From La Cucaracha
Friday, January 11, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Letter from Bill Richardson
Dear Gary,
It is with great pride, understanding and acceptance that I am ending my campaign for President of the United States. It was my hope that all of you would first hear this news from me and not a news organization. But unfortunately, as with too many things in our world today, it's the ending of something that garners the most intense interest and speculation.
I knew from the beginning that this would be an uphill climb. When I entered the campaign, it was clear that we, as Democrats, had the most talented field of candidates in my lifetime running to change the direction of our country. And in the end, one of them will.
Despite overwhelming financial and political odds, I am proud of the campaign we waged and the influence we had on the issues that matter most to the future of this country.
A year ago, we were the only major campaign calling for the removal of all of our troops within a year's time from Iraq. We were the only campaign calling for a complete reform of education in this country, including the scrapping of No Child Left Behind. And we were the campaign with the most aggressive clean energy plan and the most ambitious standards for reducing global warming.
Now, all of the remaining candidates are coming to our point of view. I am confident that the next President of the United States will implement much of what we've been urging for the last twelve months, and our nation and world will be the better for it.
There are so many of you who gave so much to this campaign. For that, I will be forever grateful. Running for president has been, at times, humbling and at other times, exhilarating. I have grown and learned a great deal from the experience, and I am a better person for it.
Also, because of your close friendship and support throughout the ups and downs of what is a very grueling and demanding process, I have never felt alone.
Running for president brings out the best in everyone who graces the stage, and I have learned much from the other candidates running. They have all brought great talents and abilities to the campaign.
Senator Biden's passion and intellect are remarkable.
Senator Dodd is the epitome of selfless dedication to public service and the Democratic Party.
Senator Edwards is a singular voice for the most downtrodden and forgotten among us.
Senator Obama is a bright light of hope and optimism at a time of great national unease, yet he is also grounded in thoughtful wisdom beyond his years.
Senator Clinton's poise in the face of adversity is matched only by her lifetime of achievement and deep understanding of the challenges we face.
Representative Kucinich is a man of great decency and dedication who will faithfully soldier on no matter how great the odds.
And all of us in the Democratic Party owe Senator Mike Gravel our appreciation for his leadership during the national turmoil of Vietnam.
I am honored to have shared the stage with each of these Democrats. And I am enormously grateful to all of my supporters who chose to stand with me despite so many other candidates of accomplishment and potential.
Now that my time in this national campaign has come to an end, I would urge those who supported my candidacy to take a long and thoughtful look at the remaining Democrats. They are all strong contenders who each, in their own way, would bring desperately needed change to our country. All I ask is that you make your own independent choice with the same care and dedication to this country that you honored me with during this campaign. At this time, I will not endorse any candidate.
Now I am returning to a job that I love, serving a state that I cherish and doing the work of the people I was elected to serve. As I have always said, I am the luckiest man I know. I am married to my high school sweetheart. I live in a place called the Land of Enchantment. I have the best job in the world. And I just got to run for president of the United States.
It doesn't get any better than that.
With my deepest appreciation for all that you have done,
Bill
Governor Bill Richardson
The Governor's Mansion
Santa Fe, New Mexico
It is with great pride, understanding and acceptance that I am ending my campaign for President of the United States. It was my hope that all of you would first hear this news from me and not a news organization. But unfortunately, as with too many things in our world today, it's the ending of something that garners the most intense interest and speculation.
I knew from the beginning that this would be an uphill climb. When I entered the campaign, it was clear that we, as Democrats, had the most talented field of candidates in my lifetime running to change the direction of our country. And in the end, one of them will.
Despite overwhelming financial and political odds, I am proud of the campaign we waged and the influence we had on the issues that matter most to the future of this country.
A year ago, we were the only major campaign calling for the removal of all of our troops within a year's time from Iraq. We were the only campaign calling for a complete reform of education in this country, including the scrapping of No Child Left Behind. And we were the campaign with the most aggressive clean energy plan and the most ambitious standards for reducing global warming.
Now, all of the remaining candidates are coming to our point of view. I am confident that the next President of the United States will implement much of what we've been urging for the last twelve months, and our nation and world will be the better for it.
