enters the 2008 Race television interview
- FollowTheMoney - Bill Richardson campaign contributions
- OnTheIssues - Bill Richardson
- Project Vote Smart - Governor Bill Richardson (NM) includes bio, campaign finances, voting record, issue positions
- The New York Times - Bill Richardson News news stories and commentary
- Annals of Diplomacy Backfire, Carl Nagin, The New Yorker
- Final Report of the Attorney General's Review Team on the Handling of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Investigation ("The Bellows Report") (May 2000)
- Alternet: Talking with Gov. Bill Richardson
- NM Governor Richardson Calls Special Legislative Session to Investigate Price Gouging and Energy Cost
- Governor Richardson's Investment Partnership (GRIP)
- Unofficial supporter sites
- The Bill Richardson Blog (unofficial)
- America for Richardson (unofficial)
- Washington for Richardson (unofficial)
- Western Democrat Blog: The Case for Bill Richardson
- Vote for Bill Richardson.com
- 2006 New Mexico gubernatorial campaign