Richardson still polling strong in Iowa

From the NY Times:

None of the Democrats has a statistically significant lead in Iowa: Mrs. Clinton has the support of 25 percent of respondents, Mr. Edwards 23 percent and Mr. Obama 22 percent. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who has waged a spirited campaign in the state, was named by 12 percent of Democratic caucusgoers.

Read the whole article here.

Direct from The Nation: Richardson is it!

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071126/anderson

An article by Rocky Anderson.

This is a pivotal, dangerous time for our nation. We are in dire need of principled, courageous leadership. In seeking that leadership, we have an obligation to be principled ourselves in setting criteria as to whom we are willing to support for President. Will we support candidates who voted to give Bush a blank check to engage in an illegal war of aggression? Or candidates who supported continued funding for the occupation? What about candidates who refuse to pledge withdrawal of US troops from Iraq?

Do we have a moral line beyond which we will not support a presidential candidate, or will we support a "leading" Democrat, regardless of our own principles?

If ending the tragic, self-destructive occupation of Iraq is indeed a line-in-the-sand issue, only Bill Richardson stands out among the leading candidates as the choice for President.

While Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards refuse to pledge an end to the occupation, even by 2013, Bill Richardson commits clearly to pulling out all US troops. He recognizes that the occupation is widely despised, aiding in the recruitment of terrorists beyond Osama bin Laden's wildest dreams. With Clinton, Obama or Edwards, we will get more of the same: many billions of dollars spent on ruinous military efforts, with more hatred toward the United States, more terrorism, and more death and destruction. If you can't support that result, let it be the line beyond which you will not step in supporting any candidate who is on the wrong side.

It is not a question of victory or defeat in Iraq. It is a matter of finally ending the tragedy, waste and disgrace of digging deeper and deeper into the neocon abyss. This is an abyss made possible by the reckless war-resolution votes of senators like Clinton and Edwards, neither of whom bothered to read the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate before voting. Had they read the NIE, they would have learned of the vast disagreement within the intelligence community regarding Bush's fabricated justifications for war. (Governor Richardson's record of diplomatic successes, his commitment to US treaty obligations and his service as US ambassador to the UN reasonably lead one to believe that, had he been in Congress and read the NIE, he would have insisted on closer collaboration with longtime US allies and, at the least, voted to require a second UN resolution before any military action was commenced.)

Clinton and Edwards must expect that they forfeited the support of those who oppose wars of aggression by their irresponsible votes supporting the blank-check war resolution, in wretched abrogation of Congress's constitutional responsibility to decide whether to go to war. Clinton won't even apologize, while Edwards must understand that his apology is nice but wholly insufficient to answer for the unnecessary and immense resulting tragedy--the death of hundreds of thousands, the displacement of and severe injuries to many more, the destruction and chaos suffered by the Iraqi people, and the undermining of our nation's security caused by the predictable hatred stemming from the invasion and occupation of a Muslim country.

If ever there has been a time to draw a vivid line, this is it.

The positive choice is Bill Richardson, the candidate who has the greatest depth of experience, as a member of Congress, UN ambassador, Energy Secretary and governor of New Mexico. Richardson has for years been an inspiring leader in the fight against global warming. He recently signed into law a bill that requires New Mexico utilities to quadruple their use of renewable energy. Armed with the most aggressive plan to gain energy independence and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, Richardson would provide the crucial environmental leadership sorely lacking in the United States.

Bill Richardson is smart, likable and dedicated to the best of progressive principles. He would allow working families and small businesses to purchase healthcare coverage through the same plan enjoyed by members of Congress. He is the only candidate who has declared that acceptance of Roe v. Wade as established law will be a necessary condition for his Supreme Court nominees. While in Congress, he voted against, and continues to oppose, the military's disrespectful and discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. He proudly stands for equal legal rights for all families, including same-sex couples.

The kidnapping, disappearing and torture of people around the world, a trademark of the human-rights-abusing Bush Administration, will stand as one of our nation's most immense moral disgraces. As President, Bill Richardson will put an end to these abhorrent practices and help restore our moral standing among nations.

Bill Richardson, a proven consensus-builder, has scored significant diplomatic successes. He has the broadest experience and a genuine commitment to fundamental Democratic values. He is, indeed, on our side of the line, and he will be a President who will make us proud.