There are so many of you who gave so much to this campaign. For that, I will be forever grateful. Running for president has been, at times, humbling and at other times, exhilarating. I have grown and learned a great deal from the experience, and I am a better person for it.
Also, because of your close friendship and support throughout the ups and downs of what is a very grueling and demanding process, I have never felt alone.
Running for president brings out the best in everyone who graces the stage, and I have learned much from the other candidates running. They have all brought great talents and abilities to the campaign.
Senator Biden's passion and intellect are remarkable.
Senator Dodd is the epitome of selfless dedication to public service and the Democratic Party.
Senator Edwards is a singular voice for the most downtrodden and forgotten among us.
Senator Obama is a bright light of hope and optimism at a time of great national unease, yet he is also grounded in thoughtful wisdom beyond his years.
Senator Clinton's poise in the face of adversity is matched only by her lifetime of achievement and deep understanding of the challenges we face.
Representative Kucinich is a man of great decency and dedication who will faithfully soldier on no matter how great the odds.
And all of us in the Democratic Party owe Senator Mike Gravel our appreciation for his leadership during the national turmoil of Vietnam.
I am honored to have shared the stage with each of these Democrats. And I am enormously grateful to all of my supporters who chose to stand with me despite so many other candidates of accomplishment and potential.
Now that my time in this national campaign has come to an end, I would urge those who supported my candidacy to take a long and thoughtful look at the remaining Democrats. They are all strong contenders who each, in their own way, would bring desperately needed change to our country. All I ask is that you make your own independent choice with the same care and dedication to this country that you honored me with during this campaign. At this time, I will not endorse any candidate.
Now I am returning to a job that I love, serving a state that I cherish and doing the work of the people I was elected to serve. As I have always said, I am the luckiest man I know. I am married to my high school sweetheart. I live in a place called the Land of Enchantment. I have the best job in the world. And I just got to run for president of the United States.
It doesn't get any better than that.
With my deepest appreciation for all that you have done,
Bill
Governor Bill Richardson
The Governor's Mansion
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Richardson Drops Out
It's a bit sad but it was always a possibility.
It's been a great effort and we are proud of Richardson. Our love of the Guv will continue and we hope that he is seriously considered for Vice President or Secretary of State. Our country deserves the like of Richardson. There is no one as experienced and qualified as Bill Richardson among the presidential field. We will always be here for you and ready should you call upon us. Anytime and anyplace.
Gary Mendez
It's been a great effort and we are proud of Richardson. Our love of the Guv will continue and we hope that he is seriously considered for Vice President or Secretary of State. Our country deserves the like of Richardson. There is no one as experienced and qualified as Bill Richardson among the presidential field. We will always be here for you and ready should you call upon us. Anytime and anyplace.
Gary Mendez
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Conflicting Reports: Campaign says he's still in!!
He's still in and that's what Im following until the man himself speaks. I strongly believe that Bill should stay in the Game till Super Tuesday. Why? Anything can happen and there are good strategic reasons for sticking around and getting something out of it and being a part of "change".
abc-
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's campaign refused to publicly confirm or deny reports that he plans to announce his departure from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination
AP NewsBreak: Richardson Ends Bid
AP NewsBreak: Richardson Ends Bid
By NEDRA PICKLER – 51 minutes ago
MERRIMACK, N.H. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals' star power.
Richardson planned to announce the decision Thursday, according to two people close to the governor with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the governor's announcement.
The Richardson campaign would not comment on the governor's decision, reached after a meeting with his top advisers Wednesday in New Mexico.
Richardson had one of the most wide-ranging resumes of any candidate ever to run for the presidency, bringing experience from his time in Congress, President Clinton's Cabinet, in the New Mexico statehouse as well as his unique role as a freelance diplomat. As a Hispanic, he added to the unprecedented diversity in the Democratic field that also included a black and a woman.
But Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dominated the spotlight in the campaign, and Richardson was never able to become a top-tier contender. He accused his rivals of failing to commit to bring troops home from Iraq soon enough.
He portrayed his campaign as a job application for president, and ran clever ads that showed a bored interviewer unimpressed with his dazzling resume. The commercials helped fuel his move to double-digit support in some early state polls, and advisers argued he was poised to move past former vice presidential nominee John Edwards for the role of third-place challenger.
