While his oft-repeated claim of being drafted out of college as a baseball pitcher by the then-Kansas City Athletics is flatly untrue, a "Draft Bill Richardson" movement is at last coming true. A group is forming to urge him to run for President. The Associated Press reports:
Gov. Bill Richardson's expected bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination is getting a boost from some Southwest neighbors in the early caucus state of Nevada.
A former top aide to incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday he is launching a campaign to draft the New Mexico governor into the presidential race.Reynaldo Martinez, a former chief of staff to Nevada's Reid, issued a statement saying he leads a committee of 70 people who want Richardson to enter Democratic race, which kicks off in January 2008 with caucuses in Iowa and Nevada.
"We call on Governor Richardson to run for president," Martinez said, providing a list of supporters he said included blacks, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, "significant Democratic Party activists" and environmentalists.
Read it all at the link above. Dean Barnett at Hugh Hewitt thinks the lie about being drafted will sink any Richardson candidacy, but I'm not so sure. Serial plagiarism hasn't dampened Joe Biden's hopes, and if Hilarity! Clinton can get past her 142 "I don't recall" answers to a federal grand jury, why would a bit of "Glory Days" puffery damage Richardson's chances at the Democratic nomination?
Perhaps the more difficult and relevant question from his past is, "Why were you so willing to find a job at the UN for Monica Lewinsky?"
Recall that Nevada, where this draft effort is being born, holds the second event in the Democratic schedule for 2008 . . .
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Comments (4)
De Las Vegas: I'm just comi... (Below threshold)1. Posted by diego277 | December 22, 2006 2:35 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
De Las Vegas: I'm just coming from an intimate politico gathering in Nevada, where the nix was put on Richardson -- at least in the gossip mill of some very powerful Dems here -- because of his deeper reputation for "womanizing worse than Bill Clinton" (quote from powerful Dem. here), and the fact that nobody even knows New Mexico is a state East of the Mississippi, and less well informed voters will shy away from anybody who has the word "Mexico" attached to him in any form. Sorry, Bill -- you did great when you were here.
Al Gore, anyone? Every Dem. I know in Nevada would work for him. !Viva Al Gore!
1. Posted by diego277 | December 22, 2006 2:35 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on December 22, 2006 02:35
2. Posted by Rich | December 22, 2006 2:43 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I remember years ago that mtv had the first or second "RealWorld" show and they stopped by to see a governor that was the youngest elected. In that episode one of the girls was very friendly with the govenor or so the show made it seem. I am probably wrong,but seems like Richardson is the same guy.
2. Posted by Rich | December 22, 2006 2:43 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 22, 2006 02:43
3. Posted by Rich is wrong | December 22, 2006 8:51 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
That was the mayor of Nogales, not Richardson.
3. Posted by Rich is wrong | December 22, 2006 8:51 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 22, 2006 08:51
4. Posted by LargeBill | December 22, 2006 12:41 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I'm no Richardson backer, but the baseball draft thing will not be what undermines his campaign. The baseball draft is not like football. The baseball gets almost no publicity (used to be zero pub) and could go over a hundred rounds with many players chosen just as "draft and follow". Draft and follow guys are not signed immediately they are watched and if they develop they may be offered a contract. He had an arm injury so it is not so outrageous for him to get the impression from a scout that he was going to get drafted.
4. Posted by LargeBill | December 22, 2006 12:41 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on December 22, 2006 12:41