Richardson RoundUp - Tuesday, October 16

We will once again be meeting at The Vintage.
October will be the start of a very busy time for the Richardson campaign.
We will begin seriously getting ready to carry petitions to get our guy on the ballot.

Be sure to come and invite your friends

RoundUp and MeetUp - Tuesday, September 18, 2007

We hope to see you all tomorrow night!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2007
7:30pm

The Vintage Restuarant & Bar
753 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10019

Who Is Barbara Richardson?

Who is Barbara Richardson?

There is a wonderful piece on the Richardson For President website about Bill’s wife of 35 years – Barbara. If he is elected we will have another first lady named Barbara.

Click here:

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/about_bill?id=0002

At one time she lived in New York City. Perhaps we could entice her to come out and visit us and any friends in The Big Apple. Barbara has worked tirelessly for the people of New Mexico and I’m sure she will work just as fervently as our First Lady. I think it would be wonderful if we could create an event where Barbara could come and speak to people. What do you guys think?

A New Realism

Governor Richardson has written an excellent article that appeared in the Harvard International Review outlining a New Realism in foreign affairs. The link is below.
I encourage you to read it.

A New Realism
Harvard International Review
August 8, 2007

http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/newsroom/articles?id=0155

One of the things I love about Bill Richardson is his extensive experience in foreign affairs. The Harvard International Review does not accept for publication articles from every George, Mitt and Fred; if you get my drift.

Richardson RoundUp - Tuesday, Sept. 18th - 7:30 PM

Greetings,
We had a great meeting on August 21st and we’re doing it again at 7:30 on Tuesday, September 18th, at The Underground, 613 Second Avenue (just south of 34th, west side of the street).

To those who were there, we’re really glad you came. The more we get together the more we can do for Richardson. And it’s fun. We’ll make sure our guy makes a good showing in New York! To those who weren’t there, see what you missed:

After a campaign update—he’s moving up and recruiting more and more volunteers—we discussed Richardson’s plans for the economy, for the environment, and for getting us out of Iraq. We learned about the ballot petition and convention delegate selection process.

Lots of thanks to those who signed up to plan a fundraiser, to carry ballot petitions in November, and to call volunteers and potential volunteers (and later to call voters).
On September 18 we’ll take up three more issues–-which issue would you like to talk about for three minutes and lead a short discussion? We’ll have a campaign update, learn more about the petitions, and sign up more people to go to work for the most qualified candidate.

In the meantime, if you can help with a fundraiser or telephoning or if you go to political events and want to talk about Richardson as you’re supporting your favorite local candidates or causes, get in touch with us. We need petition carriers and a CD coordinator in each Congressional District

To RSVP on the website go here:
http://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/event/search_simple

The web site is http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/

We encourage you to invite your friends to be with us on Sept. 18th and to join the online group at:
http://action.richardsonforpresident.com/page/group/NewYorkForRichardson

See you there,
New York City Richardson RoundUp

Money for Schools, Not War

I found this on the Guardian website from the UK. This is the kind of thinking we need in the White House:

Richardson: Money for Schools, Not War

Wednesday August 8, 2007 12:31 PM
By BEVERLEY WANG

Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson says schools should be a higher budget priority than the war in Iraq.

``We need to get out of Iraq, where precious lives and needed dollars have been wasted,'' New Mexico's governor said in remarks prepared for delivery Wednesday to New Hampshire educators. ``We could use these resources to improve our schools and make the economy, once again, work for the middle class.''

Richardson proposed an extended school year, a longer school day and a complete repeal of President Bush's No Child Left Behind plan. He also pledged to seek a federal minimum wage of $40,000 for teachers. The average first-year teacher earned $31,753 in 2004-2005, according to the American Federation of Teachers' most recent survey.

``Too often, you've been ignored, taken for granted, underpaid and blamed,'' Richardson said in remarks obtained by The Associated Press. ``It was Aristotle, 2,300 years ago, who wrote that the fate of nations depends more on educating youth than any other factor. Not the military. Not the political leadership. Not the economy.''