But he was not able to build the momentum and came in a distant fourth place in Iowa and New Hampshire. Richardson didn't get quite 5 percent in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday and came in with just 2 percent in the Iowa caucus last week.
Richardson was born 60 years ago in Pasadena, Calif., after his American father sent his Mexican mother there to give birth and erase any doubts that his son would be a U.S. citizen. His father was an international banker from Boston, and Richardson spent his childhood in Mexico City before being sent to boarding school in Massachusetts, where he was a standout baseball player.
After graduating from Tufts University in 1971 with a master's degree in international affairs, Richardson worked first as a congressional aide and then for the State Department. He was a staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he decided to leave Washington in 1978 to launch a political career.
Richardson settled in New Mexico partly because of the state's large Hispanic population, and he won election to the House. Richardson is a master negotiator, and put his diplomatic skills to work to rescue Americans held hostage abroad. He earned a reputation for a mix of patience, toughness and cultural sensitivity that served him well on mercy missions from North Korea to Cuba to Sudan.
President Clinton recruited Richardson to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, then secretary of Energy two years later.
He was easily elected to two terms as governor but will be forced from office by term limits in 2010. His closest advisers hope that even if his presidential campaign didn't bring him many votes, it built his reputation so that he'll one day be able to add even more to his resume.
By NEDRA PICKLER – 51 minutes ago
MERRIMACK, N.H. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson ended his campaign for the presidency Wednesday after twin fourth-place finishes that showed his impressive credentials could not compete with his rivals' star power.
Richardson planned to announce the decision Thursday, according to two people close to the governor with knowledge of the decision. They spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the governor's announcement.
The Richardson campaign would not comment on the governor's decision, reached after a meeting with his top advisers Wednesday in New Mexico.
Richardson had one of the most wide-ranging resumes of any candidate ever to run for the presidency, bringing experience from his time in Congress, President Clinton's Cabinet, in the New Mexico statehouse as well as his unique role as a freelance diplomat. As a Hispanic, he added to the unprecedented diversity in the Democratic field that also included a black and a woman.
But Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dominated the spotlight in the campaign, and Richardson was never able to become a top-tier contender. He accused his rivals of failing to commit to bring troops home from Iraq soon enough.
He portrayed his campaign as a job application for president, and ran clever ads that showed a bored interviewer unimpressed with his dazzling resume. The commercials helped fuel his move to double-digit support in some early state polls, and advisers argued he was poised to move past former vice presidential nominee John Edwards for the role of third-place challenger.
But he was not able to build the momentum and came in a distant fourth place in Iowa and New Hampshire. Richardson didn't get quite 5 percent in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday and came in with just 2 percent in the Iowa caucus last week.
Richardson was born 60 years ago in Pasadena, Calif., after his American father sent his Mexican mother there to give birth and erase any doubts that his son would be a U.S. citizen. His father was an international banker from Boston, and Richardson spent his childhood in Mexico City before being sent to boarding school in Massachusetts, where he was a standout baseball player.
After graduating from Tufts University in 1971 with a master's degree in international affairs, Richardson worked first as a congressional aide and then for the State Department. He was a staffer for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he decided to leave Washington in 1978 to launch a political career.
Richardson settled in New Mexico partly because of the state's large Hispanic population, and he won election to the House. Richardson is a master negotiator, and put his diplomatic skills to work to rescue Americans held hostage abroad. He earned a reputation for a mix of patience, toughness and cultural sensitivity that served him well on mercy missions from North Korea to Cuba to Sudan.
President Clinton recruited Richardson to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, then secretary of Energy two years later.
He was easily elected to two terms as governor but will be forced from office by term limits in 2010. His closest advisers hope that even if his presidential campaign didn't bring him many votes, it built his reputation so that he'll one day be able to add even more to his resume.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Well, it was a great experience participating in the Iowa Caucuses for Governor Bill Richardson. The students learned a great deal from this experience which made the whole trip worth while. Bumps on the road can not be avoided at times; it's just part of a journey. We are true believers in the Guv and will continue to support him.
We are solidifying plans to open up a Los Angeles Office for Governor Richardson very soon.
