2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Bill Richardson Congratulates Al Gore On His Nobel Peace Prize

Governor Bill Richardson Congratulates Vice President Al Gore on his Nobel Peace Prize

SALEM, NH-- New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson today issued the following statement congratulating Vice President Al Gore on having been awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and urging leadership in the fight against global warming:

"Vice President Al Gore has a remarkable record of public service. For over twenty years, he has been dedicated to fighting global warming for our nation and the world. His Nobel Prize is well-deserved.

"This prize is important, not only in recognition of Vice President Gore's extraordinary achievements, but also in acknowledgement of the importance of fighting global climate change. We must confront this threat head-on, and we must act now. Our dependence on foreign oil threatens our national security. Global warming threatens our environment, and its catastrophic effects threaten the livability of our planet. The Nobel Committee has recognized that the fight against global warming truly is about peace.

"We need bold change. I have proposed a plan that the Sierra Club calls the most aggressive of any of the Presidential candidates. I also have the experience to lead on this issue. I was Secretary of Energy, and as Governor, I have made New Mexico the Clean Energy State. President Bush may not follow the Kyoto Protocol, but my state does.

"Vice President Gore's efforts on global warming are awe-inspiring. However, solving this problem will take more than the heroic efforts of one man. It will require sacrifice from every American. It will require the resolve of the world. It also will require bold Presidential leadership. I am ready to provide it."

Governor Bill Richardson Unveils National Education Policy

Governor Bill Richardson Unveils National Education Policy
Richardson releases $60 billion plan for pre-K to college and beyond, details specific cuts to pay for it

MANCHESTER, NH-- New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson this morning unveiled a comprehensive national education policy at Manchester High School West in Manchester, New Hampshire.

"My Democratic opponents have been cautious in confronting President Bush on this issue," Richardson said. "Just as they trusted him on the Iraq war and the Patriot Act, they trusted him on No Child Left Behind. Now some say fix it; others say tweak it. Senator Clinton says reform it. I have two words for No Child Left Behind: scrap it. The key to a good education is not narrow testing or Washington wisdom. The key is a good teacher in every classroom. When I am President, teachers will have a national average starting salary of $40,000. I also vow to hire 100,000 new math and science teachers."

The $60 billion plan covers the entire American education system, from pre-K to college and beyond.

"As President, I will provide universal access to quality pre-K programs to all four-year-olds," Richardson said. "I also will fund Head Start fully. The benefits of early education are clear and extensive. We put in place a full-day kindergarten program and initiated statewide pre-K for every four-year-old in New Mexico."

Richardson vowed that he would put the arts back in America's schools.

"Arts education is not a silver bullet, but it is a lighted bridge," Richardson said. "Students who engage in the arts are more likely to get involved in community and charitable work. These students also perform better in the classroom. I will substantially increase investment in arts-in-education programs. I will pay for musical instruments and music teachers in underserved communities around the country. The federal government will offer extra matching funds to states that draw up their own comprehensive art programs."

Richardson also put forward a national service program that would help young Americans pay for college.

"As President, I will create a national service program that pays for two years of college in return for one year of service," Richardson said. "We need more college graduates, and we need more men and women who are willing to serve their fellow citizens. The spirit of service that fought the Nazis in the forties and sustained the Peace Corps in the sixties still is alive and well in America today."

Richardson specifically detailed how the plan would be funded and challenged his Democratic opponents to do the same.

"The vision I have outlined is bold and comprehensive," Richardson said. "It also is expensive. Unlike the timid plans of others, mine is a $60 billion investment in our nation's future. To those who ask how we can afford it, let me be specific. I will cut billions of dollars in loan subsidies to private banks and lenders. Furthermore, last week I outlined a detailed plan for defense modernization that saves $57 billion by cutting Pentagon waste and outdated, unnecessary weapons systems, many of which were designed for the Cold War.

"I issue a challenge to each of my opponents: be bold and be specific. Follow my lead and tell America how you will make our education system the greatest in the world."

Richardson for President Boosts Iowa Campaign Infrastructure

Iowa Campaign Infrastructure Richardson for President Boosts Iowa Campaign Infrastructure
Adds seasoned campaign veterans, expands field operations and adds organizers

SANTA FE, NM-- The Richardson for President campaign today announced it has added seasoned campaign veterans to the senior staff of its Iowa operation, opened a number of new field offices across the state, and hired additional field organizers. Veteran Iowa campaign operatives all, Jim Farrell, David Rogers, T.K. Anderson, and Shari Fitzgerald bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Iowa campaign.

