Obama-Biden 2008

Well, it's official. Barack Obama has chosen Joe Biden to be his Vice-President. While I hoped Governor Richardson would have been VP, I can't complain about the choice Obama has made. I like Joe Biden and his foreign policy experience will be useful to the Obama Administration.

As for Governor Richardson, this phase of my blogging expressly devoted to him, is coming to a close. It's been a fun and worthwhile couple of years, first covering Governor Richardson before he was campaigning for re-election and then as he ran for re-election in New Mexico, then becoming part of the team for the Presidential campaign. It's been a great ride, and I will continue to support Governor Richardson in his future endeavors.

Before I sign off on this blog, I have one more request for Barack Obama:

Bill Richardson for Secretary of State

Richardson for VP Buzz Gets Louder

Following the Denver Post endorsement of Governor Richardson for VP last week, the Albuquerque Journal warns us not to write off the Governor just yet.

Newsweek magazine now pegs Richardson as a solid contender for the No. 2 spot on the ticket. And the Denver Post, in a glowing new editorial, pegs Richardson as the standout choice for Obama’s running mate.

While the Obama campaign continues to keep a shroud of “no comment” secrecy over its VP search process, there’s at least one possible inkling that vetting of Richardson might have gotten under way weeks ago.

In a Journal interview Monday, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish said she has spoken with someone — although she won’t say who — who had been asked for potential vetting information concerning Richardson four or five weeks ago.

“I’d heard from a variety of places the governor was being vetted early on,” Denish said. “It’s my expectation he would be in serious consideration. He clearly has the qualifications for the job.”

But the Denver Post, Lt. Governor Denish and Newsweek aren't the only ones with something to say about Governor Richardson's chances. Today, the Albuquerqe Journal weighed in with its own editorial.

Obama touts a global vision, but Richardson was U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The go-to negotiator, he convinced Saddam Hussein to free captured Americans and Sudan's Omar al-Bashir to release Red Cross workers and an American journalist. He's talked hostage release in Caracas with Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, nuclear power in North Korea with Kim Jong Il.

Obama has the goal of energy independence, but Richardson has the know-how. He's been the country's secretary of energy.

[...]

While Obama has the appeal of a fresh start, Richardson has the experience. He served New Mexico for 14 years in Congress and was elected governor twice by overwhelming majorities. He's been the one accountable for the operations and welfare of an entire state since 2002.

Senator Obama and Governor Richardson have complimentary skills and experiences to lead our nation effectively out of the abyss after 8 disastrous years under Bush. And while it may have been in fashion to talk about Tim Kaine, Evan Bayh, or others in weeks past, now is the time for Governor Richardson to "peak" and be mentioned as a short-list, serious VP contender.

This blogger, having supported Governor Richardson, since before there was a presidential campaign, knows that he remains the best choice for VP.

Update: Governor Richardson is presenting an energy forum on behalf of Senator Obama in Florida on Monday.

Denver Post Endorses Richardson for VP

In the years that I've followed politics, I've not seen a newspaper endorse a potential Vice-Presidential nominee, but the Denver Post did just that today: endorsing Governor Bill Richardson as Barack Obama's running mate.

The first test of a vice president is whether he or she is qualified to serve in the top job should the occasion arise. Richardson clearly leads all other Democratic contenders by that standard.

His outstanding record makes him an ideal partner for Obama, not only on the campaign trail but at the vital job of shaping America's future.

After 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Richardson was appointed by President Clinton in 1997 as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. That background and other diplomatic experience means Richardson would bring formidable foreign policy credentials to the Democratic ticket — offsetting one of Obama's key weaknesses.

He's one of the few Americans actually welcomed in North Korea.

[...]

Richardson's record not only qualifies him to assume the presidency, it makes him an ideal partner to the visionary and eloquent Obama in the task of running this country. And as a leading figure in a Rocky Mountain West that has emerged as a swing political region, Richardson could do more than any other possible running mate to carry the Democratic ticket to victory in November.