Richardson's courtship of National Education Association members in the first primary state followed speeches from rival Democrat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton this spring. Another Democratic candidate, Sen. Chris Dodd, planned to speak to the group on Thursday.

Richardson's pitch appealed to teachers' top interests: collective bargaining, increased funding and a focus on public schools.

``I believe that school reform should improve schools,'' he said. ``But our nation's school reform has made our schools look more like reform schools, with all the mindless testing and bureaucratic rules and regulations.''

Richardson ticked through his accomplishments as governor, including his Making Schools Work plan. That effort addresses not only classroom instruction but health and nutrition, parental involvement and clean schools.

``Our children can't learn if they aren't healthy,'' he said. ``In New Mexico, we now provide access to free health insurance to every child under the age of 5. We have expanded our state immunization program. ... We've implemented statewide breakfast programs for our neediest kids. And we've gotten junk food out and put physical education back in.''

Bill Richardson rocks YouTube debate!

Check out this excerpt from the Boston Herald:

Richardson, Edwards look upwardly mobile
By Wayne Woodlief
Boston Herald Columnist

Wednesday, July 25, 2007


The governor, who wants to be the first Hispanic president, appeared strong, empathetic and decisive as he addressed issues from the Iraq war and genocide in Darfur to No Child Left Behind.

Answering a moving plea for help from a woman in a Darfur refugee camp, Richardson said he had visited it, seen the desperation and pain there. He asserted passionately, “The answer here is caring about Africa” - about AIDS and poverty and massacres. He said the U.S. must do much more to pressure other nations in Africa and beyond for a more effective U.N. presence in Darfur.

Richardson doesn’t mince words. Asked whether No Child Left Behind (though many have been, in a badly run, underfunded effort) should be revised or scrapped, he quickly replied, “Scrap it!” It was badly conceived, he said, especially in its insistence on penalties for underperforming schools. “If a school isn’t doing well, we should help it,” he said.

Bill Richardson's new "Stand Up!" ad

I love this ad. It's not flashy or pretentious. It's straightforward.

Richardson in top-tier in NH!

This from the USA Today blog:

NH top tier: New poll shows McCain, Edwards out, Thompson, Richardson in

Republican John McCain and Democrat John Edwards have fallen out of the "top tier" in a new poll of New Hampshire. Republican Fred Thompson and Democrat Bill Richardson, meanwhile, have moved up.

The poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center for CNN and WMUR-TV in Manchester shows the beleaguered McCain falling to fourth place with 12%. Mitt Romney was first with 33%, Rudy Giuliani was second with 18% and Fred Thompson -- still undeclared -- in third at 13%.

WMUR says Edwards' support is "sputtering." The new poll puts Hillary Clinton in the lead with 33% support and Barack Obama second at 25%. Richardson, the New Mexico governor, moved into third with 10%, while Edwards is fourth at 8%.

McCain won the New Hampshire primary in 2000 by 19 points. The new numbers come after a series of dramatic staff departures and news that his campaign is nearly broke. Pollster Andy Smith attributes McCain's problems in large part to his support for a controversial immigration bill.

The New York for Bill Richardson Blog is back!

I apologize for the lack of posts recently. There's been a lot of activity and I've been keeping up, but unfortunately the past month has made it difficult for me to keep the posts up.

A brief review of what has kept me busy:
- I moved from Manhattan to the Bronx
- Spent a few days in Las Vegas for a Bachelor Party
- Spent a few days in Upstate NY for much needed country air
- Started teaching a new grade for our summer session, 2nd Grade
- I've had no cable, phone, or internet access at home

Finally, though there's still some traveling left to do this summer, I'm back to providing information on the Bill Richardson for President campaign thanks to a Cable/Internet installation yesterday.

I'll start the week with the following quote.

Bill Richardson on holding talks with Syria and Iran:
"They're bad folks. But you don't have peace talks with your friends."

Put simply, smart.

POWER IS: Letter to the Editor in support of Bill Richardson

In a random Google search I did of Bill Richardson a few minutes ago, I found this from the Cumberland Times News -- a Letter to the Editor supporting Bill Richardson.

With most of our media reporting online, your letters to the editor are more accessible to the general public. I invite you to write one today, send it to the local paper, and then send me the link to publish it here.