"The Richardson for President campaign in Iowa is growing stronger from top to bottom," new Deputy State Director Jim Farrell said. "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."

Jim Farrell, Deputy State Director, served as Bill Bradley's Iowa communications director in 2000. He previously was the late U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone's (D-MN) communications director, worked on the Clinton '92 and '96 campaigns, and served in the press office of former VA Secretary Jesse Brown. He most recently was the executive director of the Montana Democratic Party during the successful campaign of U.S. Senator Jon Tester.

David Rogers, Political Director, is a native Iowan. He left his position as the Field Director for Iowans for Sensible Priorities to join Richardson for President. In 2004, Rogers served as Iowa State Director for Dennis Kucinich's Presidential campaign and later served as Kucinich's National Advance Director. He recently ran two Congressional campaigns in Western Iowa.

Shari Fitzgerald, Caucus Director, is a seasoned Iowa political operative who has been involved in every caucus since 1972. She was part of Dick Gephardt's 2004 and 1988 Presidential Iowa campaigns, Bill Bradley's 2000 Presidential campaign, President Carter's 1976 and 1980 campaigns, and has served on the State Central Committee of the Iowa Democratic Party.

T.K. Anderson, Deputy Political Director for Eastern Iowa, has served as President of the Davenport, Iowa NAACP for two terms and previously as its Political Action Chair. Anderson served two terms on the Davenport Civil Rights Commission, has been a candidate for the Scott County Board of Supervisors, and has worked with the Harkin, Vilsack and Culver campaigns. He is a Vietnam Veteran and an experienced community and grassroots organizer.

Lauren Rose, Iowa Communications Director, most recently worked for a
nationally-respected Democratic direct mail firm. In 2004, she worked in the South Carolina press operation of General Wes Clark's Presidential campaign, as well as on numerous campaigns in Texas.

Valerie Herold, Scheduling/Advance Director, served on the Virginia Coordinated Campaign in 2006 during Senator Jim Webb's successful campaign and Kerry-Edwards 2004 in Florida, was a Field Director for Clinton-Gore 1996 in Florida, and worked for Treasury Secretaries Rubin and Summers.

Richardson for President's new hires join State Director Robert Becker, who was Bill Bradley's Polk County Field Director in 2000, Brad Frevert, and Phoebe Silag. Frevert, the Iowa Field Director, is a native Iowan and a veteran of the Harkin and Vilsack Campaigns in 2002 and Kerry-Edwards 2004 in Iowa, and was previously the Iowa Democratic Party's Field Director. Silag, Deputy Iowa Communications Director, a native Iowan and graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law, is a veteran of the Culver-Judge 2006 campaign and ACT in Iowa 2004.

The Richardson for President campaign is putting more boots on the ground across Iowa at 15 field offices in the state: Des Moines, Ames, Marshalltown, Davenport, Burlington, Ottumwa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque, Waterloo, Mason City, Fort Dodge, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, and Storm Lake.

The Richardson campaign currently has more than 70 organizers in the field in Iowa.

Governor Bill Richardson’s Momentum Continues To Build Across The United States

Governor Bill Richardson’s Momentum Continues to Build Across the United States
Richardson endorsed by key political, community, union, and tribal leaders from around the country

SANTA FE, NM-- The Richardson for President campaign today announced endorsements from a number of high-profile political, community, union, and tribal leaders from around the United States.

"I am proud to have the endorsements of these influential leaders," Democratic Presidential candidate Richardson said. "These are people from all walks of life living across the United States, and I am excited that they have united behind my campaign. Together, we are going to win the White House and end the war in Iraq."

Today's endorsers hail from thirteen states, representing every region of the United States. They include state senators, assemblymen, and representatives, tribal chairs, union presidents, and other influential community leaders.

New Mexico Governor Richardson, backed by a solid third quarter fundraising total, is the only Democratic candidate to have shown a steady increase in support in recent months. In polling in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Richardson consistently has registered double-digit support. A new Strategic Vision poll in Iowa puts Governor Richardson at thirteen percent, within striking distance of the leading candidates with over three months remaining before the votes are cast.

"Governor Bill Richardson has been a strong voice for change in this Presidential campaign, and he has a long record of experience to back it up," California State Senator Alex Padilla said. "It is an honor to join his campaign. When he becomes President, I am confident that Bill Richardson will get all of our troops out of Iraq and extend access to quality, affordable health care to every American."

Below is a list of Minnesota leaders who today endorsed Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson.