There's really not much more to add to what the Denver Post editorial said. It's up to Senator Obama to determine who he's most comfortable with as his Vice President, but from a talent and experience standpoint (as well as all the reasons the Post laid out) Governor Richardson is head and shoulders above all other potential nominees.

What about Governor Richardson?

I was quoted in this morning's Albuquerque Journal in an article written by Jeff Jones about Governor Richardson's chances at being nominated as Barack Obama's Vice-President.

In the article, I note that two other governors, Tim Kaine of Virginia and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas seem to be the flavor of the week. What Jeff didn't include in the article (or that his editors removed) is that I said that there's always a lot of speculation as to who will be the VP nominee, but the people who are being talked about throughout the process aren't usually the ones nominated.

I went on to tell Jeff that I believe Senator Obama when he says that the next word we hear from his campaign about the VP will be when he introduces the nominee, and that any speculation is just that, speculation. Governor Richardson clearly is qualified to be President and boasts an impressive resume and skill set that complements Senator Obama nicely. I will continue to believe he's under consideration for the position until Senator Obama tells me he's not.

Richardson Keeping Mum on Vice-Presidential Prospects

Not that this really qualifies as news, but Governor Richardson isn't lobbying for the Vice-President job.

Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) would not say on Monday if he has been contacted by Barack Obama's presidential campaign as part of the vice presidential search process, nor would he say if he's provided any information as part of the search.

"I'm not commenting on that," Richardson said. "I don't talk about my contacts with the Obama campaign on that issue."

"I'm not lobbying for anything. But obviously, I would do anything I could for him," Richardson added later.

Those who lobby for a job in a potential future administration are usually among the first to be cast aside.

As Taegan Goddard notes, there are two short lists. If Richardson was on the short list for public consumption, rumors about him would be swirling. But they're not, which could mean he's in serious contention. So, if Governor Richardson is on the true short list for V.P. and talks about it, he may take himself out of the running.

At this point, it's best for Governor Richardson to continue to make statements similar to the one he made above, and leave the speculation and rumor-mongering to supporters and bloggers like me. That he's not being mentioned among the top contenders for Vice-President leads me to believe that Bill Richardson is still in the running.

Being VP An Honor For Richardson

From the New York Observer:

Speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations event just now in Manhattan, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico said that being picked as Barack Obama's Vice President would be an "honor."

"Look," said Richardson when asked by a moderator if he would take the job. "How can anyone turn down an honor like that, honestly?"

Since the end of his presidential campaign, and even during it, Richardson has frequently maintained that he's already got the best job and wouldn't be interested in being Vice-President. This statement may reflect a slight change on where Governor Richardson stands on the issue.

Another Strong Case is Made for Richardson for VP

Paul Abrams, a fellow Washingtonian and Bill Richardson supporter, has a great post up over at HuffPo, that lays out the strongest case yet for why Governor Bill Richardson is the best person to be nominated for Vice-President.

There are 3 under-registered, under-voting groups for whom an identity politics can trigger massive increases in participation: youth, Afro-Americans and Latinos. It is true that the poor and lower middle-class constitute a fourth group, but they have been relatively difficult to reach and congeal to increase their electoral participation in part because they have a variety of different interests, and thus, since Robert Kennedy, have not had a single iconic figure around which to rally.

Barack Obama's persona and message have galvanized the first two, and legions are going out to increase their participation this fall.

The third group is Latinos.

Governor Richardson has been nominated 5 times for the Nobel Peace Prize, is loved by labor, is highly experienced in foreign policy having negotiated successfully with the worst regimes, has been an extremely successful Governor of a red-state growing jobs/improving education/raising teachers' salaries/raising wages and re-elected with 68% of the vote, is a former Energy Secretary -- one of the critical issues for at least 2 decades to come -- is pro-2nd Amendment, hails from the West... and, he also happens to be Latino.

Richardson fits beautifully Barack's theme of change, and unity. The latter is part of his DNA. During the debates he kept urging his competitors to remain positive.

I'm not posting the entire piece here in full, but click on the link above and go read it. And I hope the Obama campaign read what Paul wrote and gives it some serious thought.