Stay tuned
Friday, January 4, 2008
Preparing to Depart Iowa
Well, we finally have solidified our exit plans out of Iowa. It was very difficult to get our "friends" to give us a ride to the train station in Ottumwa. At first the word from several people was "you're on your own" and "thanks for all your hard work, we appreciate it". The intensity of our request heightened through the night. At some point people from New Mexico laughed at our situation which made us very sadly disappointed. But what do you do, thats "politics", right?
We wish to thank Chet Guinn who called David Rogers, and ...for making calls to the senior level staffers who then got the people who told us "we are on our own" to really start helping us.
If this were in my town, Los Angeles, and on any campaign I was affiliated with or managing, you bet I would help my volunteers. In fact, there has been many times on local, state, state-wide and congressional campaigns where my volunteers needed help and we treated them like family. Volunteers, staff and the candidate are always family.
We chalked it up as, perhaps, a mid western thing.
We will have plenty of time on the train to think about all this. :)
We wish to thank Chet Guinn who called David Rogers, and ...for making calls to the senior level staffers who then got the people who told us "we are on our own" to really start helping us.
If this were in my town, Los Angeles, and on any campaign I was affiliated with or managing, you bet I would help my volunteers. In fact, there has been many times on local, state, state-wide and congressional campaigns where my volunteers needed help and we treated them like family. Volunteers, staff and the candidate are always family.
We chalked it up as, perhaps, a mid western thing.
We will have plenty of time on the train to think about all this. :)
Latino Outreach for Iowa Caucuses by Erika Aguilar
During this campaign I did canvassing and phone banking. The majority of the time I talked to Latinos on the phone. The majority of Latinos don’t know about the caucusing process in Iowa. They were also surprised that Richardson was a Latino himself. One of the main issues that they always brought up was the health care benefit, and the war in Iraq. I’m not going to say that all my experiences with the people I talked to were good, I had some rude people and I also had some nice people. I think it all depends on what time you call lol.
Latinos in Iowa have not really realized the power and influence they could have in Iowa and in affecting the presidential primary. They have enough influence here to sway campaigns but have yet to unify. Maybe they won’t realize or choose to exercise this great power.
Durante esta campana me toco caminar puerta a puerta y hacer llamadas a Latinos. La majoria de la gente no save el proceso de caucusing en Iowa. Tambien se sorprendieron al escuchar que Richardson es Latino. Una de las cosas que mencionaban al hablar era el plan de salud, y la guerra en Iraq. No voy a decir que todas mis experiencias fueron buenas, la gente era buena pero habeces no tan buenas haha.
Latinos en Iowa no comprender la magnitud de que ellos tienen el poder y la influencia ellos tienen aqui en Iowa que puede afectar a los primary. Ellos tienen la influencia para cambiar las campanas pero tienen que unirse. Ellos tienen que entender o escojer como usar el poder que ellos tienen aqui en Iowa.
-Erika Aguilar
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The Sun Rises in America... or Iowa
The sun rises in Iowa this morning with the entire nation eagerly watching who Iowans will support. Late last night we did a midnight lit drop to ensure our voters are aware of their caucus locations, we lucked out and were assigned a more upscale neighborhood, this was a long way from the hoods of Iowa we have begun to know so well after walking day after day through where streets are not properly cleared of snow, and the now infamous chase down by a crackhead. Today we go into overdrive and mobilize Richardson support to their caucus locations now it's on to victory!
- Greg & Cesar
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
INTERMISSION WITH YANN TIERSEN - Sur le fil & Prokofiëv
DANCE OF THE KNIGHTS
By Prokofiëv from Romeo and Juliette
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Noemi's Road Runner Report
Happy New Year! Today was a very good way to start my year. I had many good experiences out of this Campaign (good and bad). We gave everything we had hopefully it pays off on Thursday! It was an awesome experience to have a chance to get to meet Bill Richardson. It was freezing today. I went outside canvassing door to door without gloves and my hands literally froze. It hurt so bad I couldn't help it so I cried. It was a really bad pain. Besides that I've been having lots of fun here.
-Noemi
Happy New Year! Des Moines style with the Gov.
We brought in the New Year with the Governor and hundreds of our new friends on the campaign. They are all very good, dedicated, and hard working people. We are honored to have spent our New Years away from home (1600 miles away in the freezing cold) to be part of this great experience with an awesome candidate we truly and sincerly believe in. Have a great New Year!
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