MINNESOTA
Irene Auginaush, White Earth Tribal Councilwoman
Kevin Leecy, Bois Forte Tribal Chairman

Bill Richardson At The NBC/DNC Debate In New Hampshire

Governor Bill Richardson Stands Alone on Ending the War in Iraq at NBC/DNC Debate in New Hampshire Richardson still the only major candidate committed to withdrawing all American troops from Iraq, with no residual forces left behind

HANOVER, NH-- On the same day he released a new television ad in New Hampshire, emphasizing that he is the only major candidate committed to withdrawing all American troops from Iraq, Governor Bill Richardson participated in the NBC/DNC Presidential Debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, moderated by Tim Russert.

Governor Richardson was the only candidate of the top four to make an unequivocal commitment to get all of our troops out of Iraq, proving that he is the only candidate who will get all of our troops out of Iraq and actually end this war. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards all reaffirmed that they would leave tens of thousands of troops in Iraq indefinitely.

"I have a fundamental difference with Senator Obama, John Edwards, and Senator Clinton," Governor Richardson said. "Their position is changing the mission. My position is to end this war. Six billion dollars on cancer research equals two weeks of spending on the war.  As long as we do not end the war, we cannot invest in critical needs like cancer. The American people want to end the war. You cannot start the reconciliation of Iraq, a political settlement, and possibly this issue of a separation, which I think is a possible solution, until we get all our troops out. Unlike Senator Clinton, I do not believe the Congress has done enough. We have been able to move 240,000 of our troops in three months in and out of Iraq through Kuwait. It would take persuading Turkey. I would leave behind some of the light equipment. Leaving any troop behind will prevent us from moving forward toward stability in the region. I would talk to Iran. I would make sure the entire issue is tied to stability in the Israeli-Palestinian issue. You have to deal with the entire issue."

When discussing Iran during the debate Governor Richardson responded: "We should not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Another cornerstone should be the strength and security of Israel. You cannot deny a nation the right to legitimately defend itself. You have to approach Iran with diplomacy, then use sanctions. The problem with Iran is we do not build the international support that is needed to put economic pressure on Iran, and my point here is that Iran is susceptible to economic pressure. I would not necessarily talk to Ahmadinejad. I would talk to moderate clerics, to business leaders, 40% of the Iranian people vote for moderate candidates for president, so you first use diplomacy. The problem is that we cannot build international support with the Europeans, and with Russia that have leverage on Iran to effectively pressure them not to build nuclear weapons. It's called diplomacy, negotiation, talking to Iran and Syria and trying to work out differences."

During the discussion on Social Security Governor Richardson made his position clear. "First, we need to take privatization off the table,” Richardson said. “Second, we need to stop raiding the social security trust fund, as Congress and the President have done. I am the only candidate for a constitution amendment to balance the budget. You have to have universal pensions. This estimate you are citing is based on 1.3 percent economic growth.1 That growth is pathetic. If we balance the budget, if we invest in education, if we have a stronger growth rate, then we will have the ability to support to help fix Social Security. I am for a constitutional amendment to balance the budget within five years."

Richardson's strong debate performance comes just after the release of an ad and a four-minute video on Iraq. These important pieces make it clear that Governor Richardson is the only major candidate committed to getting all our troops out of Iraq -- with no residual forces -- and actually ending this war. In the ad and video, prominent online activists endorse the Richardson Plan for the war in Iraq.

As the only true candidate of experience and change who has a proven record of delivering, whether it is returning the remains of U.S. troops from North Korea or negotiating with Saddam Hussein to free hostages from Iraq, Richardson made it clear that the next president needs real experience to deliver change.

Bill Richardson Releases New Online Video

Bill Richardson Touts "Big Difference" in Iraq War Policy in New Online Video
"The Choice on Iraq" is first 2008 campaign video to feature bloggers, details Richardson’s unequivocal stance to leave behind no residual forces

SANTA FE, NM-- The Presidential campaign of New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today released an online video entitled "The Choice on Iraq." The video highlights a key difference among the major Democratic Presidential candidates: how many troops they would leave behind in Iraq. Richardson is the only major Presidential candidate with a plan that removes every single soldier from Iraq, leaving no residual troops behind.

Although the mainstream media have overlooked this critical difference, leading online bloggers and activists have taken notice. Three prominent activists appear in "The Choice on Iraq" video: Chris Bowers and Matt Stoller from Openleft.com and Christina Siun O'Connell from Firedoglake.com.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 25, the Richardson for President campaign will begin airing a new 30-second television advertisement in New Hampshire. The ad, featuring activists Bowers, Siun O'Connell, and Stoller, reiterates that Richardson is the only major Presidential candidate with a plan that removes every single soldier from Iraq, leaving no residual troops behind. This is the first ad by any 2008 Presidential candidate that includes members of the burgeoning netroots community.