Check this one out:

To the Editor:

With the unusually early race for the presidency in 2008, it seems the media had created so-called "rock star" candidates in order to add to the hype. With the likes of Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, and John Edwards, it is easy to miss the second and third tier candidates that are also in the race for the White House in 2008. One should be wary of not only each candidate's stance on issues but also their experience in dealing with those issues. With most of these candidates, popular or not, holes can be found throughout each resume, with the exception of one.

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico is a Democrat running for the presidency in 2008. Gov. Richardson's resume is so expansive that it would be very difficult to point to an issue he has not had experience with. As a 14-year congressman, Secretary of Energy, Ambassador to the United Nations, and now popular two-term Governor of New Mexico (A Republican stronghold), it is indisputable that he is in fact the most qualified candidate for the job. To back his experience, he is a moderate and can therefore appeal to a large majority of the country. Richardson won the New Mexico gubernatorial race with 68 percent of the vote for this very reason.

Richardson has many important domestic plans for the country if he becomes elected. Richardson is a rare breed in the Democratic Party. He is a man that is a strong supporter for the Second amendment. He believes gun ownership is a very important right that should not be taken away. He is also opposed to increasing taxes whenever possible. In his first year as governor, he created tax cuts that promoted significant growth and investment in the state. In New Mexico alone, over 80,000 new jobs have been created, and unemployment is the lowest it has been in 30 years. Personal income is rising at near-record levels. Teacher pay and standards have risen, and the overall quality of the schools has gone up accordingly. Richardson balanced the budget for five years in a row.

He also has a very good environmental record. Under Bill Richardson's leadership, New Mexico has become the Clean Energy State. Just this year, Richardson signed a law requiring state utilities to quadruple their use of renewable energy. The state's wind, solar and biofuels industries are booming - creating hundreds of new jobs. And New Mexico has some of the country's toughest greenhouse-gas reduction goals. Bill Richardson's domestic goals will lead this country in the right direction by making it clean and prosperous.

Domestic policy isn't the only thing important to Richardson. Obviously, the foreign policy of the current administration has continued its downward spiral since the invasion of Iraq. Gov. Richardson has had several successful diplomatic meetings with some of the world's most notorious tyrants. In particular, he secured the release of two American civilians in Iraq by negotiating with Saddam Hussein. In 2006, Richardson flew to Sudan and secured the release of National Geographic journalist Paul Salopek. He also spoke to North Korea regarding their nuclear program. This man has proven that military responses are not always the answer and that improving relations with states around the world can be beneficial to the U.S. It isn't a surprise that he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times. In the coming years, strong international experience will be a must for the president, and Richardson's is second to none.

The list of accomplishments by Bill Richardson could go on and on. However, when election day rolls around vote for the candidate who not only talks about the issues, but has actually gotten things done. Don't let mainstream media tell you who to vote for. Do your homework and decide for yourself.

Kevin P. McKenzie
LaVale

New York for Bill Richardson Meet-Up, this Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Don't forget this Tuesday's Meet-up!!!!

The details below are from the Official New York for Bill Richardson Group:

First NYC Bill Richardson for President Meet-Up (Networking/Social)
Come one, come all to show your support for Governor Bill Richardson at the first NYC Richardson for President meet-up to be held on June 19th.

New York is an important stop along Governor Richardson's road to the White House. When he steps foot in the Oval Office, he will work hard to repair the domestic and international problems confronting our country and the world. However, it is up to us to ensure that he gets there.

Let's meet on June 19th to strengthen our grassroots movement and get NYC mobilized for Governor Richardson. Bring a friend, bring two if you can and let's make sure that the best candidate--Governor Bill Richardson--wins.

Time: Tuesday, June 19 at 7:30 PM
Duration: 2 hours
Host: Craig Pritsky

Location:
Vig 27 (New York, NY)
119 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016

Directions: Vig 27 is located at 119 E. 27th street between Park Ave. South and Lexington Ave. on the north side of the street. By subway, take the 6 train to 28th and Park Ave. South, walk south for one block and east for half a block. Or take the NR to 28th and 5th Ave., walk south one block and east for two and a half blocks

Bill Richardson's new ad: What I asked you...

Check out this new ad! It's another in the series of Job interview ads: