Richardson 2008

Barack Obama’s VP selection team had a busy couple of days on Capitol Hill, talking up possible running mates with legislators. A new name in the mix is that of retired Gen. James Jones, MSNBC reports. Joe Biden and Ohio governor Ted Strickland also came under scrutiny; Bill Richardson, Janet Napolitano, Mike Bloomberg, and Chuck Hagel did not.. More »

John McCain told Miami’s Cuban community today that Barack Obama would “give hope” to the Havana regime by sitting down with Raul Castro without preconditions, prompting a response from Bill Richardson that McCain was “afraid to talk to bad guys.” Speaking on Cuban Independence Day, the Republican kept up the argument that Obama would appease America's enemies, the Chicago Tribune reports. More »

Bill Richardson says negative ads and arm-twisting phone calls from the Clinton camp pushed him to back Barack Obama last month, the Los Angeles Times reports. The New Mexico governor, labeled a "Judas" after supporting Obama, says he almost backed Hillary until her "3 a.m." ads came out—and Clintonites called saying he owed her support. "That really ticked me off," he said. More »

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson advised Hillary Clinton today to consider quitting if she trails Barack Obama at convention time, Bloomberg reports. But Richardson, who has endorsed Obama, insists his heart is still with Hillary, CNN reports. “I’m very loyal to the Clintons,” said Bill Clinton’s former energy secretary. “But it shouldn’t just be Bush-Clinton, Bush-Clinton. What about the rest of us?" More »

Bill Richardson endorsed Barack Obama today, saying the senator’s landmark race address this week “asked every American to see the reality and the pain of other Americans. He appealed to the best in us." The Democratic candidates eagerly sought the New Mexico governor’s nod, and Obama said he “couldn’t be more honored” to receive it, the Oregonian reports. More »

Bill Richardson will back Barack Obama for president today, giving the Illinois senator one of the Democratic party's most coveted endorsements. The New Mexico governor and former presidential candidate called Obama a "once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world" in a statement obtained by the AP. More »

The remaining Dem hopefuls have been pursuing Bill Richardson since he left the presidential race, the New York Times reports. In fact Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are calling the New Mexico governor daily seeking his endorsement. Obama’s approach is “a surgical bomb,” Richardson said, while “the Clintons are more like a carpet bomb.” More »

Bill Richardson is ending his bid for the presidency following lackluster showings in New Hampshire and Iowa, the AP reports. The New Mexico governor finished fourth in both races, unable to compete with the star power of his top three Democratic rivals. Richardson will make the official announcement tomorrow, says AP, quoting anonymous advisers. More »

Hillary Clinton defied expectations and edged out Barack Obama in today's New Hampshire primary, NBC reports. Clinton's win rights her campaign in the face of surging support for Obama after his victory last week in Iowa. With 98% of precincts reporting, Clinton led Obama, 40% to 37%. John Edwards finished a distant third with 17%. More »

Hillary Clinton lit into Barack Obama during a sometimes testy Democratic debate in New Hampshire tonight, seeking to put a few chinks in his armor three days before the state's crucial primary. Clinton criticized Obama's health plan as inadequate and accused him of flip-flopping on key issues, including Iraqi war funding, as a senator. Obama accused Clinton of distorting his views and said he's been "entirely consistent." More »

Dennis Kucinich is already treated as a bit of an alien by the other presidential contenders; it only got worse at this week's forum when interrogator Tim Russert pushed him about Shirley MacLaine’s claim that he saw a UFO at her home. A trapped Kucinich offered tersely, “I did.” But before he moves campaign headquarters to Roswell, as he joked he would, the LA Times points out that he's not alone. More »

In a more-amiable-than-usual war of words, the Democrats debated this morning in Iowa, the locale of the pivotal first primary. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards dominated the 90-minute discussion moderated by ex-Bill Clinton aide George Stephanopolous, the Washington Post 's Chris Cillizza reports, playing it safe as the lower-tier contenders circled. More »

Voters put questions directly to the Democratic presidential candidates last night, thanks to 3,000 citizens who submitted questions to YouTube. CNN selected and played 39 of the homemade videos, in which regular Americans—including a lesbian couple, a singer, and a snowman—created an unprecedented debate format. The candidates stayed on message, CNN reports, as the voters stole the show. More »

A campaign finance loophole is allowing candidates to supplement funding of their presidential runs with cash raised for their current offices and PACs, the Washington Post reports. While barred from putting that money directly to presidential purposes, candidates have so far used it to pay salaries, organize local support, and donate to state allies, to the tune of $2 million. More »

If you think the candidates are all overly scripted, you haven't met Bill Richardson, writes Salon political columnist Walter Shapiro. The fourth-place Dem is so incautious that he ad-libs policy points at debates, and on the stump apologizes for inconsistencies with the cheerful caveat: “my mind is mush.” More »

This just in: Hollywood loves Democrats, a "Baywatch" babe likes Dennis Kucinich, and Paulie Walnuts is with Rudy Giuliani. CNN scrutinized FEC records with some degree of thoroughness—the results are improbably light on Republicans—to generate a list of celebrity donations to the presidential candidates, and the results hold a few surprises. More »

Democratic contender Bill Richardson raised $7 million in the second quarter of this year, beating  his first quarter take, the AP reports, and giving him a solid fourth place in the competition for funds. The New Mexico governor, who has benefited from clever advertising, has also gained in polls in early states Iowa and New Hampshire. More »

In the race for New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton has shot ahead of her Democratic opponents, opening a 14-point lead over Barack Obama since the June 3 debate. With the primary 7 months away, Clinton is overwhelmingly considered the strongest leader, thumping a list of rivals that includes Al Gore. And there's a new name on the radar: Bill Richardson. More »

Bill Richardson has officially joined the throng of Democrats running for president, and become the first Latino to seek his party's nomination. The New Mexico governor made his announcement, in Spanish and English, in LA last night, touting his record as governor of a divided state and his proximity to America's fastest-growing voting bloc. More »

Despite his considerable experience in foreign affairs and effective stewardships of one of the most diverse, though small, states in the country, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is not attracting much of a following, says Time blogger Karen Tumulty. Why? He’s not famous and doesn’t have enough famous friends. More »