Democratic Presidential candidate Richardson is opposed to the current strategy in Iraq, espoused by President Bush and supported by the leading Republican Presidential candidates. Richardson also disagrees with the major Democratic candidates.

"I believe we should bring all of the troops home with no residual forces left behind," Richardson says in the video. "This is critically important. This war is a quagmire, it is endless, and the time has come to bring the troops home."

The video cites chapter eight of the U.S. Army Field Manual, as noted in the Center for American Progress report "How to Redeploy: Implementing a Responsible Drawdown of U.S. Forces from Iraq," to support that "standard military procedure calls for non-combat troops to withdraw first, so they can be protected by combat forces."

"Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards would leave tens of thousands of non-combat troops behind in Iraq," campaign manager Dave Contarino said. "An estimated 97,000 American non-combat troops are in Iraq. Leaving behind up to 97,000 American troops does not end this war. As President, Bill Richardson will withdraw non-combat troops in tandem with combat troops to get them all out of Iraq safely."

To expedite reconciliation in Iraq and reunite America with the international community, Bill Richardson will enact policies that promote diplomacy.

"We need to hand over the security of Iraq to an all-Muslim peacekeeping force," Richardson says in the video. "We then would have a moral responsibility to do everything we can to bring the different factions together in a national reconciliation conference. We need to bring back diplomacy in our foreign policy."

This four-and-a-half minute online video, produced by Mark Putnam and Steve Murphy of Murphy Putnam Media, is designed to harness the power of the online community to spread Governor Richardson's message on the Iraq war to voters around the country. In recent months, Richardson has climbed in the polls in the important early states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Governor Richardson recently received double-digit support in both the ONE Campaign's Iowa poll and the WMUR-TV New Hampshire poll.

Governor Bill Richardson Proposes New Plan For Senior Citizens' Health Care

Governor Bill Richardson Proposes New Plan for Senior Citizens' Health Care
Richardson emphasizes house calls, streamlined care, enhanced quality, and voluntary participation

DAVENPORT, IA-- At the Divided We Fail Presidential Candidate Forum tonight in Davenport, Iowa, New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson announced an innovative approach to health care policy that specifically addresses the priorities of senior citizens.

"Senior citizens want to be able to live out their lives in dignity and in their own homes," Governor Richardson said. "They want to make key health care decisions in conjunction with their doctor, not a third party. We are talking about our mothers and our fathers, the people that won World War II, dug the country out of the Great Depression, and sacrificed in countless ways to provide us with a better future. What they desire is not asking too much."

The Richardson-endorsed "Independence at Home" plan emphasizes streamlined, in-home, and coordinated health care. This program, based on the "House Calls" model run successfully for years by physicians at the American Academy of Home Care Physicians, would come under Medicare with considerable savings. It is entirely voluntary but highly popular with patients and physicians and likely to be rapidly adopted.

"My plan would replace the 13 different physicians that a large fraction of seniors have running their health care with one health care team," Governor Richardson said. "It provides care at home, with house calls aided by modern technology, so quality of care is maintained. It would save about $13 to 16 billion annually by reducing emergency room visits and hospital admissions, and through incentives to improve quality and save money."

The current health care delivery system is based on a 1960s model that does not provide incentives for integrated care or care in lower cost settings. [Guterman tesimony (May 9, 2007).] Sixty-six (66%) percent of Medicare’s costs are associated with spending on beneficiaries with 5 or more chronic conditions.[Testimony of Gerald F. Anderson, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Health Policy, and Management, before the Senate Special Committee on Aging (May 9, 2007).] These beneficiaries see an average of 13 different physicians and fill an average of 50 different prescriptions a year. [Anderson testimony (May 9, 2007).]

"I applaud Governor Richardson’s insight for endorsing a real change in healthcare for older Americans that will make a difference in their lives," said Alan P. Abrams, MD, MPH, Program Director of the Geriatric Fellowship at Harvard Medical School. "Governor Richardson's support for the Independence at Home program is a major leap forward to achieve the highest quality of life for chronically ill Americans in their homes, with dignity, and without any restrictions on access to the highest quality healthcare."

Governor Richardson made clear that he has the experience to change the health care system for senior citizens. "I’ve done this in another context in New Mexico, and we now rank third in the nation in the percentage of healthcare dollars applied to care in the community, versus care in institutions," Governor Richardson said.

"With Independence at Home, access to health care is easy, because the doctor comes to the patient. The plan of care is developed together with the patient. That’s what we can do. That’s what seniors want. As President, that’s what I pledge to deliver."

To further strengthen preventive health care for seniors, Richardson also pledged to improve coverage of preventive services for more than one million seniors who currently receive care at community health centers. The Medicare program currently does not reimburse adequately for lifesaving preventive services, including mammograms, colorectal and prostate cancer screenings, offered by these centers.[National Association for Community Health Centers: Medicare Access to Community Health Centers (MATCH) Act.]

"Investing in prevention pays off-- it saves dollars and more importantly it saves lives," said Richardson. "It is wrong to allow people to become critically ill when simple preventive care could have made a difference."

Statement of Governor Bill Richardson in Commemoration of the Sixth Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks

Statement of Governor Bill Richardson in Commemoration of the Sixth Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks

SANTA FE, NM-- New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued the following statement in commemoration of tomorrow's sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States:

"Six years after the September 11 attacks, the world again will pause to remember the victims of that horrible morning. Time has helped heal some wounds, but we will never forget one of the darkest days in this country's history.

"To honor the lives of those we lost, the leaders of this country must pledge to do everything in their power to prevent another attack on our homeland. National security cannot and should not be about partisan turf wars. Congress and the White House must move forward in a bipartisan effort to strengthen our nation's security, improve our intelligence capabilities, and promote a foreign policy that unites the world against the scourge of international terrorism.

"The anniversary of September 11 is a solemn occasion for the nation and the world to remember the loved ones we lost. But it is also a reminder that we must make real progress in the face of a continuing threat."

New TV Ad Emphasizes Governor Bill Richardson as the Candidate of Change And Experience

New TV Ad Emphasizes Governor Bill Richardson as the Candidate of Change And Experience

Richardson only candidate to call for all troops out of Iraq

SANTA FE, NM -- In the last Democratic Presidential debate in Iowa, Governor Bill Richardson said it best, "You know, I think that Senator Obama does represent change. Senator Clinton has experience. Change and experience: With me, you get both."

Today the Richardson for President Campaign released a new television ad in Iowa called "Offers". The spot emphasizes that Bill Richardson is the only candidate in the race who brings both change and experience to the Presidential race despite the fact that other candidates may be "borrowing" the phrase.

The ad recounts Governor Richardson's unparalleled experience and record of achievement in foreign policy. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times and recently helped negotiate the shutdown of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

"At a time when our nation faces the most serious global and domestic challenges in its history, and the next President must repair the extensive damage done by the current administration, no one is more qualified or prepared to lead than Bill Richardson," campaign manager Dave Contarino said.

The new ad also reinforces that Governor Richardson is the only major candidate with a detailed plan to get all US troops out of Iraq, leaving behind no residual forces.

"There are serious differences among the candidates on Iraq," Contarino said. "Governor Richardson is the only major candidate with a responsible, urgent plan to end the Iraq War with a total US withdrawal and extensive, US-led diplomacy. The other major candidates still have not leveled with the American people as to how many troops they would leave in Iraq and for how long."

Bill Richardson was elected seven times to the US Congress and served as US Ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of Energy. He is currently in his second term as Governor of New Mexico after winning reelection by a historic margin.

The latest Iowa poll by the American Research Group shows Governor Richardson at 13%, solidly in contention several months before the state's caucuses.

Bill Richardson Signs Four State Pledge Letter And Reaffirms Support For DNC Primary Process

Governor Bill Richardson Signs Four State Pledge Letter and Reaffirms Support for DNC Primary Process Richardson committed to right and tradition of Iowa and New Hampshire as first in the country caucuses and primary

SANTA FE, NM -- Governor Bill Richardson today became the first Democratic Presidential candidate to officially sign the Four State Pledge Letter that promises he will not campaign in any state which schedules a Presidential election primary or caucus before February 5, 2008. The pledge was authored by Democratic officials in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina and is designed to support the Democratic National Committee's sanctioned primary and caucus schedule, thereby avoiding chaos in the nominating process.

"This process is completely out of control and only an agreement by the candidates can restore sanity," Governor Richardson said. "I hope no candidate tries to manipulate this situation for his or her own purposes. The DNC rules were established for a purpose -- to allow retail campaigning in a few early states and choose those states based on geographic and demographic diversity. Each candidate for President should do whatever possible to preserve the established rules. Anarchy in the nominating process does nothing to further the cause of changing America."